Haven't heard anything lately about new passenger routes in Illinois.... either via Rockford to Dubuque, IA or the Quad Cities.
With Madison, WI DOA, it would be nice to hear something encouraging from Illinois.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Presley, I think the new routes are in a holding pattern; but Illinois has done "quite OK" with ARRA '09 funding.
While I hold that the Wisconsin Talgos were a mistake (and I'm hoping that your rolling museum will say that's enough and your apparently well funded passenger rail agency will buy the Wisconsin sets - Tea Bag Walker can rant all about what he has saved Wisconsin taxpayers and because I think they represent schedule reductions down your way), Illinois is moving ahead with ROW improvements on the Lincoln route - and infrastructure that can support 110mph comes before shiny new trains (other than Talgos , of course).
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
The latest on new Illinois service Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Tea Bag Walker??? You do not like the fact that he took a failing State and turned it into a healthy State?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Marriott City Creek Salt Lake City--
For whatever reason, the Uniguest system here blocked your link, Mr. Palmland, account 'questionable material'.
Nevertheless, here is a link from the Rockford Register Star:
This is my first knowledge thst the proposed train will be routed over the UP/C&NW. This is going to be one 'slow boat to China' routing, and if Amtrak desires 79mph operation, much work will need be done.
I'm astounded that UP is agreeable to this proposed service; possibly there is ulterior motive is having state funds to fix up their ROW.
About the only 'plus' coming to mind is that the line runs through Union, home of the Illinois Railway Museum. However, 'one a day' service has a way of being routed little town to big town in the morning and back to little town in the afternoon. Such a schedule would be not too convenient for a daytime excursion to IRM.
We shall see.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
A few years ago I was at IRM and there was talk of the train being routed that way - before they announced the other route. With a cursory look track looked ok and saw a train of autos. What was the last time this line had regular pass. service?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Marriott Downtown at City Creek Salt Lake City--
Mr. Palmland, I think the last passenger train on that route was handled by a steam locomotive.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Palmland -- I seem to recall that there was a short-lived CHI-Rockford train sometime back in the 80's or 90's, but I don't remember what it was called. It did not last very long, and I don't recall what route it used.
Could that have been part of that short-lived Chicago to Lake Geneva (WI) train that also ran for a while back then? (the one that carried an average of <5 passengers). If so, I hope this new service does better.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
GBN/RRRich - sounds like an OGR research project when I get back home. Sadly, no trains in Myrtle Beach.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Marriott Downtown at City Creek Salt Lake City--
Long winded, but that is how Marriott identifies this property.
Rich, the train during the Amtrak era is the Black Hawk. It was started during 1974 and survived until about 1980 when it lost its State funding.
The route was over the CN/IC to Dubuque; its equipment was all over the grab bag that being quite endemic during those years. At first, it had RDC's which were prone to breakdowns. No doubt, this experience has been a factor in Amtrak's obversion to self-propelled equipment.
Additionally, I had seen conssts that included a Dome-Obs; but the most absurd consist I ever saw was two P-30CH's handling two Amfleets. Two engines had to be assigned as there were no turning facilities at Dubuque.
Pre-Amtrak, the day train was named the Land O' Corn which operated Chi-Waterloo. The overnight was The Hawkeye Chi-Sioux City. That was one of the very few overnights that I rode Coach in this life - the Sleeper had been yanked by the time I got to it.
Well tonight will be at The Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs.
Posted by RRCHINA (Member # 1514) on :
Hope you have the time to soak in the heated mineral water pool near your hotel in Glenwood Springs GBN. That is an experience which always left me refreshed, but sadly I haven't been there for several years.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From The Hotel Denver Glenwood Springs--
Funny how here at the hotel, I noted some women loading up on towells to go over to the hot springs, but for me, all I wanted was a restaurant.
At present, the hotel is in a bit of disarray, owing to road construction in front of its entrance, guests enter through an employee entrance in a back alley. Further, their restaurant and bar is closed at this time.
But my room certainly is a 'room with a view' as the DRGW is visible from both the South and West. However there has been no action so far.
Absent their restaurant, Juicy Lucy's is a good steak and fish house. Pullman is a lively bar.
At the moment on my auto trip, I'm stuck as I-70 over the Rockies is closed account a Spring storm.
Stay tuned for tomorrow morning.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Well, GBN, just ditch the Lex and hop on the CZ.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Gil -- I remember the Black Hawk; it ran from Chicago to Galena and Dubuque, but I don't believe it ran through Rockford. The train I am thinking of had the name "lake" or "lakes" in it, and it ran to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and I believe through Rockford. It was NOT the Black Hawk.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
The "Lake Country Limited" may be what Rich was thinking of with <5 passengers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Country_Limited This was a more northerly (ex-Milwaukee) route than the currently proposed UP route to Rockford.
The "Black Hawk" was originally the name of CBQ overnight train from Chicago to the Twin Cities that was an alternative to the daytime Twin Zephyrs until 1970. My high school senior class trip was on that train in 1964.
