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Future Fests as of Spring/Summer 2015


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 12:39 PM

The two Dallas future fest options have been slightly changed to add the Dallas Streetcar now that it is in revenue service.  Dallas seems to me to be a strong contender for the summer Fest in either 2016 or 2017. Of the three things that needed to be completed and open for business, it is one down and two to go.  The other two are the MATA/M-Line trolley extension in downtown Dallas (also projected to be in Spring of 2015), and the DART Blue Line extension between Ledbetter and University of North Texas (UNT).  The latter is noted to be opening in 2016 on DART's website, but whoever is doing its page on Wikipedia seems to know it won't be until 2018.  Naturally I am trusting DART more.

 

Dallas only

Kansas City-St. Louis-Dallas



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#2 steve4031

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 01:05 PM

This looks great to me.  The people mover thing is new with track 1 and track 2.  Sounds interesting.  



#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 03:16 PM

This looks great to me.  The people mover thing is new with track 1 and track 2.  Sounds interesting.  

The People Mover at Las Colinas has been there for a while, although it was closed during bad financial times in the 1990's and then reopened.  At a point it only ran at weekday lunchtimes for employees within the Las Colinas office campus, but when the Orange Line opened it expanded to all day on weekdays.  I am not sure if the lunch choices at Las Colinas are diverse enough for us, so I might not schedule that ride at lunchtime but before or after. There's plenty of time to make what I am sure will be many changes.



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#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 22 June 2015 - 12:47 PM

The two Dallas future fest options have been slightly changed to add the Dallas Streetcar now that it is in revenue service.  Dallas seems to me to be a strong contender for the summer Fest in either 2016 or 2017. Of the three things that needed to be completed and open for business, it is one down and two to go.  The other two are the MATA/M-Line trolley extension in downtown Dallas (also projected to be in Spring of 2015), and the DART Blue Line extension between Ledbetter and University of North Texas (UNT).  The latter is noted to be opening in 2016 on DART's website, but whoever is doing its page on Wikipedia seems to know it won't be until 2018.  Naturally I am trusting DART more.

 

Dallas only

Kansas City-St. Louis-Dallas

Now the Dallas Streetcar and the M-Line extension are in place, although Dallas Streetcar was only one of two phases.  The second phase is set to be open in early 2016.   Regarding the South Oak Cliff extension of the Blue Line, DART's website and Wikipedia are now more in agreement about 2016, although the latter says December 2016.  That would make almost certain that we visit Dallas in the summer of 2017.  If DART opens this segment ahead of schedule, like before next summer, then we could do it in 2016.  What we do in tandem with the Dallas part is open to discussion --- either a side trip to Oklahoma City on the Heartland Flyer or a 24-hour stopover in Little Rock to ride its trolley, or the above mentioned route via Kansas City & St. Louis.  Or mix and match various combinations of those options, depending on how much time we want to spend in travel.



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#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 01:53 AM

Just an update as we are still in Summer 2015. I'll start a new topic as we go into Fall later this month.

 

On the subject of Summer RailFests (which involve long journeys together as opposed to focusing on one city or area as we do in the Winter), Dallas is still on a close radar but the pieces of the puzzle still need to all fall in place before a decision can be made whether this will be in July 2016 or 2017.

 

In the meantime, it has been suggested within the past couple of months on our Sunday chats that a revisit to the west coast may be in order so that we can fill in transit lines that were not in service when we were there in 2009 (Los Angeles) and 2010 (Portland).  It would also allow us to ride the Coast Starlight between those locations.

 

In Los Angeles, what was not open during our 2009 visit were:

  • Angels Flight incline (currently not in service but may return soon)
  • LACMTA Metro Gold Line Eastside (opened later in 2009)
  • LACMTA Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension (Phase 2A opening early 2016 beyond Pasadena to Azusa)
  • LACMTA Metro Expo Line Phase 1 (opened 2012 to Culver City)
  • LACMTA Metro Expo Line Phase 2 (opening early 2016 beyond Culver City to Santa Monica)

 

In Portland, the Central Loop, a second Portland Streetcar line, opened in 2012 but it was not a complete loop pending opening of Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People.  With the bridge opening for service this weekend, the Central Loop will be a complete loop and it will run on two separate loops, A clockwise and B counterclockwise.  In addition, also this weekend the MAX Orange Line goes into service, new trackage but operationally an extension of the Yellow Line.

