Future Fests as of Spring & Summer 2011
#21
Posted 05 June 2011 - 05:31 PM
#22
Posted 08 June 2011 - 09:52 PM
And next week is here. And it's done. For each of the 3 itineraries, I have now put the possible days of the week next to each day of each option. For example the Fredericksburg option would have to begin on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday in order to get VRE in before it goes back into hibernation for the following weekend. The Jacksonville option would have to start on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday in order to preserve weekdays for Jacksonville Skyway as well as Regional 95.The three itineraries don't yet include days of the week, but there are restrictions. If we chose the Fredericksburg option, the VRE trip has to be on a weekday. Likewise, the Jacksonville option requires us to be in town on a weekday to ride the Skyway. The rest of the Fest could be built around that, most likely to include one weekend. The other thing dependent on the day of the week would be Amtrak Regional #95 from Richmond to Newport News. On a weekend we would have to take Regional #99, which operates almost 2-1/2 hours later, resulting in a much longer layover in Richmond and a much later arrival time at respective hotels in Norfolk (or Virginia Beach). So next week I'll work out which days of the week will work for each option.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#23
Posted 09 June 2011 - 10:31 AM
#24
Posted 09 June 2011 - 07:44 PM
#25
Posted 22 June 2011 - 02:33 PM
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#26
Posted 24 June 2011 - 06:22 PM
Leave Albuquerque 6:35 AM 1:02 PM 4:25 PM 5:38 PM 6:45 PM Arrive Belen 7:33 AM 1:43 PM 5:26 PM 6:19 PM 7:26 PM Leave Belen 7:54 AM 2:00 PM 5:35 PM 6:41 PM 7:40 PM Arrive Albuquerque 8:41 AM 2:41 PM 6:34 PM 7:24 PM 8:21 PM
Leave Albuquerque 4:02 AM 5:07 AM 7:23 AM 4:18 PM 5:25 PM 6:34 PM Arrive Santa Fe 5:31 AM 6:38 AM 8:53 AM 6:00 PM 7:05 PM 8:12 PM Leave Santa Fe 6:00 AM 7:08 AM 11:33 AM 6:26 PM 8:20 PM Arrive Albuquerque 7:27 AM 8:34 AM 1:02 PM 7:50 PM 9:47 PMA few notes about the above:
* The trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe that leaves 7:23 AM requires a 2 hour 40 minute layover.
* The trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe that leaves 5:25 PM does not have an immediate return; however it allows 1 hour 15 minutes to have dinner in Santa Fe before the next departure.
First, with the scenario of a westbound stopover, the Southwest Chief, Train #3, arrives in ABQ at 3:55 PM. This leaves time for only one activity. Assuming we have arrived on schedule, we have a little bit of time to check-in and unwind. Then we would take the 5:25 PM trip to Santa Fe, have dinner in Santa Fe, and then return on the 8:20 PM trip to ABQ. Alternatively, we could eat first in ABQ, and then take the 6:34 PM trip to Santa Fe, which have a very short dwell before returning to ABQ. On the second day, we would eat early lunch, take the 1:02 PM trip to Belen, and be back in ABQ by 2:41 PM. That leaves us about 2 hours before the Southwest Chief, Train #3, departs westbound.
Things would be a little different if had the eastbound stopover. The Southwest Chief, Train #4, arrives in ABQ at 11:42 AM. We would now have time for both legs of RailRunner in a single day. We could leave ABQ at 1:02 toward Belen, arriving back from the round trip at 2:41 PM. Then we could take the hour and a half to check-in at our hotels if we haven't already done so, and then we would take the 4:18 PM trip to Santa Fe. After only 26 minutes layover in Santa Fe, this round trip gets back to ABQ at 7:50 PM. We've entirely shot our dinnertime. However we again could have dinner in ABQ, and then take one of the subsequent turns (5:25 PM or 6:34 PM), returning on the 8:20 PM train from Santa Fe. A long day and a late night, but we will have fulfilled our goals and could sleep a little later on Day 2, as the eastbound Southwest Chief, Train #4, leaves at 12:10 PM.
Either way, it of course assumes that the Southwest Chief has arrived on schedule. A very late arrival could thwart us from doing what we came to accomplish. The only way around this would be to schedule an extra day (and 2 hotel nights), which would also create a lot of idle time and emptier wallets.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#27
Posted 04 July 2011 - 06:06 PM
I think I have a way to build upon this thought and make it a worthwhile trip, while covering all bases in the event of a late arrival. We could go with 2 nights in ABQ, but instead of making it a stopover to or from the West Coast, make it a destination. Thus, we would arrive in Albuquerque on #3 from Chicago at 3:55 PM, with no further activities scheduled that day. Then have one full day in town to do both legs of RailRunner. On the third day, depart from Albuquerque towards Chicago on #4 at 12:10 PM. This assures that even with a very late westbound arrival, we would still have an entire day to do both legs of RailRunner.Either way, it of course assumes that the Southwest Chief has arrived on schedule. A very late arrival could thwart us from doing what we came to accomplish. The only way around this would be to schedule an extra day (and 2 hotel nights), which would also create a lot of idle time and emptier wallets.