Amtrak chose the "Black Hawk" name in 1974 (instead of the pre-Amtrak IC "Land O' Corn") for the Chi-Dubuque train, but the only common route the two shared was Galena Jct. to East Dubuque for 14 miles along the Mississippi.
Posted by CG96 (Member # 1408) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: Tea Bag Walker??? You do not like the fact that he took a failing State and turned it into a healthy State?
He has done nothing of the sort -- His administration has simply used some accounting/bookkeeping trickery to float a lot of debt.
As for the trains through MSN, the decision to reject the funding for the Madison extension remains a sore point for many to this day. Many opponents were terribly misinformed about the proposed service. Read the comments here: New, unused Talgo trains in Milwaukee could find new home in MI
There were many proponents who never counted on this project coming under such vicious, loud attack as it did. The project had been in the works for the previous 15 years, but Walker chose to throw it all away because "no one will ride a train between Madison and Milwaukee."
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Twin Star -- yes, that was the train I was thinking of!! The Lake Country Ltd. Thanks for the clarification!
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
quote:Originally posted by CG96:
quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: Tea Bag Walker??? You do not like the fact that he took a failing State and turned it into a healthy State?
He has done nothing of the sort -- His administration has simply used some accounting/bookkeeping trickery to float a lot of debt.
Your statement is not true. Are you a Wisconsin union member?
I believe we have a 'general discussion' forum for this type discussion here. Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Holiday Inn Express Coralville IA (and a 'room with a view')--
Well, it is almost home and as I noted at one topic or the other, I hope the painters have made good progress towards 'getting out of my life', and when I give them a 'percentage of completion payment' today, hopefully it will not be with an 'oh yeah'. We will see if I can 'tuck it out' (hope I can as seven nights in six different hotels is 'quite enough') or if I will have to 'bail out' to a local hotel 'for the duration'.
Otherwise, I realize that The Hotel Denver could be quite a mecca for many here (just as that place in La Plata, MO), and I walked away with at best 'mixed' reviews. I will write a review for Trip Advisor regarding my stay. Anyone here who has reviewed my material submitted to that site will share my thought that I give a 'mite bit' more objectivity to my reviews than do most of the 'it's awesome' or 'it's a dive inn' that is representative of much material there.
We shall see what awaits when I attempt to pull into the drive at about 1230P - probably the painter's big Ford pickup (I hate parking Red Lex out on the street - and avoid it to the fullest extent possible).
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
GBN, did you check out the 'new' Denver Union Station on the way by?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Back in the barn. The painters need about another week (they do great work and are great guys; BUT.......).
The closet I got to DUT was junction I-76 and 25; did wave to a neighbor's daughter who goes to University of Denver - guess she was about 25 miles away, as that campus is to the South of town. Tied up at Lexington NE.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Likely the best place for this comment, last week I was up in Madison for a business discussion and Dinner with one of my post-retirement clients.
I-90, Jane Addams, presently is under construction the entire distance between I-290 and I-39, and paying for the privilege to operate at 45mph 'don't cut it' (plus an 18 wheeler not too happy about my adherence to 45 and letting me know about it with repeated 'jake-braking'). So my return journey was I-39 to I-88, Reagan, where it's 65 in WI and 70 in IL most all the way.
But to the point, you ought to see the facility Nippon Sharyo has built quite visible from both I-39 and 88 at Rochelle. This is not some 'hell on wheels' outpost like Talgo rented in Milwaukee; this is a real commitment to the region representing quality jobs. Considering that there appear to be some real production 'issues' between CAF and Amtrak over the V-II's, this facility could well be 'in the running' for future Amtrak work like the Amfleet-III's or Acela II's. It has a visible electrified test track presently for IC Electric cars METRA has on order.
Oh and finally, before my business dinner I stopped off for a visit with the neighbor's (that's United Flight Attendant Maureen who has been mentioned once or twice around here) other daughter who goes to Wisconsin, which I hadn't been near in some 35 years. Beautiful campus when compared with my 'campus in a cornfield', and just think, while she and I had some beer (my first since God knows when) called Spotted Cow, we were within sight of the Capitol and possibly within 1000 yards of 'Tea Bag Scotty' - and I respect that Messrs/dames. CG, McFarland, and Smith hold different views about being so near to 'the Saviour' and in sight of the 'Holy Grail'.
And a last note, the young woman I was with is 20 but under Local law, she could lawfully have a drink so long as she is with someone who could be a parent (with someone who simply is 21 doesn't cut it). Some kid she knew stopped and I said to him 'I'm Molly's Grandfather'.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
"Tea Bag Scott" is a typical denigration of someone that upset the democrat cart.(Tax and spend...)
"the Savior" and "Holy Grail" are also descriptions that are given to politicians by the left side of the spectrum. Scott is just a Governor that has some fiscal sense about him.
Perhaps Scott is trying to emulate a successful State, such as Texas. In Texas, we have a "rainy day" fund of around $12 billion. Texas is planning on using $2-$3billion of that surplus to help private business create a high speed rail line from Houston to Dallas.