Future Fests as of Fall 2011 & Winter 2012 Options

[KevinKorell]

Altered both the SLC-only and SLC-Reno-Denver itinerary options of potential Rockies RailFest to remove the FrontRunner rail shuttle between Ogden & Pleasant Valley. Reason: It no longer exists. This allowed me to move entire SLC-OGD Frontrunner round trip earlier thus away from rush hour.

http://kevinkorell.com/rockies/home.htm

[KevinKorell]

Pittsburgh's back! Last year I removed a Pittsbugh/Johnstown Rail Fest for major reworking. There have been several obstacles to handling such a Fest. For one, the fare system with its lack of DayPass, premium rush hour fares, zone fares, can prove to be quite expensive just for one day's acitvities.

Secondly, in March 2011 they cancelled the Brown Line, the one that ran "over the hill" rather than through the Mt. Washington Tunnels. So that had to be removed from the previous itinerary.

Third, Amtrak restructured the schedule for its Pennsylvanian, eliminating the later eastbound Sunday frequency 6 hours later than the eastbound schedule observed the rest of the week. Now the same departure time prevails all 7 days a week. This makes a Johnstown side trip still possible, but with too much time in town before our 6 PM westbound departure back to Pittsburgh.

Which leaves a one day event within the Pittsburgh area, not including the westbound rides on the Pennsylvanian or Capitol Limited to get there, or eastbound trips to leave on either of those trains 2 mornings later. (Two hotel nights required.) Those coming from the west could do one very long day on the day of our transit activities and not need a hotel room at all.

It is estimated that to ride both legs of the "T" light rail (red and blue, South Hills Village and Library, as well as the downtown tunnel and the new extension to the North Shore opening this Spring), plus two Incline rides, this can be done within one day. Only Duquesne Incline would require a round trip on a bus to get to from from the foot of this Incline; Monongahela Incline is next to a light rail station.

No date chosen yet for this, and perhaps it can be a wait-and-see to determine if PAT plans to come out with a better fare instrument that is visitor-friendly.

[jacorbett70]

Now we'll have to monitor the new cuts. One thing that would destroy this itinerary: Blue Line (Library) would no longer run on the weekends.

[KevinKorell]

Now we'll have to monitor the new cuts. One thing that would destroy this itinerary: Blue Line (Library) would no longer run on the weekends.

Face it, we're just not destined to visit Pittsburgh! There are so many negatives against riding their system for pleasure... and I feel sorry for those who rely on that system to get to work every day.

[KevinKorell]

So now that CRF (the option with Albuquerque before Chicago) is announced as the 2012 summer event, that means the trip involving Charlotte and Norfolk will most likely be our Summer 2013 activity. And most likely it will include a third and possibly fourth element as well.

As for Winter 2013, plan on East Coast again. I mentioned to some in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago that I was considering Boston this Spring if they follow through with the severe cuts to weekend service (which would take effect early July 2012). If weekend service survives, then we can do it next January. We'll see.

[KevinKorell]

There have been a few changes to web links for the 2013 Fest (that I've asked for help in naming) and the Rockies RailFest. Both had a few options including multiple itineraries. For each, one was chosen and the itineraries condensed into one.

For the North Carolina. Virginia, Jacksonville, etc. etc. fest, we had options for just Charlotte and Raleigh, one with Jacksonville, FL added before those cities, and one with a VRE trip to Fredericksburg, VA after those cities. I've condensed them into one. Updated description and a link to the surviving itinerary here.

And remember when we had an issue with calling times in Salt Lake City and Denver for a Rockies RailFest, and then in a chat session we discussed the possibility of going west to Reno, NV to make a daytime turnaround? I had the Reno option posted, as well as separate fests in Denver and Salt Lake. The Reno option was retained as the sole itinerary. The homepage was updated here. Depending on what lines open in each city will determine when we'll do a Rockies RailFest.

Links to the options not retained will lead you back to the above homepages.

[KevinKorell]

Those who missed the Chat last night we talked about a potential future Fest in the state of Maine. With the Downeaster extension to Brunswick set to open before the end of this year, a Boston-Brunswick round trip might be possible same day. It would depend on whether some trips turn around at Portland, as initially some still will do, either from the Boston direction or the Brunswick direction. Furthermore with the tourist train connection at Brunswick, one could go all the way to Rockland. More than likely that would involve staying overnight someplace and then returning to Boston the next day. It's just talk, and without a timetable it's difficult to know if the schedules would be friendly to our needs. Something to consider for early 2013! But it might be better to wait until a Brunswick layover facility allows more frequencies up there.

[Sloan]

To add some diversity to a possible Maine Fest, there could be visits to Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway and Seashore Trolley Museum. Both operations are close Downeaster service; however a shuttle will be necessary to get to the narrow gauge and/or streetcar museum. Both museums operate in winter, but only on special occasions. Just a thought.

Sloan

[KevinKorell]

A couple of things in New Jersey that we haven't done yet can be incorporated into the next time we meet in the North Jersey/New York area:

• Hudson-Bergen LRT 22th Street to 8th Street in Bayonne
• Meadowlands Line - which is an event-only commuter branch line for now only running for concerts and football games in MetLife Stadium. This line is supposed to get regularly scheduled service when American Dream (ex-Xanadu) opens, if it ever does.

[KevinKorell]

To add some diversity to a possible Maine Fest, there could be visits to Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway and Seashore Trolley Museum. Both operations are close Downeaster service; however a shuttle will be necessary to get to the narrow gauge and/or streetcar museum. Both museums operate in winter, but only on special occasions. Just a thought.

I once inquired with the trolley museum regarding a shuttle, and none exists. One would be on their own by taxicab to get between the Wells, ME transportation center and the trolley museum in Kennebunkport. Hotels, which would also be necessary since considerable time would be required to enjoy the museum, are clustered along the oceanfront in Kennebunkport as well.