National Train Day/Amtrak Train Days -- GONE!

[andersone]

Having attended the Toldeo event, I can recommend it without reservation ! (I don't think any are needed) . Well organized, lots of stuff to do especially for kids, the only minor blemish is the lack of handicap parking. It was worth the four hour drive for me.

 

[dlagrua]

NTD took time and I can imagine it being expensive. Parking a bunch of otherwise-unused equipment still took crews, engines, fuel and space. Then, there was the clean up and bunch of other behind the scenes operations that volunteers didn't perform. Corralling and storing the private cars also added to the expense, even though they brought in the crowds.

Additionally, I agree that although it did generate goodwill and awareness, it had grown stale. The novelty has worn off. Without the private cars or something unique, how will you hold interest? How many times can you show the same people the same equipment they usually see? Even though it isn't feasible from an operational or financial standpoint, I love to ship the Acela to somewhere outside of the NEC. I'd like to drag a Talgo set to WAS, a Cascade to PHL, ship the 8400 to Texas, the 10004 to ABQ, the California Bilevels to MIA, the 10005 to HUN, the Sounders to ALB and the 9800 to RUD . Mix it up. Let the people see something they aren't used to seeing so they know what else is out there.

Absent that, I think the concept of a city hosting an event and Amtrak showing up has merit.

National Train Day was always a once a year event so I don't believe that it had grown stale. The large events from a few years back were very educational and had numerous activities for young and old. I had the opportunity to speak with people at these gatherings that had no idea that you could still go cross country by train. It did succeed as a public information forum but it looks like the penny pinching anti-Amtrak forces have won out.

 

[NorthShore]

What was the difference between Amtrak Train Days and the Amtrak Exhibit Train? It looks like the exhibit train is still planning to run, and St. Paul's Union Depot is anticipating having it in late April.

Well, last year at CUS, beyond the usual activities in the Great Hall (model railroads; display tables of museums, tour operators, clubs, and political activity supporting rail; book sellers; an exhibit from Amtrak and sign up for AGR; a kids' activity room in what is now that pay club/lounge....and a lot less entertainment than there used to be) basically the only equipment to tour was the Exhibit Train. I think that there were rides on Amtrak equipment out to the yard and back, as a demonstration and family oriented event. When it was National Train Day there was much more private varnish to tour and specially painted engines. It was an opportunity for the freight roads and private operators to promote themselves. To tour this equipment, you had to walk through an Amtrak consist, with employees onboard to greet you and talk about service. It was an effective promotional opportunity for the rail service.

 

[Alice]

I hope other participants have NTD even without Amtrak but I wonder who owns the website. I went to Los Angeles several times but I enjoyed smaller exhibits like San Luis Obispo's model train club and museum more.

 

[jis]

There will be a National Train Day event at Tampa Union Station this year.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Seems like they're just pissing away goodwill at this point. Or maybe they were threatened with smaller budgets or more political attacks . . .

Amtrak lost what, $30 million more than budgeted last FY, and Boardman warned that monthly losses continue to exceed the budgeted amounts. Something had to go.

And remember that last year Amtrak launched a TV advertising campaign, for the first time in decades it seemed. So what to choose, cut the ads? Or cut National Train Days? Oh heck, they probably cut both.

Good news is that when the price of gasoline goes up, as it will, and losses go down, maybe they can air the ads again. They can organize National Train Day once more, too, and after a few years' time out, nobody will say it's stale. Bring it back in 2018, or safer, 2019 due to production issues , they can display the new CAF cars, and borrow some Sprinter locomotives and bi-level cars to show as well.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Seems like they're just pissing away goodwill at this point. Or maybe they were threatened with smaller budgets or more political attacks . . .

Amtrak lost what, $30 million more than budgeted last FY, and Boardman warned that monthly losses continue to exceed the budgeted amounts. Something had to go.

And remember that last year Amtrak launched a TV advertising campaign, for the first time in decades it seemed. So what to choose, cut the ads? Or cut National Train Days? Oh heck, they probably cut both.

