# Amtrak Springfield MO-St. Louis MO???



## majc (Jun 15, 2006)

I saw this on the news last night and was very excited! I hope they are able to make it happen. See this like for the full details...

KY3.com

Even though we have yet to take our first train trip, this is just so cool. Our current trip requires us to drive to St. Louis to catch the train and spend the night in St. Louis in order to catch our train the next day.

So unless we just hate the train after our first trip, which I doubt, this could open doors to a lot more train travel in our future.

By the way I hope everyone has a great Fathers Day!!!!


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## Everydaymatters (Jun 15, 2006)

When is your first trip scheduled for?

That's really exciting. My first trip was in 1977, but I still remember how excited I was.


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## majc (Jun 15, 2006)

Everydaymatters said:


> When is your first trip scheduled for?That's really exciting.  My first trip was in 1977, but I still remember how excited I was.


Everydaymatters:

Our trip is for July 8th from STL to CHI to catch the Capitol Limited to WAS. From WAS on July 12 we will take a Regional Train to NYC. We then will fly home from NYC.

Technically this isn't our first train ride, we took a train from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando in 98'. My husband was working with Bass Pro during that time to get their store open in Ft. Lauderdale so our daughter and I flew to meet him and we took the train to Disney and back instead of renting a car.

But this is our first LD train and we can't wait.


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## Everydaymatters (Jun 15, 2006)

I've taken the Capitol Ltd. many times, but never gone on to NY from there.

When you're in Harper's Ferry, look up the hill from the train station. Then look down to the river. Visualize the Confederate troops up the hill and the Union Army down by the river. That actually occurred there.

Also, the Lewis & Clark expedition got their guns from Harper's Ferry.

I think it's the Connellsville Station that is the oldest working station in the U.S. If I'm wrong on that, I'm sure someone will correct me.

As you approach DC, you can see the Washington Monument out the windows on the right side of the train.

There's so much history in the path you're taking. Enjoy!


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## George Harris (Jun 16, 2006)

Back to our original subject:

This will be interesting to see if it comes to pass. Missouri is not exactly overdoing the funding of their current state supproted trains. Have not seen it, but apparently the stations between Kansas City and St. Louis could all use quite a bit of help. They should learn from North Carolina.

The St. Louis to Springfield MO line last saw passenger service in 1967 when the last Frisco train, a day train from St. Louis to Oklahoma City died, but in the 50's this was the route of the Texas Special and the Meteor, both very nice trains with multiple sleepers. The Texas Special was disscontinued in about 1959 or 1960, but the Meteor lasted as a fairly nice overnight train St. L to OC into the mid 60's.

However, despite their names they were not fast. St. Louis to Springfield times were on the order of 5.5 hours for a distance of 239.7 miles, with only a few stops, in fact, no stops between Webster Groves and Rollo. This gives an average speed of 43.6 mph. According to recent traffic density maps that iI have seen, this line does not have a lot of freight service so fitting the train in may not be so difficult.

According to the 2002 ETT that I have, there are 19 sidings, all more than one mile long, so at least there should not be the problem of long waits at meets. But they will not be fast, as all but 4 are limited to 10 mph. Also, the line is curvey and hilly.

So far as I know, the Frisco never had a passenger train speed limit above 70 mph, and I do not know what it was on this line, but since this was the Frisco's premier passenger line it was probably 70. The current speed limit, freight only of course, is 50 mph, but there are lots of lower limits due to the curves, a lot of them being 40 mph with some at 35. At least there are no really slow spots, but there is the long up grades in both directions out of the area of Newburg, showing on the profile in the ETT as up 1.93% eastbound, and up 1.27% westbound.

Just guessing, I would think that a passenger train would find it difficult to cover this distance in less than 6 hours without there being some significant work to speed things up. The old Meteor time of 5.5 might be doable if there has not been too much reduction in curve superelevation since 1960.

George


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## The Metropolitan (Jun 16, 2006)

Everydaymatters said:


> I think it's the Connellsville Station that is the oldest working station in the U.S. If I'm wrong on that, I'm sure someone will correct me.


I guess the very definition of this term is up for grabs in some ways...

Further in on the old B&O, near Baltimore, St. Denis also sort of unofficially referred to as what may be "the oldest active railroad stop in the U.S" (the original B&O terminal at Mt. Clare is now the RR Museum, and St. Denis is the first outbound commuter stop on the remnant line, and the only one that shares the Old Main Line with the Metro. Sub.) Today, it is only served by a couple pairs of MARC Commuter trains, and it almost was discontinued a few months back.

So not at all a correction, as I certainly don't know, but just putting in two cents to let you know I've heard a similar term applied elsewhere.


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