To balance out the above trip, divorce it from the current "Chief RailFest" plan since we can't count on connections with the Missouri River Runner, and just go to & from Chicago on the Chief. The Chief RailFest name would then be applied to the above. To add a little back to this trip, on either end days within Chicago doing METRA and CTA can be added, since Chicago is by far the largest city we haven't yet aced. Chicago has plenty for us to do, and having it currently paired with Minneapolis/St. Paul when the latter is far off in the future (2014 before Central LRT and new St. Paul Depot Amtrak station are both in service) leaves a lot of Chicago rails still unexplored by us.
Meanwhile, to ensure we might be able to ride the Missouri River Runner AND visit St. Louis another time, plan a separate trip that would involve #3 CHI-KCY, stay overnight, and then we make #314 the next morning since we're already in town. That ensures we have time as well for evening activities in STL, and then we can take the Texas Eagle #22 next morning back to Chicago.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#28
Posted 28 July 2011 - 01:17 PM
The above would work too in the opposite direction, doing STL first, then #313 that afternoon, stay in KCY and then #4 to CHI next morning.Meanwhile, to ensure we might be able to ride the Missouri River Runner AND visit St. Louis another time, plan a separate trip that would involve #3 CHI-KCY, stay overnight, and then we make #314 the next morning since we're already in town. That ensures we have time as well for evening activities in STL, and then we can take the Texas Eagle #22 next morning back to Chicago.
Meanwhile, based on what was discussed in person during SERF 2011 and mentioned in the Discussing the Future thread, two scenarios have been developed for a combined Chicago/Albuquerque Fest. Assuming the Chief RailFest name for now, the two ideas have been laid out on the revised homepage. To show that neither option has any merit over the other, they are called the Purple and Orange itineraries.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#29
Posted 29 July 2011 - 01:00 PM
A way was found to salvage the lost Missouri River Runner trip and ensure time available in St. Louis to ride light rail. It would involve taking the long scenic 23-hour route from Chicago to St. Louis! Start westbound on the SW Chief to KCY, stay there, then the morning Missouri River Runner departure to STL. Return following morning on Texas Eagle to CHI to make eastward connections.
Since a connection from the eastbound Empire Builder to westbound SW Chief is impossible, there's a full weekday in Chicago in between as well. There is a very early morning round trip to McHenry, which I surmise may be highly unpopular, but I thought it would be interesting to see how many do volunteer to do such a thing to get the mileage.
St. Louis belongs on a Midwest Fest anyhow. Homepage here with link to revised itinerary.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#30
Posted 29 July 2011 - 07:49 PM
Furthermore, with both cities greatly expanding their rail transit options, with much to come online between now and 2017, it has become apparent that each city might require not a 24 hour stopover but a 48 hour stopover since it would take more than one full day to accomplish everything. So this leaves room for expansion for each city.
For now, I've taken Salt Lake City and Denver and split them up into separate 24-hour (to probably be expanded to 48 hours once more rail lines come online and their schedules are known) Fests.
For Denver, it is based on arrival of the eastbound California Zephyr at 6:38 PM, and departure the next evening at 7:10 PM. The West LRT line and three commuter lines (East, Northwest, and Gold Lines) may cause this to go one more day. Short extensions are also planned for the C/D, E/F, and H light rail lines beyond their current termini.
Salt Lake City was rewritten with the newly color-designated and reconfigured TRAX routes effective 8/7/11, now that schedules are published for them. It too stands alone, assuming a 11:05 PM arrival on the westbound California Zephyr, and a 11:30 PM departure the next night. Again with the Sugarhouse Trolley, FrontRunner South, the Airport TRAX line and the Draper TRAX extension, we may need another day which can be added later.
From the Why-Do-I-Have-To-Think-Of-This department, I had a small revelation that might be helpful, at least for departing the SLC area to the west. The westbound Zephyr stops in Provo, UT at 9:26 PM. When FrontRunner South is completed, it too will stop in Provo. If we made that our last activity and brought our luggage along, we could board the Zephyr there instead of SLC. Since I've observed from watching my Fest-mates that the Sandman and Sleep Fairy seem to visit some of you a lot earlier on trains than they do otherwise in day-to-day life, this would be a benefit to you as you could be tucked safely under the covers before we even get back to Salt Lake City.
I suppose Provo could work too arriving westbound, if you could find lodging there and then take FrontRunner South the following morning to SLC. FWIW I've included Zephyr calling times on the SLC itinerary for both SLC and Provo.
Both of these itineraries will become part of something larger once I develop new Fests for the west coast, most likely Northern California.
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
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