National Train Day 2013!

[CHamilton]

Amtrak will be running special Acela Express excursions from Washington Union Station for National Train Day 2013. Experience travel aboard Amtrak’s premiere service for an exciting 35 minute round trip ride (to Bowie, MD and back)! Tickets will be available onsite (at NARP's kiosk next to Gate G) at 10:30am on Saturday, May 11th. Rides are scheduled to depart at 11:35am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 3:45pm. Tickets cost $5 per person; children 12 and under ride free. http://nationaltrainday.com/s/#!/events/union-station-wa

 

[Ryan]

Amtrak will be running special Acela Express excursions from Washington Union Station for National Train Day 2013. Experience travel aboard Amtrak’s premiere service for an exciting 35 minute round trip ride (to Bowie, MD and back)! Tickets will be available onsite (at NARP's kiosk next to Gate G) at 10:30am on Saturday, May 11th. Rides are scheduled to depart at 11:35am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 3:45pm. Tickets cost $5 per person; children 12 and under ride free. http://nationaltrainday.com/s/#!/events/union-station-wa

It looks like there will be Acela Excursion rides from WAS on NTD:

Washington, D.C. Acela Express® Excursion Train

Amtrak is excited to announce the Acela Express Excursion Train at Washington Union Station on National Train Day, May 11, 2013. Experience travel aboard Amtrak’s premiere service for an exciting 35 minute round trip ride! Tickets will be available onsite (Gate G) at 10:30am. Rides are scheduled to depart at 11:35am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 3:45pm. Tickets cost $5 per person; children 12 and under ride free, with accompanying adults. Adult ID required at time of purchase.

*Some restrictions may apply; routes and schedules are subject to change.

We will have more detailed information soon, so make sure to check back often!

Given the 35 minute trip promised, I'm going to wager that they're going to run out to BOWIE and back. I don't think that there's enough time to make it to GROVE, and the trip to CARROLL would only take about 20 minutes.
If I make it down, I think that it'll be a cool chance to take the boy on the Acela.

I WAZ RITE!!!

 

[benjibear]

Train equipment displays have finally been listed:

http://nationaltrainday.com/s/#!/trainequipment

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmm, may need to go to Philly. 8400 is going to be there.

 

[Acela150]

Where is all this Extra Equipment coming from??

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Any else here going on the Milwaukee Road 261 excursion to Duluth?

So far we have.

NorthCoastHiawatha

The Davy Crockett

TraneMan

 

[thully]

Planning to be at LA Union Station for NTD - last year I did Chicago since I was still living in Michigan then (I'm now in San Diego). Will check out the equipment/displays, and then perhaps do some Metrolink/Metro runs I haven't done before. Anyone meeting up there? Will either take a late train back to SAN or stay overnight (the latter if Game 7 of the Red Wings-Ducks series is necessary.

 

[Misty.]

While it's not one of the major events, I'm actually mostly (what, I saw the equipment list for Chicago, and I haven't knowingly seen/walked through a transdorm before) glad I'm gonna be doing KWD over CHI... I'll get some pictures to share on my flickr

 

[Acela150]

Looks like the weather is going to be in the favor of Scrooge Saturday in the NEC. Rain.

 

[pennyk]

After sifting through posts in this thread, the following is a tentative list of AU members who plan (or at one time planned) to celebrate NTD in WAS:
Acela150

AlanB

Anthony (unsure of schedule however)

City of Miami?

Dlagrua

Grounded Flyboy

Hessjm

Jacorbett70

KayBee

pennyk (and possibly her sister)

Ryan (definite maybe)

Shanghai

VentureForth?

Either I or moderators can edit this list if you would like your name deleted or added.

According to weather.com: Saturday high 77, 60% chance of rain.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

After sifting through posts in this thread, the following is a tentative list of AU members who plan (or at one time planned) to celebrate NTD in WAS:
Acela150

AlanB

Anthony (unsure of schedule however)

City of Miami?

Dlagrua

Grounded Flyboy

Hessjm

Jacorbett70

KayBee

pennyk (and possibly her sister)

Ryan (definite maybe)

Shanghai

VentureForth?

Either I or moderators can edit this list if you would like your name deleted or added.

According to weather.com: Saturday high 77, 60% chance of rain.

Who's going outside? Or will the trains be outside?

 

[TraneMan]

261 has posted that they have a few seats that has opened up.

Any else here going on the Milwaukee Road 261 excursion to Duluth?
So far we have.

NorthCoastHiawatha

The Davy Crockett

TraneMan

 

[NW cannonball]

Even Saint Paul, Minnesota - a backwater but not a hicktown -- offers this http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_23195644/st-paul-union-depot-celebrate-national-train-day

 

[dart330]

When they list a locomotive as being on display, such as FTW & MEM, does that mean people will be allowed inside?

 

[Ispolkom]

Any else here going on the Milwaukee Road 261 excursion to Duluth?
So far we have.

NorthCoastHiawatha

The Davy Crockett

TraneMan

Mrs. Ispolkom and I would love to go, we're lifetime Friends of the 261, but there's no way I can ever plan anything in May, because of work.

 

[Acela150]

After sifting through posts in this thread, the following is a tentative list of AU members who plan (or at one time planned) to celebrate NTD in WAS:
Acela150

AlanB

Anthony (unsure of schedule however)

City of Miami?

Dlagrua

Grounded Flyboy

Hessjm

Jacorbett70

KayBee

pennyk (and possibly her sister)

Ryan (definite maybe)

Shanghai

VentureForth?

