Slidell, LA & #20 advice, please

[Sam Damon]

Not a trip for me. Instead, I'm asking for help for a friend who has a son in Biloxi, MS. Since the Sunset doesn't run there these days -- and her son needs to get to the 'Burgh -- I thought of somehow getting to a station where #20 stops. He'd then overnight on the train to Washington, DC, and connect onto #29 to the 'Burgh. Sounds great, at least in theory.

A quick check of Greyhound suggests a possible bus connection to #20 in Slidell, LA from Biloxi, MS. Only problem appears to be the place the bus stops, is about two miles from the train station. Any locals in the neighborhood with some detailed info on whether a transfer is doable?

Thanks.

 

[George Harris]

Is it possible for someone to pick him up?

Hattiesburg might be better, but if I recall correctly, the one bus a day does not connect, plus the bus station is at I 59 and US 49, so is a long way from the RR station. Might even want to check into the possibility of a long distance taxi. Distance is about 70 miles, more or less. However, if you want a taxi in Hattiesburg, best call ahead and make a reservation. Not sure they meet the train, and even if they do, the driver may not want to make a long trip.

George

 

[Sam Damon]

Is it possible for someone to pick him up?
Hattiesburg might be better, but if I recall correctly, the one bus a day does not connect, plus the bus station is at I 59 and US 49, so is a long way from the RR station. Might even want to check into the possibility of a long distance taxi. Distance is about 70 miles, more or less. However, if you want a taxi in Hattiesburg, best call ahead and make a reservation. Not sure they meet the train, and even if they do, the driver may not want to make a long trip.

George,

He's a military type not wanting to wait on Space-A, if he can help it. I don't think there's any option besides the Silver Dog in this case if he decides on Amtrak. His mom is willing to pitch the Amtrak trip as an adventure -- to let him see a bit more of the nation he wouldn't see otherwise.

Other bright ideas are welcome, such as trying to send him out on #58 from somewhere to connect to #30 at Chicago. But I'm not sure where a good connection might be made.

 

[Guest]

If he's at Keesler AFB, perhaps you can find an onbase transportation alternative through the MWR ....Hattiesburg can be navigated by knowing 3 streets, 49, 59 and Hardy St (98) in the shape of an A with Hardy (98) being the crossbar, 49 & 59 meeting at the top of the A. Hardy (98) goes (East) into old Hattiesburg where the train station is located (Newman Street). By bigger city standards it is actually a very short distance (if you're not walking) from the intersection of 49/59 to Amtrak. There IS a local small bus transit system that stops at the train station. It doesn't appear to have a website so call the Hattiesburg Visitors Center at 866-4HATTIE (?) to see if they know how it works and where it runs. It probably has the word, HUB in it. If they don't yet know of it, call the train station locally and see if a station agent there knows the name of it. The University may know its name as a last resort. Another option is to check the Camp Shelby website and see if some of the numbers there give you a lead that you can use since soldiers like to get out and about when possible. Yellow Taxi's # is 601-544-5090 and the Veteran's Taxi (seems to be rated highly, BTW) is 601-544-4000.

-Guest

 

[George Harris]

Alternate 1: Bus to City of New Orleans: The Jackson to Mobile "Thruway Bus" connection listed in the Amtrak City of New Orleans folder is the scheduled bus that runs Jackson MS - Hattiesburg - Gulfport - Biloxi - Mobile. I have no idea whether Amtrak will sell a ticket on it with a Biloxi origin, but for sure Greyhound will. It is shown on the Greyhound web site as leaving Biloxi MS at 8:25 am, arriving Hattiesburg at 10:10am (so no connection with the Crescent) and arriving Jackson MS at 12:05 noon, which gives you a lot of time before the northbound CNO.

Alternate 2: Bus to Slidell, then Crescent: Greyhound shows a bus leaving Biloxi at 6:00am, arriving Slidell at 7:40am, which gives him 35 minutes to find the railroad station for the northobund Crescent. He needs to get a feel for how on time the bus usually is.

Southbound there is an hour between the schedules at Sllidell. In Southern railroad days, I would have tried it, but not sure what the chances of the southbound Crescent being within about 30 minutes of OT would be now.

George

 

[had8ley]

Southbound there is an hour between the schedules at Sllidell. In Southern railroad days, I would have tried it, but not sure what the chances of the southbound Crescent being within about 30 minutes of OT would be now.
George

George is correct as usual. We have met as many as 9 trains on #19 between Meridian and Slidell. A lot of congestion is due to the "Speedway" between Meridian and Dallas that was not so long ago a 10 mph dinosaur that the IC was glad to get rid of. Now the NS is investing millions in a joint venture to upgrade the territory which will only add to the already heavy freight traffic.

 

[Sam Damon]

Thanks for all the help, folks.

As it turns out, this trip would be one way for my friend's son -- he's doing the PCS thing, and doesn't need the SB trip. Should he make one of the trips we've wargamed, I'll let yunz know about it.

Once upon a time during my service with Uncle, a one-star general wrote me a personal note after I put in the suggestion box. I had written his suggestion people with the idea that the transportation office should have Amtrak information in it. He thought it was a grand idea.