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Philly Fest 2004


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#1 AlanB

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Posted 17 January 2004 - 07:33 PM

Well the first day of our fest went off without any problems. We had a good sized group of 16 or 17 at our peak, although some did leave and/or join us throughout the day. We covered quite a few miles today, riding commuter rail, subway, and trolleys. By and large the weather cooperated, with the biiter cold having departed the Philly area overnight. Tomorrow however may bring some weather issues, as the forecast is calling for some light snow possible changing to light rain late tonight into early morning.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#2 AlanB

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Posted 18 January 2004 - 05:04 PM

The sun sets on a second sucessful day for PhillyFest 2004, and the final day. Despite some snow, rain and a mixture of both at times, we had another great day riding the rails in Philly. Today included runs on three Commuter Runs all on the former Reading side of the system. That included one very close connection at Jenkintown, where they actually held the next train a few minutes to allow us to make the connection. We rode out to West Trenton, NJ, then to Doylestown, and finally to Warminster. Our group today was a little smaller than yesterday, maxing out around 11 or 12. However we all still had a great day riding the rails. :)
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 18 January 2004 - 07:30 PM

Couldn't have said it better myself. There were no hitches in our itinerary; we did everything we planned to do. We had that extremely tight connection at Jenkintown due to a CSX freight delaying our train from originating at West Trenton, almost causing me to have to change my pants. Other than that there were no worries. It was cold on Saturday, but not nearly as cold as had originally been predicted and nowhere near the record lows experienced on Friday. On Sunday the temperatures moderated, but we got some precipitation that nobody predicted until late Friday. In Center City it was rain, but at the stations we stopped at north of the city, it was snow. A true winter RailFest, one in which I am extremely happy to have drawn the turnout we had on both days. Thanks to all who came along. Special thanks again to Alan for all his help in preparing for the Fest, and to Bill Magee, who was unable to join us for the Fest itself, for pre-purchasing the TransPasses for the group. They worked like a charm and saved us a bundle of money. In the days, weeks, maybe even months to come, I'll try to work up some type of more detailed report. I also thank all those with cameras who shot photos of the group and of the many trains we encountered over the weekend. Thank you again for your role in making this weekend a success !! :)


Kevin Korell


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#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 January 2004 - 02:36 PM

The Homepage has been updated to reflect post-Fest conditions. Now included are links to the quiz questions and the route guides.

The itinerary was updated (although the only change in plans was taking one earlier train from Frankford Transportation Center to 11th & Market Streets). It does not show the severely late trains we encountered on the Airport Line Saturday night and the inbound West Trenton line on Sunday morning; it shows the times we were supposed to be at each point.

The Food page was updated to reflect the closed restaurant in Doylestown and the one we found in its place.

For those who were not present at the Fest, please feel free to take the quiz at your leisure. I will post the answers in about one week.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 January 2004 - 04:13 PM

Mike Hammond is on his way west from the Fest on the PENNSYLVANIAN, Train 43(19). It was 1 hour 16 minutes late leaving Philadelphia, which suggests that this train is typical of the long distance trains we saw this weekend that originate in New York --- they are having a hard time getting them out of the yard on time.

His train is estimated into Pittsburgh about 1-1/2 hours late, and then he takes a Thruway bus to Cleveland to complete his journey.


Kevin Korell


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#6 dcwarner

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Posted 20 January 2004 - 09:10 AM

THANK YOU to Kevin and Alan for putting together a great fest. The snow storm during the middle portion of the train riding made for a great winter experience. The guide was very informative...I always wondered what "happened" to the R4.
dcwarner
wilmington, de

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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 20 January 2004 - 12:32 PM

The guide was very informative...I always wondered what "happened" to the R4.

For the longer unabridged explanation of why there is no R4 line, (and why the "temporary" R8 designation has lasted 20 years), check here.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ





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