Checking in at the station: .
When you arrive, you'll drive up a long driveway where the vehicles queue up. Stop at the Greeter's booth where the employee will attach a magnetic I.D. number to your car. Pull forward to the canopied dropoff area in front of the station. This is where you'll turn over your car to the driver who will drive it up the ramp and onto the auto carrier. Leave the key in the ignition. Leave most of your luggage in the car, and take your personal items with you, as mentioned above. In most cases, car-top carriers won't fit into the auto carriers. In virtually every case, items that you transport on top of your car will have to be put inside the vehicle while you're on the train. Trailers can occasionally be transported, but not always. If you intend to use a trailer, you should give a full explanation at the time you make your reservation, to be sure it can be done.
Keep an eye on the kids in the dropoff area, just as you would in any parking lot or other area where vehicles are moving around. Kids are short (that's not their fault). They also move around impetuously. That makes it hard for drivers to see them sometimes.
When you release your vehicle, a video will be made to record the condition of your vehicle at the time of dropoff. This is to protect both you and Amtrak. Before they began to do it, Amtrak spent a lot of money on damage claims. Once they started to do the videos, damage claims dropped precipitously, which leads me to believe most of them were probably fraudulent. Damage to vehicles is EXTREMELY rare, but the video protects you in the unlikely event it happens.
After releasing your vehicle, you need to go into the station and check in at the ticket counter. Tickets are scanned and lifted in the station --- not on the train. You will be given a boarding pass that tells the I.D. number of your car, what car you'll be riding in, and it will identify your reserved seats or sleeper accommodations. It will also say how many are in your party. If in coach, be sure there is a seat for each individual in your party --- including children. Don't lose the boarding pass. That's what you need to actually board the train.
You will also receive meal coupons that are color-coded and have numbers indicating your meal service time. Be sure you have a separate meal coupon for each member of your party --- including children. Hang onto them because they will be collected when you go to dinner.
Don't try to board until the boarding announcement is made. This is usually 2:30 p.m. Before that, the cleaning crew and the Mechanical Dept. will be working on the equipment to prepare it. The onboard service crew will also be taking on stock and preparing the equipment. Occasionally, boarding is delayed until after 2:30 if it takes longer to get everything ready. If that happens, announcements will be made. The final boarding call is usually made at 3:00. When that happens, go the the door for your assigned car and allow the attendant to take your boarding pass. If you aren't sure where to board, check the signs or ask an employee.
The Sanford and Lorton stations are fairly spacious and have restrooms and gift/snack shops. The Lorton station is a bit bigger, but both stations are adequate for their purpose. There are also small outside playgrounds for the kids.
Reconstruction work on the platform at Sanford is evidently still going on. Please walk only in designated areas for your safety.
At this point, you'll be on the train and the worst is over.
After the doors are all closed (shortly after 3:00 p.m.), the auto carriers will be attached and the entire train will be assembled. Departure is theoretically 4:00 p.m., but is often earlier. The important thing is that we know everybody is aboard right after the final boarding call is made shortly after 3:00, and auto loading ends at 3:00. As soon as the entire train is assembled, the CSX dispatcher is notified. The train gets underway as soon as permission is received from the dispatcher, even if it's before 4:00 p.m.
Tom
