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On July 8th we are going to be working a private rail excursion on the back of #306 from STL-CHI. Since we live in the Chicagoland area, we have to "dead head" down to STL to meet the excursion group that we will be narrating for going back north. We decided taking the train is probably the best...

Say hello to Jack for us!! He worked a private car trip that we narrated on last October between Chicago and St. Paul. The #8 coming home was about 8 hours late and he was so funny and kept everyone is good spirits. What's his line?? "Hey... it isssss.... what it is!" We will be on the...

Here is something no one has posted yet. Last night, my wife and I crunched the numbers involving IPH and the Hoosier State... and it's quite shocking how little money IPH was getting through the deal. According to the news reports that we have read, INDOT agreed to pay Iowa Pacific $500,000 a...

Can you provide a link to the story that you read about Ocean View being put on the Hoosier? I'd love to read it, please. You'd be "very surprised" if Amfleet equipment was used on the Hoosier State after March 1st? Why? I would think an Amfleet or Horizon coach is much more likely than the...

Unless Amtrak comes to it senses and lowers the price for business class on the Hoosier... I hope passenger realize they are being ripped off and stop upgrading on this train. I noticed that business class fares are the same before and after March 1st. So if you ride BC on February 26... you...

No trains at all, honestly... atleast for me. I like train travel... but heck... I have no problem just driving or flying than deal with a filthy train -- especially nasty bathrooms. Who else is with me? That is just gross. We're not made of money, but we would gladly pay more for a train with...

I am the Executive Director of a non-profit foundation that provides narration and route guide sheets/books to passengers on the Hoosier State. We rotate 10 volunteers who narrate on most Sunday morning northbound trips... for more information check us out at www.hoosiertrain.com and...

A good suggestion but even if the inroom channel things still worked it would not be very practical for the guide. The guide would have to stand in the lower level of a coach or sleeper to access the PA and do their program. Its really hard spotting stuff upcoming out the little window in the...

Exactly. A big reason Trails and Rails is so disorganized is each National Park Service unit funds their local program as they see fit. The Klondike Gold Rush NHP in Seattle provides a stellar program on the Empire Builder and Starlight. They put money to it and it shows. Other parks dont really...

Hey Bob D: As of now the Hoosier State is running as it always has. We have had guides on every Sunday AM in January and are scheduled to have guides on most Sunday's in February and March. We hope the program continues. As Executive Director of Rail Rangers, I would like this program to go...

I was a Trails & Rails guide on the Empire Builder from 2007 to 2010 from Chicago to Minnesota. Then, my wife I started up a Trails & Rails program from scratch on the Southwest Chief that ran from Chicago to La Plata, MO from 2013 to 2015. We served as the Chicago Coordinators of Trails & Rails...

They do not run this coach anymore. It stopped when the MSP station switched from Midway to St Paul Union Depot. There is no way to switch it off anymore.

Slight correction. Most of the Santa Fe cars are in Madison Illinois outside of STL. I walked through them in November 2015 including the sad 6th Parlour Car.

The Toys for Tots Train doesn't begin until December 3... too bad it can't come out here still for November and then still do that event out in NY. Hey -- I'll make a $100 donation next year to Toys for Tots if the dome comes out here to Chicago and runs on the Hiawatha for TG2017. And you can...

Got photo confirmation its in Albany tonight. Pretty crappy IMO that Amtrak would let it sit for a month unused instead of running it and letting folks enjoy and more importAntly adding up to 400 more seats a day on a train like the Hiawatha. Dont believe Amtraks press release 'we are running...

I just saw #340(21) and it was the regular consist of 6 horizons. No Great Dome as has appeared on it on the Mondays before TG in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Was told by several in the know on the forum that it likely sit unused in Albany this week... Appears to be the case. I guess expecting it out...

There is always a lot out there if one learns the route. My wife and I designed the Trails and Rails program from Chicago to La Plata, MO. Amtrak and the NPS asked what is out there besides corn fields you want to talk about. My response was to write a 350 page route guidebook for the Chief...

I have been doing onboard programs for more than a decade now... including holding down management-level roles in these groups... and totally agree with you Devil's Advocate. Some folks can be really good... and some folks can be really bad. It's sorta just the nature of the beast though I...

I am the Executive Director of a group called the APRHF Rail Rangers... we are a NON-PROFIT rail history group that provides educational programs on private rail excursions. I am happy to announce after about 6 months of planning we struck a deal with Ed Ellis, Iowa Pacific, and INDOT to provide...

Not sure what the Bears has to do with the fare increase... but whatever dude.