Either I or moderators can edit this list if you would like your name deleted or added.

According to weather.com: Saturday high 77, 60% chance of rain.

Who's going outside? Or will the trains be outside?

IIRC some of the displays are somewhat unprotected by shelters. That was 2011 though.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

After sifting through posts in this thread, the following is a tentative list of AU members who plan (or at one time planned) to celebrate NTD in WAS:
Acela150

AlanB

Anthony (unsure of schedule however)

City of Miami?

Dlagrua

Grounded Flyboy

Hessjm

Jacorbett70

KayBee

pennyk (and possibly her sister)

Ryan (definite maybe)

Shanghai

VentureForth?

Either I or moderators can edit this list if you would like your name deleted or added.

According to weather.com: Saturday high 77, 60% chance of rain.

Who's going outside? Or will the trains be outside?

IIRC some of the displays are somewhat unprotected by shelters. That was 2011 though.

I wasn't thinking about where the SL's would be. But, yeah, I think those tracks are more likely to be effected by the weather.

Was hoping to surprise everyone and show up in WAS...if I got offered the job I just interviewed for by Friday evening, but I was told that they won't be making a decision until next week.

 

[roadman3313]

Any word on what equipment might be on display on the west coast? Sac and Lax in particular... Not traveling far from home this year so just wondering...

 

[CHamilton]

Any word on what equipment might be on display on the west coast? Sac and Lax in particular... Not traveling far from home this year so just wondering...

May be a bit too far for you, but here's the press release from Oregon.

SAVE THE DATE:

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013, 10 TO 4 PORTLAND UNION STATION, 800 NW 6th AVE.
NEW TALGO TRAIN AND HISTORIC STEAM ENGINE TO BE DISPLAYED ALONG WITH LOTS OF FAMILY FUN
Portland, Ore. – Family-friendly National Train Day will draw huge crowds to Union Station on May 11, planners of the event at Portland have predicted.
“This year could be a door buster,” said Scott Hurd, Amtrak’s lead agent at Portland. “People will come for clowns, music, entertainment, surprises, and, of course, trains.”
National Train Day at Portland is anticipated to offer the public’s first look at one of two new Talgo trainsets purchased by the state of Oregon for operation on the Cascades Corridor between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C.
“We’re eager to see the new Talgo train,” Hurd stated, “and the public will have the opportunity to peek at this modern equipment that will soon serve Pacific Northwest travelers.” This, he noted, emphasizes that “trains matter,” the theme of the 2013 event.
But there’s much more: For those wishing a link to the past, Train Day will provide just the ticket, viewing of the massive SP&S 700 engine, chuffing steam. The 700 was retired in 1956 from service on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway. Also, rail policy and rail history groups will offer a family oriented glimpse into the Northwest’s thriving train culture.
Other notable National Train Day events will take place in Eugene, Salem and Klamath Falls. For details, go to www.nationaltrainday.com and click on the map of Oregon.
Past events at the station have seen crowds surge past 7,000 on a single day, according to Amtrak’s Hurd. Train Day, May 11, should be no different...because trains matter.

 

[Agent]

Any word on what equipment might be on display on the west coast? Sac and Lax in particular... Not traveling far from home this year so just wondering...

Yesterday, I saw Amtrak's business cars Pacific Cape and Beech Grove heading to Sacramento on the California Zephyr.

Here's a list of equipment displays from the National Train Day website, including Sacramento and Los Angeles.

 

[Acela150]

After sifting through posts in this thread, the following is a tentative list of AU members who plan (or at one time planned) to celebrate NTD in WAS:
Acela150

AlanB

Anthony (unsure of schedule however)

City of Miami?

Dlagrua

Grounded Flyboy

Hessjm

Jacorbett70

KayBee

pennyk (and possibly her sister)

Ryan (definite maybe)

Shanghai

VentureForth?

Either I or moderators can edit this list if you would like your name deleted or added.

According to weather.com: Saturday high 77, 60% chance of rain.

Who's going outside? Or will the trains be outside?

IIRC some of the displays are somewhat unprotected by shelters. That was 2011 though.

I wasn't thinking about where the SL's would be. But, yeah, I think those tracks are more likely to be effected by the weather.

Was hoping to surprise everyone and show up in WAS...if I got offered the job I just interviewed for by Friday evening, but I was told that they won't be making a decision until next week.

Good Luck Betty! I'm pulling for you with the job!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Thanks Steve (didn't use the quote because I'm on my iPod).

 

[pennyk]

Thanks Steve (didn't use the quote because I'm on my iPod).

Good Luck Betty.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Thanks Steve (didn't use the quote because I'm on my iPod).

Good Luck Betty.

Thanks!

 

[roadman3313]

Any word on what equipment might be on display on the west coast? Sac and Lax in particular... Not traveling far from home this year so just wondering...

Yesterday, I saw Amtrak's business cars Pacific Cape and Beech Grove heading to Sacramento on the California Zephyr.

Here's a list of equipment displays from the National Train Day website, including Sacramento and Los Angeles.

Thanks for the link! It was just leading me to the main page on my phone so I didn't see the information until now. Wonder if Amtrak Business Cars would come with the CEO... haha... I figured those would remain in the east along with talks of the "Great" Northeast Corridor... glad some cars made it over to Northern California

And yes... Portland is slightly too far for the weekend... in the middle of moving... hopefully next year though I'll be able to travel