What does your Forum User Name mean?

[the_traveler]

I'm just glad the Gathering is in October then! I guess I can forget about the 2012 Gathering being in KIN then!

 

[Rush2112]

My name is Dan and I was born on December 21. I sure hope those Mayans weren't right, or next year's birthday is going to be interesting.

That is funny.

Just got back home from LAX to SAC. I flew United.

Would have loved to had the time to Amtrak.

- 2112

 

[ABDeh88]

ABDeh 8/8 is a Swiss locomotive. It is an electric, adhesion/rack Electric Multiple Unit (EMU). It has 1st (A) and second (B) class seating, and baggage (D). Electric (e) and adhesion/rack propusion (h). It has eight driven axles, with eight axles total.

 

[NE933]

NE933. Some have guessed that the 'NE' part stands for the North East Corridor, and while it's true that I live in Astoria Queens, New York, my eleven year old alias on most rail internet forums has a more contrived history.

On November 12, 1989, the special person in my life at the time (now my ex) and I went to the North Elizabeth NJT train station, on a blazing autumn Sunday, to watch trains together. It was the first time he had done this with me so obviously it was a very special day, in that the two things I loved the most were joined together. The first Amtrak appearance was a southbound pulled by AEM7 #933.

The website known as TrainOrders.com was sort of in its infancy, as was my internet exposure. When it called for picking an online name, the first thing that came to mind was to pay homage to locomotive numbered 933, and the events that once was at North Elizabeth rail station.

 

[GG-1]

The website known as TrainOrders.com was sort of in its infancy, as was my internet exposure. When it called for picking an online name, the first thing that came to mind was to pay homage to locomotive numbered 933, and the events that once was at North Elizabeth rail station.

Aloha

That is a nice story. I was 6 when I saw my first G. a long time ago and far far away.

 

[the_traveler]

I was 6 when I saw my first G. a long time ago and far far away.

... And in the later years, they built another G - and also invented the wheel I think the "1" was the 1st wheel!!

It's a good thing that you didn't see an "F" unit first and a U-boat 2nd!

 

[Lady_Penelope]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

 

[NE933]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

I thought you were going to say it's your takeoff version of Lady GaGa.

 

[Lady_Penelope]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

I thought you were going to say it's your takeoff version of Lady GaGa.

haha, thats too funny. im not a fan of lady gaga

 

[GG-1]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

I thought you were going to say it's your takeoff version of Lady GaGa.

haha, thats too funny. im not a fan of lady gaga

Why not, She is getting rich being wacky.

Aloha

 

[Misty.]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

I thought you were going to say it's your takeoff version of Lady GaGa.

haha, thats too funny. im not a fan of lady gaga

Why not, She is getting rich being wacky.

Aloha

Because I haven't been able to get rich off being wacky and I'm kinda jealous? :giggle:

 

[trainman74]

I first came up with "trainman" as a nickname when I was in a service club in high school that had nicknames on the back of its shirts -- that was long enough ago that the movie "Rain Man" was fresh in people's memories.

When I got to college, they were offering this new thing called "e-mail" -- e-mail IDs were limited to 8 characters or less, and I quickly realized "trainman" was 8 characters, so that's what I chose for my ID.

I've been using it as an online handle ever since, although as it turns out, just plain "trainman" is common enough that I sometimes have to add "74" to it (that's the year of my birth -- 1974, not 74 BC).

 

[the_traveler]

I thought the "74" had to do with the year "2074". That's the year that the SL-East will be resumed and no longer be "temporarily suspended"!

 

[trainman74]

I thought the "74" had to do with the year "2074". That's the year that the SL-East will be resumed and no longer be "temporarily suspended"!

Ugh, just got an advance copy of the October 2074 issue of Trains magazine, and it says CSXNSBNSFUP withdrew permission at the last minute. :angry:

 

[the_traveler]

I thought the "74" had to do with the year "2074". That's the year that the SL-East will be resumed and no longer be "temporarily suspended"!

Ugh, just got an advance copy of the October 2074 issue of Trains magazine, and it says CSXNSBNSFUP withdrew permission at the last minute. :angry:

That article has to be in error, because it's been known since at least 2068 that CNCP bought CSXNSBNSFUP - now called RAIL (Railroad of the Americas International Lines)!

Can't you trust the media anymore?

Oh BTW: Amtrak starts service from PDX to Hawaii in 2089. They build the bridge!

(And they scheduled 3 smoke breaks also - except if you get off, you don't get back on! That last step from the Superliner is a long - and wet - one!

)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

My advance copy of Trains September 2066 shows the major midwest Florida routes have been restored, that is, the Dixie Flagler, the South Wind, the City of Miami, the New Royal Palm, the Kansas City Florida Special and the Southland. And each of them daily, not every third day as some were in the past.

I made my reservations this morning back and forth on each of them at the best possible bucket prices. I have booked myself in a bedroom suite, so I can have one bed down all the time and one up all the time. Nothing but the best for yours truly!!!

 

[reefgeek]

Lady Penelope is a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-4Q8 registration G-VFAB on which I had my first jumpseat ride on a few months ago. She was air born April 14, 1994, sports four GE CF6-80C2B1F engines producing 58,090 pounds of thrust each and carries a total of 386 people (48 Upper Class, 32 prenium Economy Class and 306 Economy Class). She is such a beautiful aircraft and is very elegant to fly on.

