And so it was that on Saturday, November 3, I was on board Air Canada flight 150 for Montreal, a Boeing 767. At Montreal Dorval I connected to flight 1820 to Washington, Dulles—a Canadair Regional Jet. Arrival at Washington was on time, and I then van-pooled into the city for a couple of nights.

Sunday, November 4 was unplanned, but it was a beautiful morning so I decided to go to nearby Baltimore—a city I had never before stopped in. A pleasant walk to Washington's fabulous Union Station, noting significantly increased security along the way. Concrete barriers were everywhere protecting buildings from being accessed by vehicles—including the station. Amtrak is busy, but I have no problem purchasing an unreserved return ticket to Baltimore ($42), and board the next available train, an Acela Regional train going all the way to Boston with an AEM 7 electric for power and nine Amfleet cars. I settle into a redone Amfleet coach, it is pleasant in new colours and new seats. Ride to Baltimore is delayed en route slightly due signal problems, we arrive ten minutes late.

While en route I have decided to try the new Baltimore LRT system, check out the harbour front and visit the B & O Museum. On arrival at Baltimore's Penn station, I find the LRT out of service for the day due trackwork (it is Sunday) and so I head off along Charles St. on foot. This turns out to be just fine, as it is a pleasant sunny morning and the architecture is quite interesting. It takes about 35 minutes (I have no map), but find the harbour front with no trouble and discover a wonderful and enjoyable place. Even take a water taxi harbour tour!

After lunch, I walk over to the B & O Railroad Museum, without a doubt home to one of the most historic collections of railroad history on the continent. As the first railroad on the North American continent, the B & O has some significant history, and it is well presented here in conjunction with the Smithsonian organization supporting the facility.

And what a facility it is. The only fully circular enclosed roundhouse on this continent, the museum's historic collection fills the stalls of this wonderful cupola topped structure, with cast iron, brick and frame construction. Staring straight up at a fully circular building is really something. Having a polished hardwood floored turntable in the exact centre to access all the stalls unique. It is clean, bright, functional and incredibly beautiful!

Steam locomotives (original and replica) tell the story of the birth of railroading in North America, and the B & O collections policy appears well managed and focused. This is a collection that represents its railroad of interpretation from start to finish, when it merged into the C & O and then becoming part of the Chessie System (CSX today).

Outside, there is much more collection and, while still representative of the B & O, it is much more typical of railway museums. The challenges of storage and weather are apparent, although the whole thing is more professional than most by quite a bit. I spend about four hours here and find only two things a bit unusual—first, you don't get aboard any of the artifacts in the collection (I understand preservation, but came away with no understanding of what it would have been like to be on a train in those days), not even the interiors of passenger cars were well lit for viewing from the outside. Second, the placing of several locomotives and cars in the parking lot made it difficult for viewing and impossible for any sort of reasonable photographing. Reading (American Freedom Train) #2101 sits out here looking poorly). Still, certainly worth a visit and among the best.

I walked back to Penn station and timed it perfectly—as I arrived Acela Regional train #157 bound for Washington pulled in. I board, find a seat and enjoy another quick and comfortable ride along the Corridor, then take the Washington Metro (its dark now) back to my hotel.

Monday, November 5, back to Union Station but by taxi this time, I have my luggage to handle. The station is really busy this morning, and new security measures are taking their toll. Any thought of being able to look out to the platforms or even visit them is gone. Before boarding any train photo id and ticket are matched. Photo id is required at ticket purchase time as well (although not if you use a self serve ticket machine). I find my gate and await the arrival of my train, The Carolinian, from New York.

Train #79 is called and I head out to the platform. I am booked business class, and head for that car. The attendant assigns a seat on the platform— there are no window seats available. I board the "Carolina Business Class" car, an Amfleet car specially lettered, and find my seat. The car is a typical "Custom Class" Amfleet car, nice spacious seats and fine all around, but the small Amfleet windows make viewing hard—especially from an aisle seat. Carolina Business Class ($15 extra fare) gives you the better seats, beverage service in the car and complimentary headphones with video and audio entertainment. I settle in and check things out. Three of the eight video monitors in the car are papered "Out of Service", including the one I would look to. I didn't take the train to watch movies anyways! Our Business Class attendant explains how things work, there are no hot beverages today because New York forgot the pump pots. But you could get them at the dinette car, just show your business class ticket stub for the hot beverages. Only problem, the dinette is way at the other end of the train.

We depart on time (1000) and head out of Washington, crossing the Potomac River into Virginia. We have P42 #146 on the point (in new Amtrak colours), a Horizon dinette with tables, three Amfleet coaches, our Business Class car, two baggage cars and a merchandise car. As we head south, I note a gentleman sitting on the aisle seat by himself—he is happy to offer me the window seat as long as I am not bothered by the cord for his laptop. I'm not!

