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So what's everyone's plans for National Train Day?
I am taking the San Joaquin's from OKJ-BFD, bus to LAX, Pacific Surfliner from LAX-SAN and return on Friday and then on Saturday, I'll be on the Starlight LAX-EMY! Should be a lot of fun! I'm taking my mom and grandpa along for the ride also, so I'm looking forward to spending time with them as well!
Posts: 82 | From: San Lorenzo, CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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Since there are no [Amtrak] trains in my home town on any given Saturday (and the station is closed and locked), I guess I'll just work on my website and dream of better days....
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Ah... alas! The good old days Well, maybe you can launch Microsoft Train Simulator's Amtrak routes and switch to the passenger view... just need a good imagination and you'll have a blast lol
LOVE the website by the way - thanks for all you do on there!
Posts: 82 | From: San Lorenzo, CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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I will be on the Crescent all day on Train Day. I wonder if there will be anything special done on board the Amtrak trains?
Posts: 218 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I haven't heard if there will be anything special going on at either the Winter Park or Orlando stations, so I probably won't do anything except maybe go down to the station and pick up a couple copies of the summer timetable.
BTW, did anyone watch "Wheel of Fortune" last night? They had at least one prize of an AMTRAK trip, in honor of National Train Day.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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They're doing some shindig at Union Station in Chicago. I have work to do on my house, otherwise I'd love to take a ride down there and check it out.
-------------------- Chuck
“Adventure is just bad planning.” - Roald Amundsen Posts: 80 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2007
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I'm planning a day of family fun at my favorite amusement park - Tweetsie Railroad.
It's closer to me than any Amtrak station and even though it's a cheesy amusement park, the two locomotives are authentic narrow guage steam engines, one of which actually spent it's first working life in the Western North Carolina mountains. My daughter loves trains and Tweetsie is a place where it's OK to get excited and yell "Twain, twain, choo choo, chugga, chugga choo choo."
Historically speaking, May 10 was a date of significance long before Amtrak got their hands on it........and I'm not sure Amtrak would have done it had May 10th not fallen on a Saturday this year.
And Rich, thanks for the mention of Wheel of Fortune. THAT'S how my co-worker around the corner knew to ask me this morning if I knew what May 10th was.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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We are driving to Washington DC from our town in Pennsylvania on Saturday and we hope to be there by 10AMto see Al Roker and Alex Kummant. Later we are taking the Capitol Limited to Cumberland, staying overnight at the overpriced Holiday Inn right by the station and returning the next day.
At least my lady goes for free on the way out!
After riding hundreds of thousands of miles on Amtrak in the last 18 years, I had to do something to commemorate National train day.
Posts: 176 | From: Bloomsburg Pa | Registered: Jul 2000
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Tom Anderson and I will be leaving LAUPT on the Coast Starlight for Portland on National Train Day May 10th, the former relaunched day of the Coast Starlight.
Chris
Posts: 711 | From: Santa Ana | Registered: May 2003
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Chris and Tommers...I might see you guys on Saturday. I'm trying to fine-tune some plans, and fly down there on Saturday morning. The FlyAway bus wouldn't get me to Union Station until roughly 9:30AM or so? My flight would arrive into LAX at 7:55AM, so I think that would mean an 8:30AM FlyAway bus, arriving Union Station an hour or so later. But since it's a weekend, maybe earlier. I'll look for you guys up on the platform (Track 10?) near the sleepers if I can make it down there. Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Anyone else plan on riding #14 on National Train Day?
-------------------- Remember no matter where you go, there you are - Buckaroo Bonzai Posts: 45 | From: Fullerton, CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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Happy National Train Day! I'd be happier if I were actually on the train, but I did pick up tickets for my Rochester-Schenectady-Fort Edward jaunt later this month. The new Milwaukee Intermodal station is still beautiful, but I was disappointed to see that there are still no food vendors - only vending machines. The biggest problem is lack of temporary parking to pick up tickets. The area we used last fall is now the bus staging area (since Greyhound has moved in). I was able to use an accessible spot (still have my pass after knee replacement) at the main post office next door. There is a parking lot close by, but I didn't want to pay for such a short stop & street parking is almost non-existent due to ongoing construction at 4th & St Paul.
-------------------- My new "default" station (EKH) has no baggage service or QuikTrak machine, but the parking is free! And the NY Central RR Museum is just across the tracks (but not open at Amtrak train times. . ..) Posts: 337 | From: Goshen, IN | Registered: Jun 2006
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I'm sitting here on National Train Day in the BHM station, which smells horribly of basement mold and Pine Sol, waiting on #20 which is only running 4 minutes late, across from the next agent to be on duty who is eating Kentucky Fried Chicken from a paper bag.
There is no indication that this day is different than any other.
Perhaps, something will happen on the train. I will report back.
Posts: 218 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I got back several hours ago from the mini-event at the Bakersfield California Station (sunburn and all). I rarely like being outdorrs unless its something having to do with trains. Hehe. They brought down a California Car for touring and it was a cab car. Big and little kids alike were able to go up into the cab area and fiddle around. I can't deny sitting in t he engineers seat cab controls at my hands made me feel like a KID IN A CANDY SHOP. They had a spokesperson from CALTRANS there that I must have chatted with for several hours. At the end of the afternoon he actually thanked me for making his day go by faster. Inside the station that had little paper giveouts and stickers, juice and muffins, and then later a large sheet cake. It was small but nice. Did I mention an open cab car? LOL I'm looking forward to everyone elses National Train Day reports!
Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Even though my "Seniors Ride Free" METRA pass ("don't get me going' on the efficacy of this little "gimmee") awaits its first use (ironically, it showed up over the weekend of April 5 when I out in CT and could have been put to use for my "poor man's" return home from O'Hare), going downtown to CUS to observe National Train Day festivities was not on yesterday's "to do" list.
However, there was coverage during Today's 6AM hour on WBBM780 which noted there were model trains set up in the station and they had a short interview with "a Pullman Porter'. To my astonishment such a fellow is still with us.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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We spent a very enjoyable day at Washingtons Union Station yesterday. We arrived to see Al Roker and Alex Kummant speak and took a few tours of a restored 1930's train, and the Acela among others. Banners were everywhere proclaiming it was National Train day and by registering for their sweepstakes we got a couple of National Train Day T shirts. A nice crowd was on hand. Hopefully this was the first of many annual celebrations.
After the activities, we took the Capitol Limited to Cumberland,spent the night and returned today. I wanted to show my better half the only Superliner train in the East in anticipation of our trip on the Starlight in July. She was so impressed I just booked a trip from Harrisburg to Reno on the Pennsylvanian, Capitol Limited and the Zephyr for January.
After taking dozens of cross country trips over the years on my own, I think I may have turned my lady into an amtrak enthusiast!
Posts: 176 | From: Bloomsburg Pa | Registered: Jul 2000
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What are your impressions of the Holiday Inn in Cumberland? I've considered using that hotel for a quick overnight on a future trip.....proximity to the Amtrak station being the driving factor.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by amtraxmaniac: DArn Jarrod! I just realized we could have crossed paths in Bakersfield! When did you have your layover here!
Hey, yea - that would have been fun! We went through on Friday and caught the bus connection to LAX that met Train 712... I was only there for about 5 minutes! Next time I do my OKJ-BFD-2 Hour Layover -BFD-OKJ in a day trip with my girlfriend, I'll let you know and maybe we can meet up real quick! It would be nice to meet you!
Posts: 82 | From: San Lorenzo, CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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Notelvis, the Holiday Inn in Cumberland is right across the street from the Amtrak station in Cumberland..extremely convenient if you are not driving. It's a nice hotel but its way overpriced. The minimum rate for a stay was over $100 and thats when you pay ahead of time. I really cringe at paying that kind of money just to sleep, but the Holiday Inn is the only game in town. I didn't see another hotel anywhere in town. They have a restaurant at the hotel that serves breakfast. It would have been nice if breakfast was included in the rate, but it was extra.
I stayed there because Washington to Cumberland and the return the next day is perfect timing to take the Capitol Limited for an overnight trip. It arrives at 7:20pm and leaves the next day at 10AM.
Downtown Cumberland is two blocks away and its very nice..a pedestrian mall with some nice choices for dinner and drinks.
Posts: 176 | From: Bloomsburg Pa | Registered: Jul 2000
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Well, to my surprise, there actually was a "National Train Day" display at the Winter Park (FL) station. I went down Saturday to pick up a couple new summer timetables, and they had a table set up outside the main door of the station, attended by one of the regular agents, and they had AMTRAK vacation guides, timetables (national and the local Silver Service one), cardboard "Conductor's hats" for the kids, a bunch of cheap plastic "shopping bags" that said "AMTRAK" on them, and a few other things.
We didn't have the world-reknowned million-selling recording artist Drake Bell there, but what the heck.......
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Now Mr. Rich, couldn't any of the New York and other national financial services houses opposite the station at Winter Park see fit to have had a few "free samples' laying about?
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Now Mr. Rich, couldn't any of the New York and other national financial services houses opposite the station at Winter Park see fit to have had a few "free samples' laying about?
Or maybe Timeshare Tours?
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Well, maybe you can launch Microsoft Train Simulator's Amtrak routes and switch to the passenger view... just need a good imagination and you'll have a blast 