Among other things....I'm sure someone will start a thread...eventually. h34r:

 

[benale]

I attended the first National Train Day in Washington DC. Al Roker was the spokesman. I think it was a mistake last year to have different days for the observance. I don't know..one day a year to celebrate trains is still a good idea. Sorry to see it discontinued. Maybe just having Amtrak representatives,lots of brochures and small Amtrak trinkets would still work at various train stations around the country on one uniform day... It does bring awareness to Amtrak and if planned right,shouldn't be too expensive. To me,thats a lot of good will thrown out the window.

 

[neroden]

. I think it was a mistake last year to have different days for the observance. I don't know..one day a year to celebrate trains is still a good idea. Sorry to see it discontinued. Maybe just having Amtrak representatives,lots of brochures and small Amtrak trinkets would still work at various train stations around the country on one uniform day... It does bring awareness to Amtrak and if planned right,shouldn't be too expensive.

Agreed 100%. The whole "everyone do something on this particular day" thing seemed to bring volunteers and advocates of train service of all sorts out of the woodwork. I guess it solved a "coordination problem", as this type of problem is known economically. It's probably not really necessary for Amtrak to do much more than that...

 

[rtabern]

Here's one idea for Amtrak -- why not sell space at National Train Day events for train-related vendors? And then, use that money to cover any of their expenses related to National Train Day. Sorta like Train Fest in Milwaukee or the various other train shows around the country. In Chicago, 10,000+ people attended National Train Day --- I am sure vendors would have paid $100-150 per table to reach that many people.

Apparently, they are hell bent against that idea -- and I have never got why!!!

During the planning for National Train Day in Chicago in 2011... I was asked by a private car owner to sit on his equipment and greet people and sign copies of the book I had written -- which is a route guide from Chicago to St. Paul/Minneapolis for folks who take the Hiawatha and Empire Builder. Customers would pay $35 for the book in the former Milwaukee Road baggage car and then come up to the dome car where I was sitting and then could have me sign their book if they desired. I donated all of the profits to the private car operator's non-profit rail history organization.

We were doing really well with sales -- when about half-way through the day -- one of Amtrak's marketing managers was walking through the car and had a hissy fit that I was selling my books. The car owners was also selling a bunch of stuff in his concession car including t-shirts, hats, postcards, other books, etc. I directed this marketing manager to the owner of the cars who was aboard --- and heard quite a heated exchange going on about how he, I, and the group was trying to "compete" with Amtrak's sales at National Train Day.

For 2012 and beyond, I volunteered for Train Day events -- but was told that we could no longer sell anything. The car owner chose to no longer display his equipment at NTD events, either after that (I don't know if it had anything to do with being prohibited to sell things or not)

Even if Amtrak was not willing to change its policy on letting vendors sell railroad-related things at NTD events --- you would think --- with all of their staff volunteering --- that the sales from the Amtrak merchandise booth would have covered most of the costs for the event. Everytime I went to buy something at the merchandise area in the station or on the Exhibit Train -- it was very crowded. I am sure the money they were taking in had to come close to paying for NTD. What were the real expenses with employees volunteering?? How much could baloons or face tattoos and whatever other trinkets they were giving away really cost?

Again, it's a poor PR move by Amtrak, but that doesn't surprise me. My vibe was that most of the people attending were NOT railfans, but families looking for something fun and free to do on the weekends. I would say maybe 70% of the people attending didn't know much about train travel and had never rode Amtrak. National Train Day opened their eyes up to the possible cool destinations families could ride to on the weekend. I know when volunteering, I talked several families into using Amtrak to plan weekend trips down to Springfield, IL to see the Lincoln sites and go "car free".

Amtrak does not make the best PR moves at times. We had a big Trails & Rails event planned in La Plata, MO last spring billed as an Amtrak Train Days Event that thousands of people from around NE Missouri were planning to come and attend. Local police and fire departments were going to come out -- clowns -- the local high school bands -- local model RR clubs --- I mean the works. This was going to be the big event of the year down there in the small town of 1,500 people. The National Park Service and Amtrak were so freaked out over media showing up (it was a couple of weeks after the accident in PA), that they actually made us cancel the whole thing. It ended up being a huge disaster and a lot of people were pissed off because they showed up anyway, even with out best efforts to get the word out it was cancelled. When we re-scheduled the event (per the National Park Service and Amtrak's order) in late July, not even a dozen people showed.

Nothing would have been better for Amtrak and the NPS than to have some POSITIVE publicity in the wake of all the negative publicity they were getting around that time. Trust me -- PR and Communications were my major in college --- and I have worked in the communications and travel industries for more than 20 years now. So I know a little something about this. Instead, the geniuses at NPS and Amtrak decided to cancel all Amtrak Train Day Events in the months after the accident -- even if such events were clear across the country from where it happened -- including the major celebration we had in La Plata, MO -- and in turn-- really tick off even more people.

And now, they are cancelling a relatively cheap event to put on in totality -- and losing a great marketing opportunity to expose non-railfans and people who might not have considered using Amtrak before. Oh well.

 

[Seaboard92]

Just to play devils advocate. What's stopping some of the fine folks from AU from starting out with our own event. I'm a rail excursion planner and operational manager. I'm sure there are some PV owners on here. Why not start our own event.

If it's that cheep to start

 

[CCC1007]

Sure, if I can help, I would. Whee would be best for a group of a couple hundred active members to hold such an event?

 

[neroden]

Coordination problem! There is value to us all doing it on the same day.

Maybe NARP could make the announcement as to what day will be National Train Day and we could go from there!

 

[Thirdrail7]

Then, Amtrak can send the exhibit train to you!

 

[Seaboard92]

I think last year spreading it over several days was a gigantic mistake. I think they should have kept it to the single day in May. But that is my opinion. We would have missed the time for this year. But we could probably get something halfway decent if all of us used our strengths. But I'm not going in alone.

 

[jis]

Amtrak goes through cycles of positive and negative marketing. At present it is sitting in a deep trough of negative marketing apparently Maybe due to funding or lack thereof issue. Who knows?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Amtrak goes through cycles of positive and negative marketing. At present it is sitting in a deep trough of negative marketing apparently Maybe due to funding or lack thereof issue. Who knows?

 

[MikeM]

Having attended the Toldeo event, I can recommend it without reservation ! (I don't think any are needed) . Well organized, lots of stuff to do especially for kids, the only minor blemish is the lack of handicap parking. It was worth the four hour drive for

Having lived in the Toledo area for two years, I can definitely second that thought. Besides the Amtrak equipment, they had good participation from local motorcar groups, area railroads and short lines, as well as a large number of community groups such as park districts, local museums, tourist destinations, and train / model railroad groups. The event was sponsored by a local government group that had a year round committee planning the event and coordinating local volunteers. The group also actively was pushing for more train service, so there was some broad alignment with groups like NARP. A nice added bonus was that the event opened up the main depot lobby which in normal times wasn't open to the public - the Toledo station is really pretty amazing with a art glass map and other glass decorative features that were contributed by local businesses in the 50's eager to say farewell to the old station which was considered by most to be an eyesore.

Just a shame to see the event go away, I had hopes we'd see more events, maybe more behind the scenes things like the Chicago Union Station tours of last year...

 

[TylerP42]

Toledo will still be having a National Train Day, with amtrak already agreeing to come.

 

[neroden]

All right. What day is Toledo doing National Train Day? The rest of us might as well do it the same day.

 

[nshvlcat]

The Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum will be hosting National Train Day at Central Station on June 4, 2016 from 10 AM to 5 PM. Granada Railway will display E units and several of its cars painted in old Illinois Central colors.

Grenada Railway.pdf

 

[TylerP42]

All right. What day is Toledo doing National Train Day? The rest of us might as well do it the same day.

May 7.

 

[Railroad Bill]

All right. What day is Toledo doing National Train Day? The rest of us might as well do it the same day.

May 7.

And NS is sending its 911 locomotive to display as well as some W&LE locos from what I have heard lately.

 

[TylerP42]

All right. What day is Toledo doing National Train Day? The rest of us might as well do it the same day.

May 7.

And NS is sending its 911 locomotive to display as well as some W&LE locos from what I have heard lately.

Correct. Amtrak may bring single level equipment as well, and GLC is bringing something down.

 

[neutralist]

Just a shame to see the event go away, I had hopes we'd see more events, maybe more behind the scenes things like the Chicago Union Station tours of last year...

Missed that hard hat tour last year, it was booked full by the first day, only managed to get into the control center. Kind of sucks to see that go away.