Jump to content


Photo

MWRF/Getting home from the Fest


  • Please log in to reply
16 replies to this topic

#1 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 12 July 2015 - 04:47 PM

This final report thread is to describe individual travels home from the Fest events. 



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#2 BillMagee

BillMagee

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPip
  • 5361 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Interests:Travel, Rail, Aviation, Sports

Posted 19 July 2015 - 01:01 PM

After a nice stay in St. Paul and the enjoyable Fest activities, I headed to MSP Airport this morning. With the light rail disrupted, I took the #54 "Limited Stop" bus from Union Depot. The bus took about 35 minutes to get to Terminal 1 - which is about 30 minutes faster than the Green/Blue light rail trip with the normal schedule. With no big rush to catch my 1:54pm flight, using the bus saved me about $40. Now I'm in the United Club waiting for my American flight (seems somehow so wrong). Incoming aircraft from PHL is running late. My departure is now set for 2:29 - 35 minutes late.

#3 BillMagee

BillMagee

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPip
  • 5361 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Interests:Travel, Rail, Aviation, Sports

Posted 20 July 2015 - 04:11 PM

Just to finish this off, my flight left MSP at 2:30pm (about 45 minutes late) and got in to PHL at 5:45pm (15 minutes late). It was a rough ride, but otherwise a nice flight. I pulled into the driveway at 6:20pm ending my Fest. Thanks to Kevin for a great plan, and to the group for making my brief participation fun. Looking forward to the 2016 events.



#4 amtrakwolverine

amtrakwolverine

    Member

  • Membres
  • PipPip
  • 334 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Warren,MI
  • Interests:Riding trains, railfaining, small engines, guitars

Posted 21 July 2015 - 12:53 PM

Currently sitting in the legacy club waiting to board 358 the wolverine. $10 to get in and they don't take cash so you pay by credit or debit. It is open to METRA passengers also.

#5 saxman

saxman

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 373 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Dallas, TX

Posted 21 July 2015 - 07:22 PM

I found a last minute cheap rate at the Chicago O'hare Hilton after doing the unofficial Mendota points run. So I boarded the Blue Line out to ORD and got there about 11 pm. Nothing like walking out of the station to an escalator right to the checkin desk. The next day, I decided on an open Spirit flight to get me home. Took a long nap this afternoon to recover.



#6 pennyk

pennyk

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 828 posts
  • Gender:Female
  • Location:Orlando, FL

Posted 21 July 2015 - 10:26 PM

Dick and I are on our way back to Florida. We are on the Capitol Limited now and will connect to the Silver Meteor Wednesday.

#7 amtrakwolverine

amtrakwolverine

    Member

  • Membres
  • PipPip
  • 334 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Warren,MI
  • Interests:Riding trains, railfaining, small engines, guitars

Posted 21 July 2015 - 11:25 PM

About 3:30 was Excourted out to the train from the legacy lounge ahead of the masses and I think pre boards also as there were still some workers looking the train over. Departed on time and were only 30 minutes late into royal oak due to slow orders due to track work to being more of the line up to 110 mph.

#8 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 22 July 2015 - 12:35 AM

My departure from Chicago was on #3, the Southwest Chief. While I live well east of Chicago, my post-Fest travels turned into a 6-day extravaganza that will have me visiting Kansas City, St. Louis (via the long way by Kansas City since the direct route is not available totally by train), then Nashville and Atlanta, and finally #20 the Crescent back to Philadelphia.

 

Under my belt is a nice relatively quick trip on the Southwest Chief that ran as much as 29 minutes late, but came into Kansas City 12 minutes down.  Not too shabby.    My attendant you had to grow to like her, and even more to look like her..  She was busy with 2 sleeper cars, including the 331 full sleeper and my 340 Transition sleeper.  Itinerary for my post-travels is available here,  (of which the official Fest was a subset)



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#9 pennyk

pennyk

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 828 posts
  • Gender:Female
  • Location:Orlando, FL

Posted 22 July 2015 - 08:30 PM

Dick and I are still on our way back to Florida. We boarded the Silver Meteor in WAS Wednesday evening, and now we are headed south. Train 97 left WAS pretty much on time.

#10 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 22 July 2015 - 08:59 PM

Started Wednesday morning in Kansas City, and by mid-afternoon was in St. Louis, after taking my very first ride on the Missouri River Runner #314.  Trip started out on time, got as much as 14 minutes late, but then due to the magic of schedule padding, arrived into St. Louis 3 minutes early.  Crossed a few other firsts off my bucket list including seeing Gateway Station and riding the Metrolink Blue Line out to Shrewsbury.  I had been trying to do this for 3 years after our Fests that passed through Chicago, but was stymied each time by suspensions of Lincoln Service.

 

I also visited Union Station to see what renovations looked like.  Sad to see that it is not as vibrant as it once was.  Doubletree, who now manages the in-station hotel, basically put their lobby and restaurant into the station headhouse, so that portion is open to only hotel guests, which I wasn't.  Many of the stores and eateries, particularly on the second floor, have closed.  Many of them didn't even take their signs down, so it looks like they left in a hurry. Whatever changes took place for the worst happened around 2010-2011 when there was a management change and renovation, but they failed to attract businesses back. There are a handful of restaurants still open, but on their website the Union Station complex only mentions 3 of them.  I took notes to update my restaurant listing for this facility.    There was also a trapeze performance going on in the train shed (under which the hotel, a lake, and deserted indoor mall also sit), and nobody was watching them.    Our Fest visit in 2005 on the way to Texas predated that renovation, so this was the first I had seen of it.

 

I'm done with Amtrak train trips until Saturday evening, but I'll continue to update my activities here until I get home.



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users