Philadelphia 2010

[DivMiler]

I plan to be there with my daughter with a 1:30 p.m. time for the train display.

Anybody else?

 

[FrankStar]

As mentioned in other threads, I'll be doing this:

I'm considering this:

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 43 Pennsylvanian (PHL - LNC) Depart: 12:42 pm, Saturday, May 8, 2010

Arrive: 1:52 pm, Saturday, May 8, 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010 672 Keystone (LNC - PHL) Depart: 5:40 pm, Saturday, May 8, 2010

Arrive: 6:53 pm, Saturday, May 8, 2010

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With the time in Lancaster spent mostly here:

http://www.lancasterbrewing.com/

So it looks like when everyone else wandering around 30th Street, I'll be wandering around Lancaster.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I plan to be there with my daughter with a 1:30 p.m. time for the train display.
Anybody else?

I will be in Philly and have a 1:30 equipment tour reservation. Along with Bill Haithcoat and Jim Hudson. I know Alan will be there as well. There are others to I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I plan to be there with my daughter with a 1:30 p.m. time for the train display.
Anybody else?

I will be in Philly and have a 1:30 equipment tour reservation. Along with Bill Haithcoat and Jim Hudson. I know Alan will be there as well. There are others to I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

Mike Pace will be there.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I'll be there, too. I plan on getting there fairly early and leaving fairly late, although some hours will be spend on the Pennsy and a Keystone.

 

[Acela150]

I will be there at 1pm for the equipment tours.

 

[Stellar1]

I have a 3 PM equipment tour reservation in Philadelphia. This is my first National Train Day Event.

What do they usually bring to see? Can you go in any of the engines, or just the cars?

 

[AlanB]

They generally have a sleeper, dining car, maybe some commuter equipment (like the new SEPTA cars this year perhaps), perhaps a cafe car, and usually some private varnish cars as they're called. There are usually engines around that you can look at from the outside, but I'm not aware of any that displays where they've actually allowed people to go into the engines. They tend to be off limits, in part because of the danger associated with climbing up into the cab and they don't allow for a flow of traffic through the engine unless you walk through the generally very dirty engine compartment.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

I'm not aware of any that displays where they've actually allowed people to go into the engines.

Me either, with one very notable exception. National Train Day L.A. 2009 included cab visits on ex-Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751. I didn't feel like waiting in the long, slow-moving line, but L.A. AU member sportbiker went for it.

L-R: P42 heads Disney "Christmas Carol" train (preview before national tour); 3751; Surfliner locomotive with orange/red Operation Lifesaver wrap (Surfliner and Superliner cars behind it open for walk-throughs); Metrolink commuter locomotive and bi-level car. Private cars on hand for tours (behind 3751) were the Patron Tequila Express, Scottish Thistle, Overland Trail.

​

 

[Acela150]

I don't believe the new Septa rail car will be on display. They were on public display two weeks ago at Suburban Station in the city.

Steve

 

[AlanB]

I don't believe the new Septa rail car will be on display. They were on public display two weeks ago at Suburban Station in the city.
Steve

While I have no idea if SEPTA will or won't allow that, it is certainly a possibility. MARC did so last year at DC, showing off both a new railcar, and old one IIRC, as well as one of their new MP36 locos. One couldn't actually go into the loco, but you could peek in the cab window and IIRC they had a couple of the side panels open.

But it wouldn't surprise me to find the car there, after all it's good publicity for SEPTA and it helps to keep the landlord happy too!

 

[Ryan]

Got home today and found out that my plans for this Saturday were changed while I was gone, so I'M FREE!!!!

Think that the boy and I are going to make a run up to Philly and see you kind folks. I just locked in my 1:30 reservation, what time are folks thinking of arriving/departing? Thinking of maybe springing for the Acela for one way to get my first ride in one.

Crapola. Just got the boy's baseball schedule for the next week (they have an aversion to publishing schedules in advance) and he's got a 1:00 game on Saturday.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Got home today and found out that my plans for this Saturday were changed while I was gone, so I'M FREE!!!!
Think that the boy and I are going to make a run up to Philly and see you kind folks. I just locked in my 1:30 reservation, what time are folks thinking of arriving/departing? Thinking of maybe springing for the Acela for one way to get my first ride in one.

Crapola. Just got the boy's baseball schedule for the next week (they have an aversion to publishing schedules in advance) and he's got a 1:00 game on Saturday.

