quote: . . . I know my way around KORD Terminal 1, and not much more out there, as well as that my reward points will benefit a charity of my choice, that is who I flew.
LH leaves from T-1. :-) And, of course, United points earned on LH.
How many more First Days do you have ahead of you?
I clearly remember my FIRST First Day and my LAST Last Day! 35 of the first and 36 of the second (I started mid-year as a long-term substitute and stayed all those years at the same school.).
Have a great one and enjoy it while you can. Friday Afternoons and Sunday Nights will never be the same when you retire.
Frank in sunny and warm SBA where the kids go back on Wednesday and I've organized a breakfast for all of my school's retirees!
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I expect 8 more first days of school!!!!! I could retire in October 2022 but will more likely complete that school year leaving in June of 2023.
That's not to say that I plan to do nothing in retirement. I worked my way through graduate school driving a shuttle bus (with the help of some GI Bill Money) and I could do something of that sort again. I could see myself once again being a volunteer train host for the NCDOT if we move closer to Raleigh or Charlotte.
Don't mistake me for a bitter burnout though. I enjoy working with teenagers and in the role of school counselor (as I have been for 21 years) I manage to be effective.
The issue is that I'm not able to be a 'one-stop' shop in scheduling students. Too much of what needs to be done often cannot be done until someone else at another computer either across school, across town, or even somewhere across the state does something on their end. Just frustrating to have 40-50 things always started and very rarely moving seamlessly to completion.
I suppose I'm very near to being an old fogey complaining about modern technology, huh?
-------------------- 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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The video shows a cab view of a train descending a "mighty steep" grade Langen am Arlberg to Bludenz Austria.
All told, when compared to the locomotive handling the depicted train, I'd dare say the new Amtrak Siemens locomotives are going to have an easy time of it in this life.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Great video, Gil!! Thanks for sharing. I was trying to locate this route on Google Earth, and found Langen am Arlberg and Bludenz, but I couldn't find anything else, especially the town called "Hintergasse," that name which is visible on the side of the railroad at a station, about halfway through the clip. I also saw Graz in the clip, but Graz, Austria, is nowhere near this route -- there must be a couple smaller towns in W Austria by that name too.
Great winter Alpine scenery!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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St Anton is some 100km West of Innsbruck and is at the summit of the Arlberg pass. The RailJet equipment is what I rode Munich to Salzburg July 22; I really was too zonked to otherwise enjoy the ride. I should have known arriving EDDM that United Business Class passengers had privileges at the Lufthansa Lounge where they had showers. That would have gone a long way to improving my disposition.
However, someone there would likely have told me that where to get the train to Salzburg was Munich East. However the RJ's do not stop there, and I would simply rode a Meridian train. They might have also saved me about US$90 (paid US$185.29 for the Round Trip - European trains don't come cheap) in the process had they said that 2nd Class is (honest) "just as good" on the Meridian as 1st. They might have also told me to forget about "insurance" and seat reservations (they can't kick you off; you just might have to stand) and that there are Senior rates available.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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And the best for last; 1:37:00 Traveling Eastward from Bludenz to Innsbruck. This is over both sides of the Arlberg Pass and includes the route taken by the Microsoft Train Simulator "Orient Express".
posted
Another excellent OBB video, Gil! I watched the entire clip, and was able to follow it easily on Google Earth (the subtitles identifying the stations helped!)
I most likely rode that same train westward in 1968, when I spent a summer in Europe during college. I had been living and working in Kufstein, Austria, and I believe I took that train from Innsbruck all the way to Zurich, Switzerland. I do not remember if I took the "Schnellzug" or the slower train, but I think it was the Schnellzug.
Interesting, but I saw ZERO freight trains on this clip, but several passing OBB trains!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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European railroads exist for the convenience of passenger trains - and with gas costing $8.18ga, it is simply no wonder volks flock to the trains.
Result is that there is a system of fast, frequent, trains that are adequately comfortable. However, luxury in the form of the Orient Express for most of us is on our MSTS games.
But freight is some kind of a joke. Here are cars that can handle two TEU Crowley containers, which means one 40' (not 53) highway trailer.
And 20 cars is a good sized freight over there.
While of course it would be absurd to say that North America lacks navigable inland waterways, there is hardly as many as there are in Europe per square mile. Thus much more of their commerce is handled by water.
I'm sure than when European railwaymen come over here, they are simply astounded when they observe an oil train. But right now, what flows through their East-West pipelines is largely controled by "Vladimir The Great". If they had a flexible means to handle oil, they might not be so dependent on him.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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