Our train has a good load—business class is sold out on this segment and the coaches are also busy. The fall colours are nice as we roll along CSX rails. The line takes us right down the center of Main Street in several towns, definitely an interesting highlight of the trip. We keep to time through Alexandria, Virginia and on through Petersburg, crossing into North Carolina and arriving Rocky Mount at 1455. A docent from the State of North Carolina boards here and stays with the train all the way to Charlotte. He talks to all as they wish and provides stories and insight into the state. Cy is his name, and he's great.

At Wilson, we leave CSX rails and start to wander across to the west on single track owned by the state and operated by Norfolk Southern. The horn on the locomotive never stops blowing, it seems, as we cross streets at grade almost continuously. We stop at Raleigh and arrive and depart within five minutes of schedule. Its now getting dark, but only a couple of hours to go or so we think. We're in East Durham when suddenly the air dumps and we go into emergency. Outside the window, I notice a cloud of dust as we cross the next street. The train stops—we have hit a car! It is a long stop, so we begin to suspect that this is serious. There are lots of others on board heading to Salisbury with me and several scanners. After the emergency calls we hear calls for Norfolk Southern police, Amtrak police, insurance people and train inspectors. The time is 1705, we don't move again until 1945.

Next day on the news we learn that it was indeed serious. For reasons unknown to anyone, a female driver decided to pull around four cars stopped at the crossing gates (the grade crossing was protected with both lights and gates) and proceeded to drive right into the side of our locomotive as we were passing at about 50 mph. The Thunderbird is totaled, her passenger dead, and the driver critical. All to save ten seconds wait for an eight car passenger train?

The train is inspected and declared fine, and we proceed to Salisbury where we are picked up by volunteer drivers in vans and driven to our hotel. While we are finally there I have one more hurdle—the hotel doesn't have my reservation. I find my confirmation number—I'm in!

Tuesday, November 6 is a day to explore Salisbury. Founded in 1753 there is a lot of history. I struggle to walk into town (pedestrian friendly its not here on the highway), and discover there is a little bus system—three routes, three buses in the fleet. It takes me to the Salisbury depot, right where I want to go. The heritage Southern Railway depot is Spanish styled and restored, used as a banquet and meeting hall these days. The Norfolk Southern mainline out front is busy, this is also the junction point for the line to Asheville, NC. The lovely sunny morning makes for great photography. After a while I walk the town (it takes two hours) and then bus out to Spencer where I enjoy the sights of a restored southern GP30 on the Museum excursion train. There is no charge for this museum, just for the train ride! Wednesday, November 7 is fully given to ARM board work, then a reception in the evening kicks off the convention.

Thursday, November 8 is the first convention outing and, with 350 people, quite a logistical exercise. The organizing committee has it all in hand. We bus down to the Salisbury depot (the seven coaches will deadhead to meet us in Charlotte) to catch the North Carolina train the Piedmont. North Carolina really supports passenger service, it helps fund the Amtrak Carolinian I cam down on, and funds the operation of the Piedmont, which runs daily between Raleigh and Charlotte, against the schedule of the Carolinian. What makes this train different is the equipment—and the class of operation. As we line up on the platform, the station agent looks a little bewildered—he knows we are coming, but can't recall when he last loaded 350 passengers at Salisbury!

North Carolina also knows we are coming, and instead of the usual locomotive and four car consist, the Piedmont arrives with North Carolina F59PHI #1755 / GP40-2 motive power, then an eight car consist of baggage, diner, coach, full dome lounge (ex MILW), and four more coaches. The equipment is all rebuilt Amtrak Heritage fleet, painted with the Amtrak tri- stripe colours but lettered for the train with all cars named. Inside, the train is spotless with lovely gray tone upholstery and carpet, and big clean windows! We have been organized to board by coach, all doors open, and within five minutes we are on our way to Charlotte, about an hour away. Our group has the dome and the four trailing coaches. Seatbacks have pamphlets about rail service in the state, schedules and each seat has a book for us entitled "The Railroads Were Our Magic Carpet" - short stories written by state citizens about their rail experiences. This is the way it should be! We arrive OT at 1100k.

Our fleet of coaches picks us up at the station (which is away from downtown), and we head for the Charlotte Trolley. We have more than enough time there to ride the trolley (one car, powered by a generator car as tracks are being rebuilt and no overhead is available). Interestingly, Charlotte is building LRT and the trolley now rides new welded rail with concrete ties under construction! A police officer is aboard every trip to flag grade crossings where signals are not yet operational! After this, we head for the Carolinas Aviation Museum, then back for the Piedmont train back to Salisbury. A reception is provided on arrival in the historic depot—an appropriate location and very nice.

