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Looking at some of the posts from previous months in which some fantasy voyage itineraries that were available in the Golden Days of Railroading were listed as alternatives to today's Amtrak itineraries got me thinking...
And I put together the following mockup of a Dream Website...
Dream in that you can "book" the journey of your dreams...
Dream as well in that the website does not exist!
Imagine if there was a website in which you could pick two places just as you do with Amtrak's site, but in which you also pick the year in which you'd be travelling:
In return, it gives you an exhaustive list of options, including times and trips, which railroad(s) you'd be riding, what accomodations you can choose from, and what it will cost you!
Just a thought if ever I got gobs of time!
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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That's what I love about this forum. Creative thinking and a dose of whimsy. We just might solve the nation's passenger rail trubbles yet.
Just one thing. Make sure the upgrade options allow one to reserve a lower level roomette online.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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That is great! Would be interesting if you had fare information, and another column for "head-end equipment", i.e., GG-1, Hudson, Alco RS-3, etc.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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LL - great idea!! But how did you re-create the AMTRAK web site for your whimsical adventure?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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That is quite a piece of creative work, Mr. Liberty.
I think what you illustrate best was one of "the railroads' greatest weakness and one of Amtrak's greatest innovations.
While likely "local knowledge" existed both at Penn and P&LE regarding the "other guy's" service, it might or might not be shared with a passenger. If one wanted to know of PRR service, one looked in a PRR TT or their pages in the "Guide'. Same with B&O. A PRR Ticket agent will not issue you a ticket originating on the B&O; only on PRR but if there was an interline to the B&O, that would be something else.
Ready confirmation of space, especially space on a "foreign' road? that was a labyrinth unto itself.
"Well, we'll have to wire for that space and you'll hear from us in a couple of days".
Sure "the great trains", of which I got aboard "late in the game', were great, and somehow in a "Grand Luxe v. Super" comparo, I'll bet the latter would win. But access to them, i.e, fares, schedules, ticketing, be assured was quite something else.
Liberty Limited Member # 4300
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Many thanks for the feedback - the inspiration behind it came from an old thread on here:
It was inspired by the options given by Mr. Bowen, so I thought it was worth sharing!
RRRich, I simply got busy with a paint program to "Blank out" some screen shots of the AMTK site, filling it in with my own info...
Ocala, great idea - Consist info may not be too hard for some major roads, but I can imagine it would be hard to find fare info for some smaller carriers.
Mr. Norman, you are indeed correct that other than the OGR, there was not a lot of information freely on schedules, and certainly much less for timely info on availability. Kudos to the net for that!
I would think that such a concept would actually be quite possible, basically running on a modification of the existing AMTK site architecture. Most would involve designating the route structure, and doing some tweaks to allow for multiple stations in the same city, and to insert the graphic of the carrier in the results! To keep it within reason, I'd guess one could select from June of any pre-AMTK year ending in 5, so there'd be scenarios for 1965, 55, 45, 35... and so on.
Would be really neat to sort of get a feel for the different eras in play.
For example, a booking in 1925 would probably have nearly infinite amounts of possible destinations.
One in 1965 would have very limited destinations, but most trains offering some very decent accomodations.
While the years in between would show the nicest middle ground, particularly 1945 and 1955. choices would
Like I said, if only I had the time and talent!
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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I have some 1955 timetables that have fare and equipment info (collected when I was age 9):
Rock Island, UP, Northern Pacific, Great Northern (1956), Southern (1956), Canadian National/Grand Trunk, Milwaukee, Burlington, Soo Line, Chicago Northwestern, Atlantic Coast Line (1956), Chesapeake and Ohio, Wabash, Pennsylvania (1956), and Illinois Central (1956).
I would be happy to provide any requested details.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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And I have a 1956 Official Guide, if that's any help to you.
Liberty Limited Member # 4300
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It all sounds like a nice idea, but unfortunately, information seems rather scarce on just how to develop a website that can run queries on schedule information and then deliver optimized results the way transportation companies such as Amtrak do.
I'm sure its very possible and I'd love to see it, but my knowlege of CGI and SQL queries is very limited.
Of course, I'd want to try to include every available road out there, from the big roads like the UP, CB&Q, NYC, and PRR to smaller operations that run mixed trains and interurbans!
I can only imagine the schematic that this would eventually involve!
ehbowen Member # 4317
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Miss Liberty—
When I finally get my time travel franchise up and running, I'll have to hire you on as a consultant.
(I've had headaches enough just doing what I've been doing!)
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
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That looks beautiful!
Amtrak's online booking system is so plain. The logos and such really bring it to life.
Even though these routes may be in the books, Amtrak could certainly do something to make there system nicer looking to bring the ambiance of rail travel to there reservation system.
Looking forward to more of these!
George Harris Member # 2077
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quote:Originally posted by Liberty Limited: Mr. Norman, you are indeed correct that other than the OGR, there was not a lot of information freely on schedules, and certainly much less for timely info on availability.
When a freshman at UT Martin, I used to sometimes go visit the passenger station at Martin in the middle of the night when the Seminole came through. I spent some time on several visits going through his official guide. I asked hem what was done with it when the new one came in. Hoping that I could lay my hands on one to keep. Nope. Martin got a new one because it did had an agent at train time and was a joint station with L&N. (The L&N's ex NC&StL branch to Union City crossed there and it had passenger service up to the mid-50's.) Apparently the agent and OG were ICRR. When the new OG came in, the old one went to Greenfield TN, next station down the line, and if I recall correctly a Seminole flag stop. After that it went to another agent somewhere else I have forgotten. Maybe after that it went to trash. At that time Martin TN had a separate ICRR freight station. Don't remember if there was an L&N agent or not. There was also a through St. Louis to Nashville freight that was exchanged between ICRR and L&N at Martin, a legacy of the pre-merger NC&StL. Went back through there in the late 1970's, and all the buildings were gone. Did not get to see if the diamond was gone or not. Suspect that it is by now even if not then.
The web sites were not as needed then as now, because you could always find a human being for information. Remember one night going to the Martin station with my roomate, who could care less about trains, so he could figure out how to get from Memphis to Shreveport. (MoPac to Texarkana, then wait quite a while for KCS, or MoPac/T&P all the way to Marshall TX and be met there.)
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