Trails & Rails Chicago Crew: The Final Ride

[rtabern]

Hi!

I am not sure if everyone on AU heard or not by now... but the Chicago-based Trails & Rails group that I was part of... that narrated on the Empire Builder... between Chicago and Winona/St. Paul, MN has been officially dis-banded. As it stands now, we will not be on #7 and #8 come Summer 2011.

I know there are mixed feelings about Trails & Rails... and yes, we had some guides that were quite annoying and didn't know their stuff... but it's something I really poured my heart and soul into for the past 4 years on the Empire Builder and I am sad to see it go. The Chicago-based group was formed in 1999 -- and between 1999 and 2004 went to St. Louis on the Texas Eagle... and then we moved over to the Empire Builder in 2005 to head to Minnesota.

Bascially, the national park unit that was sponsoring us... the Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in St. Paul... decided instead of having Chicago crews go up to Minnesota on #7, overnight, and then head eastbound the next day on #8... it would be cheaper and easier for them to scrap all of the Chicago volunteers... and have St. Paul-based volunteers go from MSP-CBS on #7... and then back CBS-MSP the same day.

While I guess it makes sense from a financial stand point, most of the volunteers feelings are VERY hurt -- we put together the script for the route and the fundementals of the program -- and now a new group of folks out of MSP are taking our materials and using it like it's their own. Just not a good way to do business!!!!!

"Trails & Rails" is trying to find the Chicago volunteers a new route... but at this point... it appears the only thing they are coming up with is a 62-mile short haul between Chicago and New Buffalo or Niles, Michigan on the Wolverine. Most of the volunteers who were on the Empire Builder, including myself, really have no interest in being part of a T&R program for 62 miles on a glorified commuter train... so it's sad to see the break-up of the group.

We had one last get-together in October 2010 to say goodbye to each other... and I put together a video of the route and of our T&R guys. Even though you probably dont know any of them -- unless you ran into us on #7 or #8 the past couple of years -- I thought I'd post it for you to enjoy anyway. (You Tube made me use generic music -- so it's not as good as the original video I showed at the dinner which had train-themed songs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y01AlC7li0

 

[GG-1]

"Trails & Rails" is trying to find the Chicago volunteers a new route... but at this point... it appears the only thing they are coming up with is a 62-mile short haul between Chicago and New Buffalo or Niles, Michigan on the Wolverine. Most of the volunteers who were on the Empire Builder, including myself, really have no interest in being part of a T&R program for 62 miles on a glorified commuter train... so it's sad to see the break-up of the group.

Aloha rtabern

Keep the group together with the short route while developing say something else out of CHi like the CONO, TE, CZ, OR SWC,

 

[rtabern]

"Trails & Rails" is trying to find the Chicago volunteers a new route... but at this point... it appears the only thing they are coming up with is a 62-mile short haul between Chicago and New Buffalo or Niles, Michigan on the Wolverine. Most of the volunteers who were on the Empire Builder, including myself, really have no interest in being part of a T&R program for 62 miles on a glorified commuter train... so it's sad to see the break-up of the group.

Aloha rtabern

Keep the group together with the short route while developing say something else out of CHi like the CONO, TE, CZ, OR SWC,

Yeah... we tried that already and it's not working. :wacko:

The head of Trails & Rails says he would "never" consider a route out of Chicago on the California Zephyr or the Southwest Chief because there are no national park units in the Midwest close enough to those routes. We tried suggesting Herbert Hoover NHS, Effigy Mounds NM, and Silos & Smokestacks NHA, but were shot down because of their distance from the route of #3/4 and #5/6.

The same problem for the City of New Orleans really... and it's dark out of Chicago.

The Texas Eagle would have been the best option -- but the Lincoln Home NHS in Springfield has shown no interest in starting a group... and the Jefferson NMEM out of St. Louis already has their own Saint Louis-based program going on the Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runners. When the group was on the Texas Eagle (1999-2004) in years past, they were sponsored by the I&M Canal NHA. However, the feds gave control over the canal area over to a private foundation and the state... and that is why the group went back to the Empire Builder.

We even tried to suggest to Amtrak to get a non-National Park group to try and sponsor us like the Illinois RR Museum, Illinois Dept of Tourism, Wisconsin Tourism, etc... (like they have in North Carolina or on the Zephyr out of Sacramento) and they don't seem too interested in that either.

*sighs*

It sucks because I really liked doing Trails & Rails... but feel it's a waste of time to do a 62 mile route from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan... especially since I'd be commuting in from Milwaukee to do the program more than the actual program would be going. Plus, the route isn't very scenic... most people going to Michigan probably just want to get to Detroit and dont care as much about some sand dunes out the window... and the windows are always so dirty and small on the Amfleet cafes.

 

[reaxpress]

it was fun while it lasted. maybe something will change in the future.

 

[Trains & History]

It is such a shame to see this go. I have been trying for 2 years now to find the group that did these because I was interested in joining. I do not see why anyone is opposed to doing a shorter route into Michigan. I would be very interested in any route and the chance to improve the rail-riding experience of people. There is not any Amtrak segment that I have been on that I would not have welcomed a guide on. I am not sure what all goes into sponsorship. I would think Amtrak would be willing to allow the guides on without charging them. Beyond that I do not see why one cannot pack a sack lunch or two and enjoy the ride. Drop me off so that I can catch a ride the other way back and I would be happy. No need for hotels etc...