[stylist] September 11, 2009 The shellBell Report

[Shelley J. Alongi]

A day that remains in the history of the United States as we all know also holds significance for me in other ways and today, Friday September 11, I am off to another one of my adventures. As I sit here early in the morning it is quiet, the fan cools me, the window slightly opened to let in what cool air there is for now, the cats have disappeared somewhere, probably to their respective windows. Life has thrown a few curve balls that I'm working on solving, but the interests that consume my attention this weekend are two train journeys: one to Chatsworth today and one to Santa Barbara tomorrow. Okay if you know anythigna bout the rail route you'll know that this is backtracking and why should one have to retrace their steps by train on two consecutive days unless they're in the railroading business? Not sure, only to say that tomorrow, Septmeber 12 is the one year anniversary of the Metrolink111 accident and while some have planned memorial observances, no doubt making some of them political, I have something in mind, not entirely unrelated to that. Weeks ago I asked for today off, Friday, because I planned a trip to Santa Barbara tomorrow on the Wine Lovers train with the Southern California Train Travel Meetup group and thought I'd like to have the day before and after off as well so that I could arrange transportation and recover from the trip. Some of the train travellers told me that we could stay on the train to San Luisobispo if we liked and didn't have to get off at Santa Barbara and I may just do that, though I'm sure Imay share the private Overland Trail rail car with some happy wine lovers on the way back. If I don't get into some stimulating conversation with railfans I'l probably try and finish my book on the Santa Fe railroad. If I get into stimulating conversation that will be all the better because I'll learn more about trains. These are all things planned for Saturday's agenda because I wanted to do something nice on the anniversary of the accident and at the time I had the money and thought I'd better take advantage of it while I could.  All that said, first, there is the event of Friday.

Today is going to be a little bit of an emotional day because I'm taking the Amtrak from Fullerton up to L.A. Union station to get on the Metrolink111 to Chatsworth. My trip to Chatsworth today is to accomplish several things: (1) to meet the conductor who operates that train and who was on that train the day of that accident, (2) to get my plaque of Rob Sanchez from Chris, and (3) to have Chris tell me Rob stories. "I want you to tell me about Rob," I said to Chris in our last brief phone conversation. He said he would look forward to doing that. We'll see what happens and I'm sure I'll have something to report one way or the other. The key event for me today is meeting the conductor. Soem of the people I've gotten to know over the last year tell me that they know him. Chris is sure he'll talk to me about the accident. He doesn't necessarily have to talk to me about the accident today, I just want to meet him and tell him I'm the one who made Rob's plaque. Chris in Chatsworth, one of the last people to talk to that engineer, showed him the plaque and got a favorable response. Besides I've kind of wanted to take the trip on that same Metrolink train, though I have taken that same route on an Amtrak train. Since Metrolink is said to have lost a million dollars in revenue in the last year, due to falling gas prices if you believe the reports, I'm sure they'll appreciate my taking their train. By the way, when I board the train I'll be carrying flowers to lay at the chatsworth station. I'm sure that will get some attention. Today is probably goign to be an eventful day, either that or very quiet, and I'll let you know one way or the other how things go.

You may wonder what I'm going to do with Rob's plaque. We've tried to put it in two places, neither of which ended in success, so I'll bring it here and start plan C. Eventually we're goign to find a person brave enough to display a plaque for an engineer who knew in his last five seconds of life, despite preliminary findings, that he was goign to get hit by a freight train. That can't be a happy feeling. Somewhere, somehow, we'll find a spot. And in the meantime I'll get to hear Rob stories. We'll see just what kinds of stories they are.

Till we meet again in person or online, stay in touch and keep dreaming. 

Shelley J. Alongi 
Home Office: (714)869-3207
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To read essays on my journey through the Chatsworth train accident, Metrolink 111 or other interests click on http://www.storymania.com/cgibin/sm2/smshowauthorbox.cgi?page=&author=AlongiSJ&alpha=A

updated July 2, 2009