 

But then with Portland and Los Angeles suggested, there is also Seattle, who will be soon debuting the First Hill Streetcar, a cousin to (but not yet connected with) the South Lake Union Streetcar we rode in 2010.  First Hill is the first phase of this line, so I am not sure yet about this as a second phase up Broadway might be open within another year or two. This might be an argument for delaying a Seattle visit until the Broadway segment is open as well.

 

An entire trip involving Portland and Los Angeles only would utilize the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, and the Portland section of the Empire Builder.  To do Seattle too adds one day, and would utilize the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, Cascades, and the Seattle section of the Empire Builder.  Note that this could be done in either direction, making a huge circle clockwise (Los Angeles first) or counterclockwise (Los Angeles last).  I have not yet worked out potential itineraries online, but am working on it in the weeks to come and will make them public when possible. Obviously with the transit lines not yet in service their schedules won't be available yet.

 

So in summary, there are several versions of a Dallas trip on one hand (see my previous posts in this thread above), and a West Coast trip on the other hand, either one to happen in the summer of 2016 or 2017.

 

Now let's go to the Winter.  There isn't much new to do on the East Coast.  The only new thing in the New York area is the 7 subway extension opening later this month in Manhattan. While there isn't much to see in the tunnel it will operate through, it is new trackage to all of us.   I thought about what else we could do in the greater New York area (much more scenic than a subway tunnel), and it would be all repeats of things we have done on other trips since 2001.  I am able to work in a trip New York to Princeton Junction on Amtrak, the Princeton Dinky shuttle, and NJT back to New York City. This would let us see the recently shortened Princeton branch as well as the new station that opened this past Spring.  We would also do a Coney Island round trip over 2 different subway lines (most likely D and N), with lunch at the original Nathan's in between, and a LIRR round trip to Port Washington as well as a MNRR round trip on the Harlem Line to North White Plains. The Port Washington Branch gives us the option to connect with the 7 subway in Flushing and ride that line in its new entirety to the new western terminus.  Finally, we can also take an Amtrak round trip (and do so in the last week one can do 100-point minimum tier points runs) to Poughkeepsie and have an out of the city dinner at a nearby pub/steakhouse.  Should the Amtrak trains be late for some reason, or dinner lasts too long, there is Metro North Hudson Line as a fallback.  With Princeton Junction there would in all be three Amtrak trips over the 2-day event -- one on the Northeast Corridor on a Keystone train and two on the Empire Corridor -- in addition to whatever travel you may require to get to and from New York. 

 

While I am not finished yet doing all the web pages necessary to officially announce such a Winter RailFest, I should have a proposed itinerary combining all the above elements available in the next week or so, and will let you know here when it's done.

 

Names have not even yet  been chosen for either the West Coast or New York events.



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#6 pennyk

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 06:22 AM

Thanks Kevin.  :)



#7 steve4031

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 07:37 AM

How about BARF 2016 remixed with DJ Kevin's best hits.

#8 BillMagee

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 07:40 AM

Both sound good to me.

I'm old enough to remember when the Princeton Dinky had an intermediate station - Penn's Neck at the Route 1 crossing.

#9 jis

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 11:26 AM

Whatever you decide for 2016 summer please decide routes and dates before 24th Jan 2016 so that we can use AGR points redemption using current rules rather than the new rules.



#10 pennyk

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Posted 09 September 2015 - 01:09 PM

Whatever you decide for 2016 summer please decide routes and dates before 24th Jan 2016 so that we can use AGR points redemption using current rules rather than the new rules.

I agree with with Jis.  If it is possible to accomplish, it would be greatly appreciated.  :)






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