Rafi
Conductor
Folks,
I'm wrestling with a choice here that I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me resolve before I go completely crazy.
My wife and I, who live in Baltimore, are flying into Boston on a Friday afternoon from a vacation in Paris this December; we're attending a family reunion in Sturbridge, MA, which is about 15 miles from the Worcester train station. I'm fairly sure that what I'll do in order to get to Sturbridge is to catch a shuttle from Logan to South Station, and then hop a commuter MBTA train to Worcester on Friday afternoon and have a family member pick us up.
What's stressing me is figuring out the best way of getting back to Baltimore on Sunday. As I see it, I have four options (all of which have a family member dropping us off at Worcester for the return):
1). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) westbound to Springfield (a portion of a line I've never ridden, so to me this is a rare chance). It's scheduled to arrive in SPG at 2:15 PM, and if it's running on-time, we conceivably catch the southbound Vermonter (57), which departs SPG at 2:50 PM and arrives in BAL at 9:26 PM (this is also a somewhat rare line for me to travel (it's been four years since I was last on that trackage)—I'm almost always on the shoreline NEC these days in New England, so again, it's a nice perk). If 449 is running late, we'd be stuck in SPG until 5:20 when 467 leaves, getting us to BAL on 167 at a late 11:38 PM (she WON'T be happy).
2). Take a commuter train back to Boston and connect with one of the many Acelas or Regionals down to BAL. While I guess this is the safest option connection-wise, it's just so...boring.
3). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) all of the way to Albany (arrives 5:35 PM) and connect with Empire service 258, which leaves albany at 6:15 PM, arriving NYP at 8:40 PM, connecting with 167, arriving BAL at 11:38 PM (this is the same train we would have to catch if we miss the Vermonter in SPG). This is probably what I'd do if I was travelling alone, actually, as the entire LSL stub train's route has eluded my travels so far, and it'd be nice to wipe it out all at once. Unfortunately, the length of the trip and the arrival time is almost certainly not what she'd prefer.
4). Hop a commuter train east out of WOR back to BOS and just fly home on AirTran ($60 each). This is obviously the fastest way, but not by that much, considering that you need to get to Logan extra early in my experience, and that checking bags is almost a certainty, and that baggage claim at BWI is 30 min wait at minimum.
So, I guess what I'm asking you folks is, what would you do? My wife just wants to keep the travel time to a relative minimum. She's not opposed to the train as long as it doesn't get us home too late. My hope was to catch the Vermonter, but I'm thinking Amtrak may not honor the connection. is anyone familiar with 449's on-time record into SPG? Is it pretty reliable?
Thanks so much,
Rafi
Baltimore, MD
I'm wrestling with a choice here that I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me resolve before I go completely crazy.
My wife and I, who live in Baltimore, are flying into Boston on a Friday afternoon from a vacation in Paris this December; we're attending a family reunion in Sturbridge, MA, which is about 15 miles from the Worcester train station. I'm fairly sure that what I'll do in order to get to Sturbridge is to catch a shuttle from Logan to South Station, and then hop a commuter MBTA train to Worcester on Friday afternoon and have a family member pick us up.
What's stressing me is figuring out the best way of getting back to Baltimore on Sunday. As I see it, I have four options (all of which have a family member dropping us off at Worcester for the return):
1). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) westbound to Springfield (a portion of a line I've never ridden, so to me this is a rare chance). It's scheduled to arrive in SPG at 2:15 PM, and if it's running on-time, we conceivably catch the southbound Vermonter (57), which departs SPG at 2:50 PM and arrives in BAL at 9:26 PM (this is also a somewhat rare line for me to travel (it's been four years since I was last on that trackage)—I'm almost always on the shoreline NEC these days in New England, so again, it's a nice perk). If 449 is running late, we'd be stuck in SPG until 5:20 when 467 leaves, getting us to BAL on 167 at a late 11:38 PM (she WON'T be happy).
2). Take a commuter train back to Boston and connect with one of the many Acelas or Regionals down to BAL. While I guess this is the safest option connection-wise, it's just so...boring.
3). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) all of the way to Albany (arrives 5:35 PM) and connect with Empire service 258, which leaves albany at 6:15 PM, arriving NYP at 8:40 PM, connecting with 167, arriving BAL at 11:38 PM (this is the same train we would have to catch if we miss the Vermonter in SPG). This is probably what I'd do if I was travelling alone, actually, as the entire LSL stub train's route has eluded my travels so far, and it'd be nice to wipe it out all at once. Unfortunately, the length of the trip and the arrival time is almost certainly not what she'd prefer.
4). Hop a commuter train east out of WOR back to BOS and just fly home on AirTran ($60 each). This is obviously the fastest way, but not by that much, considering that you need to get to Logan extra early in my experience, and that checking bags is almost a certainty, and that baggage claim at BWI is 30 min wait at minimum.
So, I guess what I'm asking you folks is, what would you do? My wife just wants to keep the travel time to a relative minimum. She's not opposed to the train as long as it doesn't get us home too late. My hope was to catch the Vermonter, but I'm thinking Amtrak may not honor the connection. is anyone familiar with 449's on-time record into SPG? Is it pretty reliable?
Thanks so much,
Rafi
Baltimore, MD