Friday is again conference day, then Saturday is set aside for the visit to the host museum. The North Carolina Transportation Museum, while representing all aspects of transport in principle, is essentially a railroad museum. Based on 57 acres of Southern Railway land deeded to the state in the 1977 and 1981, this is a great place and we are greeted by another beautiful morning. This was the Southern Railway's major maintenance shop, located exactly half way along its mainline between Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. Centre piece is the 37 stall Robert Julian Roundhouse, home to the rail exhibits and maintenance operations for the museum's collection.

The host museum has quite a show for us, starting with a Parade of Power which sees operating locomotives moved one by one onto the turntable and given a 360 degree spin for all to enjoy. We gather and the show starts. First out is Buffalo Creek & Gauley 2—8—0 #604, a real sight under steam on this crisp morning. This engine will be the power for the excursion train over the weekend (page 35), and she is spotless! Next out is the Graham County three truck Shay, again a lovely locomotive. I am near her and bring home her cinders all over my shirt! The Shay is the guest operator steam engine for the day. Next come the diesels, and for someone with a soft heart for GM's rounded nosed creatures, it is really something to see. Onto the turntable comes Southern E8A #6900, resplendent in Southern Crescent green, gold and white (page 35). Next, Southern FP7A #6133 makes its way out for a spin, followed by Southern GP30 (high nosed) #2601. She will be the diesel loco today for guest operations. Also operating, but not put on the turntable, is a very rare E3A, Atlantic Coast Line #105.

After the parade, the rest of the day is spent enjoying the museum. There are lots of special activities, including a neat tour of the un-restored parts of the former SR complex. In the paint shop, a unique shorty three way combine— RPO / baggage / coach! The roundhouse, the largest remaining in North America, is full of treasures and great exhibits. The 100 foot electrically powered turntable brings visions of what ours will look like when we get it installed. It is a perfectly ideal day, and reaches a warm 70 degrees outside!

All day, train operations go on with regular passes and sounds from the 2-8- 0 on the excursion train followed by the unique roar of the Shay and the purr of the GP30, as the three consists cycle around the museum's track. The ride starts at the shop, then heads south to end of track (the NS yard lead), then returns in reverse through the shop complex, past Barber Junction station, then moves forward barnstorming up the hill back to the shop. It is short, but enjoyable The best place to observe, without a doubt, is on the final grade.

A major facility expansion is currently underway, with the Heavy Erecting Shop being rebuilt into a History of North Carolina Transportation exhibit-a $30 million plus project. It is massive project, and I meet the Chair of the operation and the driving force behind the entire museum over the years. He reads my name tag and says, "I've been looking for you! I read the piece you wrote for the ARM Quarterly about Governance Structure and its right on! I've followed West Coast Railway's progress over the past several years and you people are dong things right." I leave with slightly swelled head, a great day and a great compliment to our organization and people, way down here in North Carolina!

Sunday, November 11—after ARM business all morning I return to the museum for the afternoon—just can't get too much of it! Then its back to the Holiday Inn to pack for the trip home. Monday AM finds me down at the Salisbury depot once again, this time for the Carolinian back to Washington. The train arrives on time behind P42 #146 once again, but is a car shorter than last time. Business Class reservation and ticket in hand, I am advised as I go to board that there is no Business Class car today, but I will be able to get a refund once I get to Washington if I wish (for the difference). The conductor sends us all into one coach, it is full other than a very few aisle seats. I rebel and go back to the next car which is empty and get chastised by the conductor. Having had enough, I use my "I have a business class ticket and you can't provide that, but surely I can get a window seat". He relents and I have a window.

We head north retracing our steps to Washington, DC. At Greensboro, passengers boarding say a plane has gone down in New York, soon rumours start flying. At Durham, a heavy crowd boards—New York air space is closed—we expect the worst. At Raleigh, the train is now sold out, but we are now clear it is an accident. It's a long ride to Washington on a tired and hard Amfleet coach seat with not a single spare space to be had. The checking for photo id at boarding gets us behind schedule, we finally arrive Washington at 1845k, 1 hour 45 minutes late. I go to the Amtrak ticket window and apply for my $15 Business Class refund.

Now its all over but the trip home. I taxi out to my accommodation at Washington Dulles, and next morning check in for the flights home. Security at Dulles is evident, armed soldiers throughout the airport, but the check in procedure and scan check is no different (in Canada, they opened and inspected my camera bag each time, here they just put it through the scanner). I board Air Canada 3345 for Toronto (34 passengers, A320 aircraft) then connect to a full flight 101 for Vancouver (B 767). Another trip has come to an end!