Deja Vu...at the Amtrak Training Facility

A new chapter is finally here.  I'm in Wilmington, Delaware at the Amtrak Training Facility going through another Conductor certification for a Class 1 railroad.  It's ironic that at exactly this time a year ago I was going through railroad training but for BNSF Railway.  It even snowed at this exact time last year in Montana as well.  Even the process of my downtime, facetiming my family back in Tacoma is very similar to how it was a year ago.  So similar that they even housed us in an area next to a town called Glasgow, that's literally a stones throw away.  Those that have followed along or know me already know that is the name of the town I was at in Montana. 

Though this time around, I think I have the advantage of already knowing a good portion of the material and some of it is just a refresher to me.  I feel a little more relaxed this time around.  There's still the pressure of producing results when test times come around, but overall there is just something about it all that has me very comfortable as I walk through this process.  I'm very early in this process as I'm in the the middle of my third week out here. There's 9 in total and when I'm done, I still have to go back to my crew base in Seattle where I'll enter into the portion of having to know and test for the CROR, which is the Canadian Railway Operating Rules because I'll be making regular trips up to BC.  I'll also have several on the job trips that I'll need to take before I'm actually qualified.  So there's still some time left in order to make it through this process.  

The way I see this experience is like this. Focus on the material, but at the same time I'm not gonna kill myself like some of the other students with over doing it on the material.  When you get to the point where you're physically losing sleep studying the material, I feel you're actually losing.  You can only retain so much and when you distract yourself with the emotional stresses and panic of the training, that then begins to cloud your ability to focus.  

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!  To be able to be on the corridor here with the ability to travel for free and see things that I may never get to see again or for a really long time.  When I get back, all I'll be doing is working.  Married to the railroad extra board.  With that said, I'm gonna see the eastern seaboard while I'm here. Study on the trains, relax and take it all in.  Remain composed and help others that need it.  Not that I have a ton of experience, but I've walked this road and think that I can provide a little bit of assistance to those in need.  I'm also in the process of putting together a mental note of the "best" Philly cheesesteak.  That will be in a post to come, but it's a work in progress.  I'd like to catch a few baseball games while I'm over here as well.  Take in all the historical points, eat from local establishments.  I want to make the best of this experience while I'm here.  When it's time to work, bring my A game.  Though when it's not, to be able to disconnect from the gobs of material that they throw at you in a 9 week period of time and relax.  

So that's my plan.  Join me for the ride if you'd like, follow my photos on the Facebook page or take it as you wish to do.  This guy is gonna make the most of this experience and not sit in boring city of Bear for 9 weeks.  I've got a great roommate.  He is also half Filipino and have got along marvelously.  We have been working out together, sharing the cooking and cleaning duties of our apartment and even have been traveling together on the weekends.  We've been taking in the sites of Philadelphia and DC, going to all of the landmarks, tourist spots and local food favorites that I've sought out through Yelp.  Below, is a bunch of pictures that will kind of summarize how the first three weeks have gone.