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Future Fests as of Summer/Fall 2017


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 26 July 2017 - 02:59 PM

During our Fests, some of us discuss briefly although not formally as a whole group, where our next travels may take us.   So far here is the current thinking.

 

For the winter in January 2018, my first choice would be a return to Boston.   What would keep us from that is if they don't finish the double tracking project (supposed to be done later this year) on the upper Downeaster route allowing for ALL round trips to get to Brunswick, and thus permitting a trip for us to go up to Brunswick in the morning and back to Boston in the afternoon.  MBTA related activity would include a ride on the Fitchburg Line, now that there is an extension to Wachusett.  The other line which might be interesting to re-do is the Fairmount Line, which has seen new stations built and older ones renovated. It's a short line that runs only to Readville.

 

Second choice if Boston does not pan out this year would be New York.  There's the Second Avenue Subway to 96th Street, and I also think it would be neat for those who have not yet seen them to walk through the Fulton Center subway station and the nearby WTC Transportation Center (also known as the Oculus).

 

As you should know for the longer summer trips, the locations are based on where new things are available to ride.  I would like to return to New Orleans to do the Riverfront Streetcar (which was for some reason out of service when we were there last in 2011) and the new Rampart Streetcar (which also starts and ends at Union Passenger Terminal).  This can be paired with Houston, which has three light rail lines to ride.   Such a trip has to be scheduled on certain days of the week due to the thrice-weekly nature of the Sunset Limited needed to ride in between.  Because of its schedule, we would need to spend 2 nights in Houston hotels.  Two nights would be required in New Orleans as well, but one before and one after the Houston part.   New Orleans could be accessed by the Crescent, or we could go via Chicago and take the City of New Orleans.  Likewise, after we are done in New Orleans the second time, we could return either way depending on where we have to go.

 

If the above does happen in the summer of 2018, then next on the list for 2019 would be another trip involving mostly the Texas Eagle, hitting transit properties in Austin, Oklahoma City (assuming their new streetcar is up and running by then) via the Heartland Flyer, and then a 24-hour stopover in Little Rock for that city's streetcar. Because of the arrival/departure times of the Texas Eagle and Heartland Flyer, 2 hotel nights would be needed in both Austin and Oklahoma City.

 

Part of my visiting places on my own as I did with Cincinnati and Detroit in the past couple of weeks is to determine whether a future Fest in those places could be possible.  Cincinnati has a wonderful and frequently operating streetcar system, but the city's downfall is the Cardinal's thrice-weekly schedule, the poor calling times of the Cardinal assuming it's on time, and the location of the Central Union Terminal on the west end of the city away from downtown.  Detroit, on the other hand, would be very Fest-friendly.   The new Q-Line streetcar passes right by the Amtrak station, or hotels such as the one I stayed at have free shuttles.  There is also the older People Mover still operating as a downtown feeder to area attractions and hotels as well.  And for Amtrak there are 3 frequencies on the Wolverine corridor; the midday ones were perfect for me and would be for a Fest as well (provided you are not connecting to trains other than the Lake Shore Limited).  So at least Detroit could be on the back burner as a Fest venue if we need an add-on to something otherwise involving the Midwest.


Edited by KevinKorell, 15 October 2017 - 07:02 PM.
Corrected spelling of Oculus


Kevin Korell


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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 October 2017 - 01:04 AM

Regarding the Summer events, at this time I'm still thinking the same as mentioned above -- New Orleans/Houston in 2018 and Austin/Oklahoma City/Little Rock in 2019.  There was some level of worry as Hurricane Harvey did what it did in Houston, but the light rail lines of its transit system recovered within a week.  And New Orleans dodged two bullets as Harvey and then Nate threatened but didn't have much impact on that city.  NORTA's problem, however is not getting all planned service disruptions out to the public via their website, as they did when we visited New Orleans in the summer of 2011.  But as designed with Houston in between two New Orleans stops, unless it's a long term closure we should get every line on one or the other day, since one is on a weekday and one is on a weekend.



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#3 steve4031

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Posted 21 October 2017 - 08:01 AM

Looking like another great summer fest. And some beignets too.




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