ChooChoo Train/Silver Lining!

[Foofoogal]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080930/ap_on_re_us/rail_and_roads

yeah. I love, love, love train rides. On my top 5 best things to do in the whole world. lol

Silver lining I guess to the month of changes from lack of better word.

 

[Diamondback]

Tangent: If you're ever up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the local RR historical society (they own Nickel Plate 765) allows cab-rides on their little "out to the mainline switch and back" excursion train.

Riding shotgun's definitely an experience anyone into things rail should have... topped only by Portola RR Museum's "engineer-for-an-hour" program.

 

[Barbigirl]

Portola RR museum

I've been there before, that looked fun but I just watched.

There's a great bed & breakfast in Portola that is decorated entirely with a train theme.

Tangent: If you're ever up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the local RR historical society (they own Nickel Plate 765) allows cab-rides on their little "out to the mainline switch and back" excursion train.

Riding shotgun's definitely an experience anyone into things rail should have... topped only by Portola RR Museum's "engineer-for-an-hour" program.

 

[carter]

Choo Choo Cha Boogie!

Foofoogal, You should visit The Age of Steam Railway Museum at Fair Park in Dallas if you haven't done so before. It may be on your way to Ft. Smith. I have a lot of pictures that I should post.

Have you ever taken the steam train from Palestine to Rusk? It's fun. We did it as part of a Boy Scout weekend campout a few years ago. We boarded in Palestine, camped overnight in Rusk, ad took the train back to Palestine and our vehicles the next day.

 

[Sunny]

Have you ever taken the steam train from Palestine to Rusk? It's fun. We did it as part of a Boy Scout weekend campout a few years ago. We boarded in Palestine, camped overnight in Rusk, ad took the train back to Palestine and our vehicles the next day.

We've done it! Except we didn't stay the night in Rusk; just turned around and went back. It was great fun and I'd like to do it again.

 

[Edward]

Over on this side of the Atlantic, I remember years ago spending an entire day in the Railway Museum in York - impressive collection.

Loungers planning to visit Northern Ireland should make directly for a trip organised by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. Based in the town/village of Whitehead, where I grew up, the RPSI is active in preserving steamtrains - engines and period carriages. Whitehead was built around the railway in the Edwardian period, indeed the first house my folks owned there was built under the 'Railway Villas' scheme (folks who bought houses in the town were given some sort of free rail travel for life, if memory serves). The trains really are beautiful, the pride of the crop being the Portrush Flyer (same model as the famous Mallard, I believe) on which one can travel from Belfast to Portrush on special services. Journey time of just over an hour, as I recall.

The Ulster Folks and Transport Museum at Cultra, just outside Belfast, also has an impressive collection of railway cars.

RPSI Information:

http://www.discovernorthernireland....vation-Society-of-Ireland-Carrickfergus-P3216

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museum_gfx_en/NI000009.html

 

[Big Man]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080930/ap_on_re_us/rail_and_roads

... Silver lining I guess to the month of changes from lack of better word.

That's an interesting article that brings out some very good points. While driving and gas consumption is down -which is good, there will be seen revenue losses due to less gas tax (which supports infrastructure construction/repair) - which is bad. It's all a very complicated problem with no easy answers.

I would, however, welcome more access to viable public transportation - especially passenger train service. If I had to travel, and it was possible to utilize train service, I believe I would opt for that method. As it stands right now, it's about a one-hour drive from where I live to the nearest train station and, according to the schedule published, scheduled stops for almost every train serving that station come between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM. Not really what I'd call "convenient" by any stretch of the imagination.

I do believe that if the current situation with the economy and gasoline prices/availability is long lasting, there will be changes made to the public transportation system. Too bad it has taken a "crisis" to begin work on doing what should have been done for a long time.

 

[carter]

Sounds like a NTFL event opportunity.

We've done it! Except we didn't stay the night in Rusk; just turned around and went back. It was great fun and I'd like to do it again.

Opted out on camping? No Motel 6?

There were trees down on the rails after Ike, They had crews clearing the tracks.