Lady Penelope was a character on the beloved English kids' show Thunderbirds. She was a classy rich English lady who moonlighted as a special agent for International Rescue, travelling the world with her able bodied butler Parker. Drove a futuristic six-wheeled Rolls Royce, I believe. International Rescue, where are you now that we need you? :giggle:

 

[NE933]

Because I haven't been able to get rich off being wacky and I'm kinda jealous? :giggle:

Hey, some of us are just wacky.... when else can you get psychotic visions that rival any 90 inch HDTV, and meds that put you to sleep with sheep for all the evil twins that reside in the mind? Don't have the mad scientists' outfit and lab equipment to go along with that insane laugh that makes your neighbors wonder if they should wait for the next elevator while going to work in the morning?? Just let the madness create it!!

btw I talke to trains and they talke back...

 

[trainviews]

My nick refers partly to the view from my balcony - it's on my profile picture if I can get this page to show it - here in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I can overlook the railway terrain leading into the Copenhagen Main Station. Close to a hundred commuter, intercity and international trains pass by hourly during rush hour.

The name also refers to the fact that I have a few views on trains and transportation, that might differ from the general consensus here. Although I love trains, and think they have a great potential, I am no romantic. I often find the "there once was a train, there should forever be a train"-crowd damaging to the debate, and no - the days when trains were the preferred mode of transcontinental travel will not come back.

So frankly, I tend to think that tying up the billions Amtrak get in subsidy in running what is essentially scenic tourist routes, instead of focusing them on congested and/or medium distance corridors where trains have natural advantages and can solve pressing transportation needs, is part of what is keeping America out of the train rennaissance. And it makes it all too easy for the train/subsidy haters...

 

[Shanghai]

Hello Trainviews,

It is good to have you on the forum. We have posters from England, Australia and now Denmark.

I have been to your beautiful city and enjoyed our visit. We took a train from Berlin to Malmo, Sweden,

the hovercraft from Malmo to Copenhagen (it was before the new bridge) and another train to Amsterdam.

It was a lovely trip. My wife has a cousin that lives near Copenhagen that she corresponds with via e-mail.

Her great grandfather was from Denmark and her great grandmother from Sweden.

I hope you will enjoy the forum and do feel free to post and to ask questions.

Amtrak's "scenic" routes are few and mostly in the West. From Boston to Washington DC, Amtrak has nearly 40%

of the travel market and certainly not considered scenic. There are also several heavy routes in California

and the Silver service and Auto Train provide service from New York to Miami.

Again, welcome.

 

[AlanB]

So frankly, I tend to think that tying up the billions Amtrak get in subsidy in running what is essentially scenic tourist routes, instead of focusing them on congested and/or medium distance corridors where trains have natural advantages and can solve pressing transportation needs, is part of what is keeping America out of the train rennaissance. And it makes it all too easy for the train/subsidy haters...

Only they aren't tying up billions running the long distance trains. At best maybe about 1/4th to 1/5th of the annual subsidy goes to the long distance trains.

 

[the_traveler]

So frankly, I tend to think that tying up the billions Amtrak get in subsidy in running what is essentially scenic tourist routes, instead of focusing them on congested and/or medium distance corridors where trains have natural advantages and can solve pressing transportation needs, is part of what is keeping America out of the train rennaissance. And it makes it all too easy for the train/subsidy haters...

Only they aren't tying up billions running the long distance trains. At best maybe about 1/4th to 1/5th of the annual subsidy goes to the long distance trains.

Are you sure about that amount Alan?

I would love to see 20% to 25% of the US budget go to Amtrak each year!

Maybe you meant 1/4 to 1/5 of 1% instead!

 

[AlanB]

So frankly, I tend to think that tying up the billions Amtrak get in subsidy in running what is essentially scenic tourist routes, instead of focusing them on congested and/or medium distance corridors where trains have natural advantages and can solve pressing transportation needs, is part of what is keeping America out of the train rennaissance. And it makes it all too easy for the train/subsidy haters...

Only they aren't tying up billions running the long distance trains. At best maybe about 1/4th to 1/5th of the annual subsidy goes to the long distance trains.

Are you sure about that amount Alan?

I would love to see 20% to 25% of the US budget go to Amtrak each year!

Maybe you meant 1/4 to 1/5 of 1% instead!

Who said anything about the US budget? :unsure:

Trainviews said he didn't like them tying up billions of the subsidy that Amtrak gets on LD's. Amtrak only got about $1.6 Billion last year IIRC, and of that amount probably $300M to $400M of that went into the LD's. That's about 1/4th to 1/5th of the money that Amtrak got.

 

[FlyingBoat]

Mine is FlyingBoat. I used to have a Flying Inflatable Boat, (FIB), which I could fly off of water up to several thousand feet and go land on a different lake, etc. This was an ultralight. I never soloed on it, though I took a few hours of instruction on similar equipment. I ended up selling it because I realized I don't have the mechanical aptitude and patience to set it up every time to make sure it was safe, etc. It was a very neat idea though. Extremely scenic flying. Guess I need to get my scenic adventures sitting on a train from now on!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

AmtrakBlue - because my favorite color is blue. :wub: