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Greetings Friends, Glad to finally be back on the board. I had an unexpected 21 day hospital stay and got home this afternoon. Now to try to read all the posts from 3 weeks :help:

It was time for our annual extended-family mid-winter excursion to Disney World. This year was one of our smaller traveling parties – my mom, brother, wife and me. In past years we’ve included children, grandchildren, and various aunts and uncles. For the fourth consecutive year we would be...

Greetings All, I'm working on newsletter article for church which begins with the story of Henry Flagler building railroads to transport folks to his Florida resorts. Somewhere along the line I want to reference current services on the Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and AutoTrain. Does anyone...

Greetings All!! And a very happy New Year. I've read several posts (primarily trip reports) where it has been mentioned that a train was delayed because it had to hook up with EMS folks due to a medical emergency on board. I am assuming that Amtrak OBS have some sort of first-aid training - at...

I've been reviewing some timetables planning a future trip. I noticed that on the CONO almost half the stations are listed as flag stops. Is there a reason that this route has so many compared to others?

The last few years, I've toyed with the thought of taking a leave of absence and trying to get a position with Amtrak in OBS. I just spent the last 3 hours listening to the in's and out's of our new health plan (although our leadership could have saved the effort by condensing our meeting into...

I belong to a loose-knit urban archeology club. Once or twice a year (3 at most) we'll band together to explore and old mill, warehouse, or factory that is no longer in use. We only make our explorations when the owner of the property agrees and provides a representative. We'd love to explore...

From a previous thread of mine on the Orlando station, pennyk shared that the facility is actually owned by CSX who rents it to Amtrak for $1 per year. Is this a common arrangement? Does Amtrak actually own stations, or do they merely lease space in a facility that some other entity owns? To...

Greetings All! My wife suggested that we take 4 or 5 days to get away to a town along an Amtrak route that the destination would not require a car. We can leave from either NYP or PHL but are looking for a location that we would not need a car to get around. Overnight on the train would be...

Greetings All! Me and various members of my extended family have done a Disney vacation for the last 15 years. Sometimes we do the AutoTrain and other times Silver service to Orlando. In the past, I've seen messages of upgrades to the Orlando station done by a group of volunteers. I haven't...

I've seen the term "loophole" trip used several times on the site, but can't say for sure what it is. Can you offer some insight? :blink:

Greetings All, I've been part of this forum for the last year and have learned much from the discussion links. But, more importantly, I've appreciated the responses to my posts and answers to my questions. Along the past twelve months I've learned that AlanB's dad was a collegue of mine...

In the last decade or so, I've had the privilege of leading several spiritual retreats to such places as Iona, Assisi, Greece, and the Holy Land. As the pilgrimage leader I've been charged with both the mundane details of itinerary and creating programs that are enriching and worth the...

Back when I left my last church I was presented with a rather generous gift certificate for Amtrak. I think it expires in March 2011 and I want to take advantage of it. One option is the Crescent from PHL to ATL, arriving in the morning, and doing a turnaround on the evening train. Any...

Greetings All, Headed from Philadelphia or Trenton to Chicago soon. In the past I've gone into NY to pick up the LSL; gone down to DC to pick up the CL and, in the old days, took the Three Rivers from Philadelphia. I'm considering the Cardinal (if I can get a Roomette). But often I've seen...

Greetings, Trying to finish up Sunday's sermon and want to reference the "Chattanooga Choo Choo." I assume it was a Norfolk Southern train, but can anyone tell me if it survived until Amtrak was formed? Dave

Greetings All, Any of us who have ridden the rails have come across on board staff who are 1)rude; 2)arrogant; 3)disinterested in their jobs; 4)unresponsive to your needs; 5) some of the above or; 6) all of the above. One of the things I like to do is see if I can turn a frowny faced staffer...

Greetings All! I'm hoping someone might enlighten me on a gnawing subject. Amtrak is often criticized for receiving government support for survival. But I have to suspect that most commercial airports are subsized by public funds. Am I correct on this? Dave

Today was the final worship service in the 184 year history of the congregation I have served the last 6 years. After an emotional service, the congregation was nice enough to present my wife and I with a generous gift certificate for AMTRAK! They know I love trains and the church council...

I'll be travelling on the 79 Carolinian on 1/11 from Trenton NJ to Durham NC, returning 1/15. As a day train the Carolinian both arrives and leaves Durham at very reasonable times, so I'm not worried about detraining in Durham in the wee small hours. I do have a couple of questions that you...