Here we are, the weekend before Thanksgiving, and one of two regular ride weekends before the North Pole Express! Being a regular ride weekend, things are a little more relaxed but we have to keep to a schedule, as we schedule our regular train rides for 11 AM and 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
We start our day at the Willow yard right around 8 AM in the morning. Right after I get settled in I pick up my radio with my push to talk microphone and get started assisting the crew as needed. I assist in filling the SAL 821 car with water as it is needed for the two bathrooms that are on board; I learned that in order to fill the 300 gallon water tank in the SAL 821 that the locomotive should not be in operation. After all, getting the water from the tank to the restrooms is dependent on the train’s air pressure coming from the locomotive.
Filling the water tank is simple: Connect the water hose first, then turn a lever to the right. Turn on the water and the water tank fills. When it’s all said and done, excess water will come out of the tube adjacent to the lever; the lever has to be closed and the pressure has to be right as shown in the gauge to the right of the tank.
After the SAL 821 was filled we were getting ready to fill the New Georgia 5416. Unfortunately, by that time it was time for our crew briefing and we had to set off the open air flat car onto the lead track that led into the nearby Florida Power and Light (FP&L) Manatee Plant. After all, the track we run on is owned by FP&L but FP&L is very generous.
After the briefing we headed south to the FP&L lead to drop off the open air flat car. After that it was time to connect the 8330 locomotive to the other end and have a crew member ride the point (the end of a train) to Parrish. Now that everything’s said and done, we’re on our way to Parrish!
Once we get to Parrish, trying to line up the passenger loading ramp with the vestibule takes plenty of skill and practice. Once we were lined up with the ramp we chained the ramp to the safety gates and, in due time, we were ready to board our 11 AM passengers.
But before we load our passengers I had to make a quick clean up of the New Georgia 5416 coach. The New Georgia along with the other cars in the consist were decked out for the Christmas holidays, especially the North Pole Express. Unfortunately, the floor was a little messy and I could not let our passengers see a dirty car! So, a quick sweep and clean was in order which I did enroute to Parrish.
We had a great group of passengers for our 11 AM run. My assignment: Assist in taking tickets, give the mandatory safety briefing, let our passengers know where all the amenities are located, and so on. With that in mind, we were on our way to Willow.
Once we got to Willow we do what is called the engine runaround: We have a double track siding that connects to the FP&L lead as I discussed earlier. Just before the north switch we stop the train and disconnect the locomotive from the train. Next, the locomotive is taken north of the switch and a crew member will go out and rotate the switch so that the locomotive will go onto the siding. Now at the same time another crew member will rotate the switch on the other end so that the locomotive will be able to get back on the main track.
The locomotive is allowed to proceed to the other end of the train. Once the locomotive is clear of the switch on the other end we can turn the switch back to the position that will allow for movement on the main line. The locomotive is carefully backed into and coupled onto the train. Once the air lines are coupled and everything’s OK we can make our move into Willow as a backing move.
The backing move into Willow can be compared to Amtrak’s backing move into Tampa Union Station. Even though Tampa is a station stop for Amtrak’s Silver Star service (Train 91 southbound and Train 92 northbound), Tampa Union Station is what is called a stub-in facility. As such, all Amtrak trains have to turn off the main CSX A Line onto a wye track (a triangular track used for turning railroad equipment according to Wikipedia) located east of Tampa’s Ybor City historic district called the Neve Wye. As the Amtrak train approaches, all the locomotive engineer has to do is to slow down the train for the sharp curves ahead: There is no need for the conductor or the engineer to have to get out of the train and manually set the switches as the switches are controlled by CSX dispatchers 200+ miles away in Jacksonville. Once in the spur track of the Neve Wye the switches are changed to allow for reverse movement of the Amtrak train for its last couple of miles to Tampa Union Station, and the Amtrak conductor (or his or her assistant) rides the rear end of the train all the way in, guiding the train as it makes its slow move.