Too bad you are missing out Perhaps you can get to the Gathering in St.Louis in October.

 

[amamba]

I have 1:30 PM equipment tour tickets for Philly, but I'm not 100% sure that I'll be able to make it. I am in town for a wedding and might get sucked into getting mani/pedis instead. I know, I know, getting your nails done is no where near as interesting as the equipment tour, but I am seeing some friends that I haven't seen in ages and they don't share my enthusiasm for railfanning.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I have 1:30 PM equipment tour tickets for Philly, but I'm not 100% sure that I'll be able to make it. I am in town for a wedding and might get sucked into getting mani/pedis instead. I know, I know, getting your nails done is no where near as interesting as the equipment tour, but I am seeing some friends that I haven't seen in ages and they don't share my enthusiasm for railfanning.

Never understood it. My manicures and pedicures are done by courtesy of the scissor in my SwissCard. Who looks at other people's nails? Really.

 

[Ryan]

I've got two tickets for the 1:30 tour if anyone needs them.

 

[nomis]

I got tickets for the 11am slot & will be departing PHL on #195 en-route to WAS at 12:31pm. It is possible that I will do an early morning turn on the Keystone's, maybe out to Parkesburg or Elizabethtown.

 

[AlanB]

For those meeting in Philly, I'm going to suggest the following. My train gets in at 11:10 AM in theory, so upon arrival I'm going to head for the hall that leads towards the Club Acela. I'll stand right near the end of the hall so that we can still see out into the main waiting area. This hall is past Gate 1 and right near where one would check-in luggage with the Redcaps for checked baggage service. All this assumes that they don't somehow setup some exhibits/vendor tables in that hall. If that happens, then I'll probably try to find some area right near there that gets us out of the heavy traffic.

I'll remain there until either the Crescent carrying Bill Haithcoat arrives or about 12:15 PM, which ever comes first. If Bill is really early, then we may well return to the "meeting" point if not everyone whom we're expecting to see has arrived. At that point those of us who have found each other will attempt to either find a couple of tables in the food court for lunch or perhaps as someone has suggested maybe we'll go to lunch at a resturant/bar that exists in the station. I can't recall it's name right now. I'll try to remember to wear my AU name tag from the Gathering and I'll also have on my Amtrak Wilmington Shops baseball cap with the old pointless arrow logo for Amtrak.

 

[FrankStar]

Hmm. If you are planning to meet at Bridgewater's Pub (right there in 30th and has a great beer selection as well as good and eclectic food) I may just rearrange to do a short run to Downingtown on the Keystone at 3 p.m. to visit Victory Brewing instead of going to Lancaster earlier. (I'm a much bigger beer geek than I am a train geek, as you might be able to tell.) Still the same amount of points, cheaper and I like Victory brews even better than Lancaster brews.

 

[AlanB]

Frank,

It's not definate that we'll do lunch there, but a few of us have talked about it privately, so there is a good chance. We probably won't make a final decision until everyone meets up and I have some idea on what people want to actually spend for lunch.

 

[FrankStar]

OK, I'll do the Downington trip instead anyway at 3 p.m. I'm sure no matter the plan, I'll be able to slip in a brew or few at Bridgewater's.

 

[DivMiler]

For those meeting in Philly, I'm going to suggest the following. My train gets in at 11:10 AM in theory, so upon arrival I'm going to head for the hall that leads towards the Club Acela.

The Keystone I'm planning on taking gets in at 11:10, too, though I suppose you're taking the Acela from New York. I'll look for you at the meeting place!

I'd like to get together with you all to eat, but I'll be with my 4-year-old daughter, and I don't know what the atmosphere would be like in the pub. I'll have to look to see what's available in the station. I've never eaten there (except for an ice cream), and besides the McDonald's I'm not too familiar with the offerings.

 

[AlanB]

Div,

We can check things out and see what happens. One advantage of the pub idea however is that it might not be quite as crowded as the food court seating area.

In the meantime however, here's a partial listing of the food places in the stations food court.

 

[FrankStar]

And Bridgewater's URL is http://thepubin30thstreetstation.com/

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I'll try to get there and see you guys, my train departs at 12:42 (Pennsy) but I'll try to get to where you guys are before 12:15, I'll be coming in on Septa from Trenton.