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Future Fests as of Spring & Summer 2013


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#21 jis

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Posted 19 July 2013 - 02:03 PM

AFAIK the only new thing that is going online between now and then is Pennsauken Transfer station on the RiverLINE and Atlantic City Line.

#22 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 July 2013 - 02:48 PM

Besides what Jishnu mentioned in New Jersey, we also haven't ridden the HBLRT as a group since it was extended in Bayonne between 22nd Street and 8th Street. The Meadowlands Line also hasn't been ridden by the group yet, nor by me. It only runs on an event basis, and unless either football team makes the playoffs, it is beyond the season.

In Philly there is the new branch of the #15 trolley to Sugar House Casino (since the regular line is being bustituted east of there for freeway reconstruction).

Back to Pennsauken, I don't think we need to ride the entire AC Line again, but we could do a small circle of AC Line 30th Street to Pennsauken, RiverLINE to Walter Rand TC in Camden, and PATCO back to Center City, perhaps combined with being in town to ride the #15 trolley as above.

As for New York, nothing we haven't already ridden. Waiting for the 2nd Avenue Subway and 7 line extension both in Manhattan.

Connecticut, they've extended most weekend Shore Line East (SLE) trains to New London (beyond Old Saybrook where we turned last time), so perhaps we could do that either in both directions, or ride MNRR & SLE one way and Amtrak the other.


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#23 saxman

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Posted 20 July 2013 - 10:26 PM

I'm open to just about anything in January. I've done very little transit in Philly, and still lack many lines in NJ and NY.

#24 steve4031

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Posted 21 July 2013 - 06:18 AM

Though not transit related, I thought that the circle trip from nyp-bos-alb-nyp would be interesting.

#25 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 July 2013 - 10:44 AM

Though not transit related, I thought that the circle trip from nyp-bos-alb-nyp would be interesting.

It doesn't necessarily have to be transit related. When we did that run to Springfield, MA in the snow a few years ago, it was Amtrak all day.

Such a trip, however, involving the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, would require staying overnight in Albany or getting back to New York quite late (about 10 PM if we took 64). Being Winter the entire run down the Hudson would be after dark. Same goes for the clockwise direction -- 448 gets to Boston on a good day with little time to spare to make a connection to New York. I think it also misses the last Shuttle train at Springfield.

A mini-circle involving the Lake Shore Limited in the counter-clockwise direction but NOT involving Albany is possible in one day, if we headed up to Boston, took 449, and returned from Springfield. Again the same issues apply if one tried that clockwise; it would be much better to stay in Boston overnight and return next morning than risking 448 being late.

Speaking of circles, we could also try the LIRR Port Jefferson, ferry Port Jefferson to Bridgeport, then return on either Metro North or Amtrak.


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#26 steve4031

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Posted 21 July 2013 - 01:27 PM

All of those would work for me.

#27 KevinKorell

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Posted 30 July 2013 - 11:34 AM

On another topic, I've updated the potential Texas RailFest, one of two involving that state. The itinerary was changed to include the expanding light rail network in Houston, which will be significantly updated once the Red Line North extension opens by the end of this year, and further when the Purple Line and Green Line open in 2014. The entire Fest may need to be reworked now however, because there will be a lot more light rail to ride than the initial starter line, and also because the westbound Sunset Limited operates several hours earlier than it used to.... so there may not be enough time in the city to accomplish our mission to ride all the lines and have time for dinner. The only solution might be to add a day there. The day would have to be added starting with the beginning of the Fest, since we remain bound by the thrice-weekly nature of the Sunset Limited.

Downside of this trip continues to be a 7 hour overnight off-train dwell in San Antonio between the westbound Sunset Limited and the northbound Texas Eagle. Not much we can do about that given the recovery time Amtrak has there for both trains. We just survived Cary and Richmond, but those were daytime and not as long.

With Dallas on the same event however, look for more updates after the last segment of the DART Orange Line opens within a couple of years, and also now that the Las Colinas people mover is running on an all-day schedule, we could work that in as well since it conveniently connects with the Orange Line. I don't need to add another day here because we have all day until the mid-afternoon departure of #22 with nothing else planned.


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#28 saxman

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Posted 30 July 2013 - 12:36 PM

I've done the loop from NYP-BOS-SPG-NYP. That's a better option I think. Although a ferry ride sounds like fun too.

#29 EdFindlay

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Posted 31 July 2013 - 03:51 PM

What about doglegging it in the sleeper to STL then going west after a layover there, at least with STL there's something to do and frankly it's the same thing being done next year in Reno. There's at least a few hotels nearby, but the ones the group typically uses are farther away near the Riverwalk. Regarding next January, any way to combine the ride on the 15 in Philly and the ride on the HBLRT? Even if it has to be Amtrak it at least has new trackage for the group rather than reriding old ground just to reride it.

#30 KevinKorell

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Posted 31 July 2013 - 04:08 PM

What about doglegging it in the sleeper to STL then going west after a layover there, at least with STL there's something to do and frankly it's the same thing being done next year in Reno. There's at least a few hotels nearby, but the ones the group typically uses are farther away near the Riverwalk.

I am confused as to where St. Louis comes into play, when I think you are referring to the situation with the San Antonio layover. A dogleg between San Antonio and St. Louis would take roughly a day in each direction and would far overshoot the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which has trains in both directions calling during the day under normal circumstances.

Regarding next January, any way to combine the ride on the 15 in Philly and the ride on the HBLRT? Even if it has to be Amtrak it at least has new trackage for the group rather than reriding old ground just to reride it.

Neither Philly nor the NY/NJ area is yet etched in stone. It's still more than 5 months away. We need to see what people want to do, and then those who request certain activities be there in reality to enjoy them with us. Now I do like the idea of travelling around and hitting any new trackage for the group that we can in different places, but that would involve a lot Amtrak (or long commuter rail trips) and more importantly carrying our luggage around since most of us at some point will probably be staying somewhere away from our respective homes.


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