We’re at Willow, and one of the crew members opens the gates to allow access into the Willow yard. Once at Willow, a crew member stationed in the open air gondola gives a talk about the history of the town from its early heydays as a company town for a logging mill. For those passengers that remain in the other cars, I give a good history of the town of Willow and answer any questions the passengers may have.
After a good ten to fifteen minutes in Willow, it’s time to head back to Parrish! The concession stand gets plenty of business, especially on the return trip.
Speaking of our concession stand, we have prepackaged drinks and snacks for your enjoyment. All snacks are $1.00 and all drinks are $2.00. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
Once we arrive in Parrish, it’s just a matter of lining up the vestibule with the ramp. Once the ramp is in place the locomotive engineer gives the horn signal saying that it’s OK to detrain the passengers. We thank our passengers for riding with us and we tell our passengers to come back and see us again soon.
After the last passenger has departed it’s time for lunch on board the train. Lunch time is a great time to chat with fellow crew members and think about what we did on the train today.
By 1:30 PM it’s time to begin boarding our passengers for our 2 PM run. Take the tickets, greet the passengers, and give the mandatory safety briefing before departure. Make sure the passengers are seated, and we’re off to Willow!
It’s basically the same thing as the 11 AM run. Do the runaround, back into Willow, give a brief history of Willow from its early heydays. Once all is said and done, head back to Parrish.
Being our last run of the day, I assist in the closedown of the concession stand as we get closer to Parrish so that everything is in order. Once our passengers have detrained I do another quick sweep of the train to make sure everything’s clean. This means all the trash cans are emptied, restrooms cleaned and everything’s in order for the next day’s work.
Now that everything’s said and done, I ride with the rest of the crew for the trip back to our home base in Willow. For me, I have a place that I can stay overnight which enables me to be at the train the next day at 8 AM.
Dawn breaks, and I am ready to go. Back at the train at 8 AM and assist the crew in getting the train ready to go. But first, we have our mandatory crew safety briefing and I get my assignments for the day; for Sunday (11/24/13) as we were short staffed on crew I got to wear several hats while being a Car Host.
After all is said and done we head south to Parrish in time to board our passengers for our 11 AM run. However, we had the party caboose on this run because someone chartered the caboose for a birthday party.
Speaking of the party caboose, have you thought about making your child’s birthday extra special? Or a wedding reception? Or even a corporate function? The possibilities are endless when you charter the party caboose for your next get together – it will be the best get together you have ever had! It only costs $200.00 on regular ride days (pricing for party caboose use on themed ride days varies by themed ride; you may want to check the Florida Railroad Museum’s website for details and pricing and reserve early – themed rides such as the North Pole Express tend to sell out quickly). The charter fee covers 16 admissions plus your very own Car Host for the trip!
It’s basically the same as the day before: Give the safety briefing, welcome everyone aboard. Then at 11 AM we get underway for our six mile trip to Willow including the train runaround and the reverse move into Willow. At the same time, our party caboose passengers are having a great time on board.
Then it’s back to Parrish. Bur before we go to lunch and our subsequent 2 PM run we have to detach the party caboose as we didn’t have a rental on the 2 PM run.
We get a lot of passengers on the 2 PM run, more than what we had on the 11 AM run earlier. It’s the same thing all over again: Mandatory safety briefing for the passengers and welcome everyone aboard. Right at 2 PM we get underway for Willow once more.
After Willow it’s back to Parrish. Being the last run of the weekend, I help get the concession stand organized and put away and assist in cleaning the train after our passengers have departed. Then it’s a ride with the crew back to Willow, get my service record signed off by the conductor and I am on my way home!
The only thing I did not have to worry about was having to go to my full time job this particular week, for it was Thanksgiving week. I decided to take a ride over to Plant City to check out the new rail viewing platform under construction which will enable everyone including area railfans to watch passing trains from a safe distance. I got to Plant City just in time for CSX’s most famous unit train, the Tropicana Juice Train headed back on the S Line towards Tampa and Bradenton.
Then it was time to head home, and get things ready for Christmas.
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