Obama train on the 17th

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access bob

Lead Service Attendant
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Has anyone heard anything additional about the Obama train trip from Phila to DC on Jan 17th.

big announcement then silence.

Bob
 
access bob said:
Has anyone heard anything additional about the Obama train trip from Phila to DC on Jan 17th.
big announcement then silence.

Bob
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Silence is what you get when you deal with the Secret Service.
 
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Rail Freak said:
I can not imagine being in charge of that gig! RF B)
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Aloha

Having worked events where a president,t, or Foreign Dignitary was present that required the Secret Service, I feel very sorry for the crews involved. Individually the Secret Service staff are pleasant as to on duty, INMHO they are paranoid. Next June, I have a scheduled event that I am the crew chief for and I dread President Obama may be a speaker there.
 
The inaugural celebration will begin in the city where our democracy was born and the promise of our country was realized. On Saturday, January 17th, President-elect Barack Obama will be holding an event in Philadelphia, before boarding a train bound for our nation’s capital. He will be picking up Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family in Wilmington, DE, and then making a stop for an event in Baltimore, MD, before pulling into Washington, D.C. that afternoon.
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it will be a private charter, so not sure what else there is to know unless you are in one of those four cities on that day.
 
Route? Timing? I live ~1 mile from the NEC, and would love to be able to go over to the MARC station and watch/take pictures as the train comes through. Not sure if the security folks are going to allow that or not.
 
GG-1 said:
INMHO they are paranoid.
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Paranoid is what they get paid for.

It was pointed out to me the other day that for the first time ever we will soon have a pro-Amtrak president. Think back. Not a single one, Democrat or Republican, has been pro-Amtrak.

Now we'll have not only a pro-Amtrak chief, but also a veep whooz pretty well disposed toward rail as well.

While I hesitate to call it a Dream Team, in view of all the other issues facing us these days I think that under the circumstances, and overall, we got a pretty good deal.
 
I would think that there might even be a "mystery" train that runs ahead of Obama's. Some years ago, when George Sr. was in office, we ran a pax extra with him on board. Good golly you would have thought every one on the crew was a Fidel Castro or worse by the way the Secret Service treated every one. I can understand they have a job but I don't think tinkling on everyone's boots is included in their job description.
 
GG-1 said:
Rail Freak said:
I can not imagine being in charge of that gig! RF B)
Click to expand...
Aloha

Having worked events where a president,t, or Foreign Dignitary was present that required the Secret Service, I feel very sorry for the crews involved. Individually the Secret Service staff are pleasant as to on duty, INMHO they are paranoid. Next June, I have a scheduled event that I am the crew chief for and I dread President Obama may be a speaker there.
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Having worked four Obama rally/speech events in the primaries, two ginormous (38k and 75k people) and two small (<1k and 5k), I had the opportunity to meet and work with numerous Secret Service agents as well as the US Marshalls and state and local police who assist them. They were all top-notch professionals but also courteous and respectful in their instructions to and treatment of event staff and campaign staff, and I came away from it with a much greater respect for them than I'd had previously. They assume the worst might happen, and some of the precautions they take may seem ridiculously conservative or even downright silly or paranoid, but all it takes is one creative or lucky nefarious individual to alter the course of history.

And yet, despite their precautions, the recent shoe-throwing event shows that those who despise a president can still be "one step ahead" of those who protect him! (Sorry, just had to "throw" the pun in there :p )

But given the amount of secrecy surrounding any presidential (or candidate) appearance--usually only 48 hours public notice, and rarely more than 72 hours internal campaign notice--I can certainly see how any event organizer would be in for quite a shock to suddenly have to alter event set-up and logistics to accommodate Secret Service requirements on such short notice! At least with campaign events, event staff are seasoned "presidential event" staff and well-accustomed to Secret Service procedures. And there's a huge difference when the event staff and Secret Service teams recognize each other and know each other's names, and when the event organizers have clearance badges!
 
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wayman said:
They were all top-notch professionals but also courteous and respectful in their instructions to and treatment of event staff and campaign staff
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Part of being a "top-notch professional" is being respectful to the people you work with, and everyone else with whom you interact as part of your duties.
 
Since Obama is already in Washington, will he still go to PHL to take the train to WAS?

I hope so. I hope it gives Amtrak some much needed positive press impact!!
 
One of those times when I could roll my truck up to the banks of the Susquehana in Havre De Grace and just watch things unfold on the bridge... :rolleyes:
 
access bob said:
Has anyone heard anything additional about the Obama train trip from Phila to DC on Jan 17th.
big announcement then silence.

Bob
Click to expand...

Does anybody know what equipment is going to be used? cars,engines, electric or diesel in case the power is cut? I can understand if it's being kept secret... :)
 
gaspeamtrak said:
access bob said:
Has anyone heard anything additional about the Obama train trip from Phila to DC on Jan 17th.
big announcement then silence.

Bob
Click to expand...

Does anybody know what equipment is going to be used? cars,engines, electric or diesel in case the power is cut? I can understand if it's being kept secret... :)
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Well to emphasize "Change" a wrapped Acela makes sense.
 
I would FULLY expect to see Diesel power in this scenario. If some sort of situation were to occur and the power were to go down, that would not be a recommended situation given the Presidents stature. I'm almost willing to bet money that we will see Bennett Levin's E-8's leading the train and an open platform car bringing up the markers. The Ferdinand Magellan or Georgia 300 would be likely candidates in my opinion.
 
battalion51 said:
I would FULLY expect to see Diesel power in this scenario. If some sort of situation were to occur and the power were to go down, that would not be a recommended situation given the Presidents stature.
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Couldn't the set of locomotives at the front of the train be something like one electric and a pair of diesels, with the diesels not running unless something goes wrong with the electric locomtive and related infrastructure?
 
It will NOT be an Acela set! As far as power goes most likely electric. Privates are a guarantee. There might be a few Amcans in the consist.

As far as the picture issue. I'll e-mail one of my buddies at Amtrak who works in Wilmington what the deal will be.

Thanks,

Stephen
 
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