I wonder how much of this AMTRAK had to contend with.

Here's a link to their webpage.
http://www.texasstaterr.com/

 

[DeaconKC]

One of the most fun things I've done in my life was while working at a radio station, every Friday night we would recreate the great passenger train rides of the world and describe them on an imaginary ride. I loved it.

 

[KY Gentleman]

When I was a kid my family rode a train from Cincinnati to DC. That was great! I haven't been able to work a train trip into my life ever since, though.
There is a great "dinner train" excursion that runs out of Bardstown, KY that I've been trying to go to. Its supposed to be about 2 hours of great scenery and pretty tasty victuals!
Its nice to see a thread with Barbigirl on it again, by the way!

 

[DeaconKC]

KY, that train is a great ride and the prime rib is incredible!

 

[Foofoogal]

Never have taken that train from Rusk.
In Europe everyone rides trains to get around.
I saw a train in St. Louis that was a dining fancy train when I was getting on the Amtrak there. The people in the windows looked like they were having a blast.
http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/DinnerTrains/
Not sure how many are still running.

Looking forward to this train ride when I move up to area.
http://www.vanburen.org/

On top of my to do list. lol
Next weekend is the Fall Festival there.

 

[KY Gentleman]

KY, that train is a great ride and the prime rib is incredible!

I intend to take a ride this fall when the leaves turn. I'll remember to try the prime rib, thanks!

 

[carter]

In the 70's, a few of us would drive from Williamsburg, VA to Washington, D.C. and take the Metroliner

to NYC. Metroliner service began in 1969 and was discontinued in 2006. In the 70's it was a great fast trip.
We'd stay at the Algonquin Hotel,

and get tickets to whatever Broadway Show we could afford. We saw On The 20th Century with Imogene Coca on one such trip.

I also remember that one of our group, who wore a brace on one leg and had specially-fitted shoes for that foot, had his suitcase with all his extra shoes stolen on one trip. I believe that was the same trip where I had a room next to an incredibly noisy elevator shaft. Those were the days.

 

[Fletch]

New York in the DROP DEAD era...they'd steal anything that wasn't nailed down then, and for some years thereafter. NYers who stuck around thru those years are fiercely proud. Some even wish for a little more crime and grime, because to them, that's real.

That's great news about the rail money. It's been a long time. Still pretty much peanuts, tho - $30 million? Hell, the rum distillers just got $129 million in tax relief.

God bless and keep the train rider. May his numbers increase.

 

[Haversack]

One of the best illusions of golden age railroad travel that I have ever seen is in the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. They have a heavyweight Pullman open sleeper, the St. Hyacinthe, formerly of the Canadian National.

The car is on static display but as soon as you mount the steps to go through it, you think it is moving. There is a very clever device in its trucks that imparts a very slight, regular swaying motion to the car, (with occassional irregularities), and a very regular 'clickety-clack' sound and vibration. As you proceed through the vestibule, and enter the carpeted part of the car, it looks like it is nighttime outside. There are the lights of towns off in the distance. Occassionally, there will be a grade crossing with a car waiting and the dopplered sound of the bell rising and falling as the train goes by. Given the motion of the car, the sound and feel of the bogies on the rail couplings and the occassional crossings, the illusion of being on a train going about 40 mph is very good.

The interior of the St. Hyacinthe is outfitted as it would have been in the late '40s-early '50s: The patterns, the carpet, the upholstery. In its look and smell, it reminds me of my Grandparents' house. In keeping with the scenery outside, it appears that the porter is in process of converting the car for sleeping. Half the berths have been made up and half have not. Since most of us did not have the opportunity to experience the reality firsthand, movies are the best we have for memories. Visions of the ailse-curtained scenes from Some Like it Hot and The Palm Beach Story flash through the mind...

As you exit at the other end of the car, it is jarring to step back into the musuem and reenter the 21st C. The illusion of being on a moving train in another era is that good.

Here is a bit about the St. Hyacinthe from the museums website:

http://www.csrmf.org/doc.asp?id=187

Haversack.