Joe Biden knocks on door of Obama's inaugural train (Extra)

Jan 17, 2009, 17:36 GMT

Wilmington, Delaware/Washington - There was a moment of hesitation Saturday before vice-president-elect Joe Biden knocked on the door of the Amtrak Pullman coach.

Biden was looking to board the historic inaugural train, which carried president-elect Barack Obama on the historic final journey towards Washington and his inauguration on Tuesday.

But no one answered, and he opened and stuck his head through the door on the last car on the train, as if to say 'anyone home?' broadcast images showed.

Biden shrugged, walked back down the train steps to the platform, and waited.

Finally, after a moment or two, Obama and first-lady-to-be Michelle Obama emerged through the door and joined Biden and wife Jill Biden on the platform, with hugs all around.

'Happy birthday,' exclaimed Jill Biden as she hugged Michelle, who is celebrating her 45th birthday.

Both women wore purple. Michelle donned a bright purple shirt and jacket, while Jill wore a frilly purple collar underneath her jacket.

Obama had already begun the trip in Philadelphia, where he paid tribute to the 18th century colonists who declared independence from Britain there. After Wilmington, the train will also stop in Baltimore, re-enacting president Abe Lincoln's journey to Washington nearly 150 years ago.

Biden spoke to the crowd at the Wilmington station, after being introduced by the train conductor he had grown to know well during 36 years of daily commutes as a US senator between Wilmington and Washington.

'It's not every day you get to do your daily commute with the next president of the United States of America,' Biden said.

Biden called Saturday's train trip the beginning of a 'longer journey for the country' that was gripped by a 'chill of fear and wrong' deeper than the minus 12 degrees Centigrade of the winter day.

Biden promised that 'spring is on the way with this new administration' - but also said the new administration would need more than prayers.

'We'll need your hard work. If ours is to be a successful journey, it must be a shared journey,' Biden said.