63 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

A few additions and changes have been made to the list of potential future fests on my website.

I changed Pittsburgh to Pittsburgh & Johnstown, so we could get to ride the latter city's incline as well as the two in Pittsburgh. With the rescheduled PENNSYLVANIAN, the only way to do this is to backtrack between Pittsburgh and Johnstown twice, and it only works on a Sunday when Train 44 runs later in the day than Train 42. I also changed the portion of this fest that included the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines, moving them to different days rather than trying to walk between the two (which I have learned is quite a long walk of more than a mile).

Newly added fests are:

• Upstate New York Fest (takes in Syracuse On-Track, which we missed riding on the way to Toronto RailFest 2004, and also a round trip on the Adirondack Scenic Railway.). Overnights in Utica and Syracuse; 3-day event.
• Philadelphia Area RailFest has been shuffled and put on the back of the deck following our event there in March of 2005. This will hopefully include the 15 trolley on Girard Avenue, as well as finishing up the various segments we have not ridden on the Regional Rail network. This will be a Friday-Saturday fest, most likely held in the summer of 2006 or 2007.
• Washington RailFest 2005 is the next fest after Eagle RailFest 2005. We seem to have agreed upon dates of August 26-27, which is also a Friday and Saturday. The reason for this is to be able to ride commuter trains on VRE and MARC, which do not run on weekends.
• North Carolina RailFest will include a trip on Amtrak's SILVER STAR to Raleigh, NC. Overnight there, then take the PIEDMONT to Charlotte, NC. In Charlotte, ride the upgraded Charlotte Trolley. Overnight there, then take the CAROLINIAN back to the Northeast.
• Southern Florida RailFest, by popular suggestion, has now been created. So far, it is just the Gold Coast, between West Palm Beach and Miami. We would ride both ways on the SILVER METEOR. The southbound trip would be from the Northeast to West Palm Beach. Then a short trip north on TriRail to Mangonia Park. Then south on TriRail Mangonia Park to Boca Raton. At Boca, dinner and overnight accommodations. Next day, complete TriRail, going to Miami Airport station. Then come back north on TriRail to the Metrorail Transfer. Ride Metrorail out to Palmetto, and then south its entire route to Dadeland South. Lunch at Dadeland Mall. Metrorail once again from Dadeland South to Brickell, where we enter the Metromover system. Ride the Brickell, Omni, and Downtown Loops, ending up at Government Center. Then Metrorail again Government Center to triRail Transfer. TriRail back to Boca, dinner and overnight there. Final day, participants could board the SILVER METEOR in Boca Raton. For those who want to get the entire route in, there would be time to take TriRail down to the Metrorail Transfer station once more, and walk over to the Amtrak station. This trip would last 5 days, including the round trip on the SILVER METEOR.
  
  I am trying to figure out how to add stopovers in Tampa (TECO Streetcar) and Jacksonville (Jacksonville Skyway) to this itinerary, but with the recent rescheduling of Silver Service it makes things difficult, particularly in Jacksonville with unfriendly calling hours for the SILVER STAR (the train we would need to visit Tampa).

You can check out the tentative itineraries for future fests here.

[KevinKorell]

I have toyed around with a few of the future fests on my web page. This action was driven by changes to Amtak schedules, and also the rescheduling, extension, and rerouting of three existing light rail systems in California (San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento).

For what I had called the NoHo Fest (New Orleans & Houston), I added a day and included Atlanta as well. This is now known as the Crescent RailFest.

The fests that have been changed are:

• Southern California
• Northern California
• Pacific Northwest

[jis]

Kevin, For the Big Apple RailFest 2006, on the Sunday Greenport trip, if people don't mind getting back a little late, it might be worth taking the 5 something pm back from Greenport and then use the time in Greenport to have a leasurely lunch and then take the ferry across the Shelter Island. Works out well if the weather is nice. Jishnu.

[jis]

I am trying to figure out how to add stopovers in Tampa (TECO Streetcar) and Jacksonville (Jacksonville Skyway) to this itinerary, but with the recent rescheduling of Silver Service it makes things difficult, particularly in Jacksonville with unfriendly calling hours for the SILVER STAR (the train we would need to visit Tampa).

Why not take Silver Star from New York (dep 10:01am) down to Tampa arriving around 10:30am the following day, spend the day in Tampa, then take Silver Star at 5:33pm to Orlando arriving 7:32pm. Overnight in Orlando and then next day take Silver Meteor at 12:30pm to West Palm Beach and then the rest remains the same.

As usual in the post 9/11, post London world storing luggage may be a problem in Tampa . In order to deal with that we could simply overnight in Tampa and take the Silver Star next day to West Palm Beach. But I figure that Orlando may be a more fun place to overnight, though Tampa may be cheaper.

[KevinKorell]

Kevin,

For the Big Apple RailFest 2006, on the Sunday Greenport trip, if people don't mind getting back a little late, it might be worth taking the 5 something pm back from Greenport and then use the time in Greenport to have a leasurely lunch and then take the ferry across the Shelter Island.

Nice thought, except that those who are traveling from points outside the area generally prefer to spend as much time on the rails vs leisurely meals and ferry rides.

Works out well if the weather is nice.

We're most likely talking January, when it is both cold and it gets dark early.

[KevinKorell]

Why not take Silver Star from New York (dep 10:01am) down to Tampa arriving around 10:30am the following day, spend the day in Tampa, then take Silver Star at 5:33pm to Orlando arriving 7:32pm. Overnight in Orlando and then next day take Silver Meteor at 12:30pm to West Palm Beach and then the rest remains the same.

As usual in the post 9/11, post London world storing luggage may be a problem in Tampa .  In order to deal with that we could simply overnight in Tampa and take the Silver Star next day to West Palm Beach. But I figure that Orlando may be a more fun place to overnight, though Tampa may be cheaper.

Good thoughts. I will re-evaluate this anyhow since the Silver Service timetable changed effective August 1st.

And Jishnu, what do you know about luggage storage problems anyhow??

[AmtrakFan]

Mr. Korell, VIA is going to be cutting the Enterprise later this year I'm told.

[KevinKorell]

Mr. Poshepny, I've heard the same from a couple of sources, but have not found one yet that I can provide a link to here. I think it's a bad move on VIA's part. Once I have a definite announcement from either VIA or a rail avocacy group that has access to this information, I will post it here and also make the necessary changes to the intinerary. We might have to push things back for that fest so that we hit Toronto the next afternoon instead of the morning, and stay there overnight instead of Ottawa. The next day we could travel Toronto to Ottawa, ride the O-Train, and then return to Montreal later that evening.

[jis]

Works out well if the weather is nice.

We're most likely talking January, when it is both cold and it gets dark early.

Yes, trying to do the ferry would not be a good thing to do in January, railfan or not . Specially if the day is cold and windy, keeping warm between when the train arrives in Greenport and when it departs on its return journey may itself be a challenge unless we can either retire to the pizza place near the station for lunch or convince the conductor to let us stay on the train.

[jis]

And Jishnu, what do you know about luggage storage problems anyhow??     

Don't get me started on that .....