posted
My wife and I will be out of town mid-afternoon Thursday through Monday evening for a family obligation in the Orlando area.
Sadly, we are driving on this trip......11 hours each way. Amtrak's timekeeping over CSX routes is just too erratic to count on when our presence is expected at a specific time......and the accomodation charges on the Silver Service trains are frankly out-of-sight.
Maybe if I get lucky I'll have the chance Saturday morning to slip over to the Winter Park Amtrak station and at least watch a train!
sojourner Member # 3134
posted
Winter Park has a nice green--you may not need to slip away all on your own if your wife wants to shop, or at least window shop (I suspect the merchandise is tres cher). It also has a stained glass window museum and boat rides that are said to be nice; I have never been to any of that though (only seen the green from the train).
Ira Slotkin Member # 81
posted
David:
Your post gave me pause to recall roads trips as a kid when the pavement on old Highway 40 was in segments separated with tar and there was a rhythmic thump thump thump as we cruised along at a brisk 60mph in our 49 Plymouth from St Louis to Brooklyn. Rather like the steady clickety clack the rails used to have as well. I could always tell when we were slowing or speeding by the frequency. When did they started welding the rails, thus eliminating that sound for the most part?
I am going to St Louis in May for family and wish I could justify taking the train, but I'd have to go to La Junta (I live in Denver) for the SWC and then change in KC or go all the way to chicago on the Zephyr and then back down. Wish there was some more direct route straight across the country. Alas...
George Harris Member # 2077
posted
quote:Originally posted by Ira Slotkin: When did they started welding the rails, thus eliminating that sound for the most part?
Delaware and Hudson - 1940's or thereabouts Central of Georgia - about 1952 Southern - about 1954 most other southern roads late 50's rest of the country I do not know, except that Union Pacific was one of the last, either 1967 or 1969. So far as I know at least the last 20 years CWR has been standard for virtually everybody for all track installations except industrial sidings.
When started and when finished are two very different things. Southern announced a 40 year timeline in the late 50's for all main tracks to be in CWR. They beat it. Therefore, you will still have jointed rail out there in some main lines even on railroads that have had getting their tracks into CWR as policy for many years.
George
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Winter Park has a nice green--you may not need to slip away all on your own if your wife wants to shop, or at least window shop (I suspect the merchandise is tres cher). It also has a stained glass window museum and boat rides that are said to be nice; I have never been to any of that though (only seen the green from the train).
Actually downtown Winter Park is a very nice place to spend some time. The downtown shops are, as you suggest, a little trendy but there is also a nice shopping area a few blocks away with bookstores, theatres, and restaurants. My wife and I have ridden Amtrak in and out of Winter Park a couple of times now. The park there is a really grand place to spend a layover between trains as well.
I'll be swinging by the Amtrak station to pick up my ticket for next month's 'California Zephyr' jaunt while my wife attends a baby shower. Not sure if any passenger train will be due while I'm down at the station but since nothing hardly ever arrives on-time into Winter Park anyway there is always a chance! It ought to be fun seeing the ticket agent's expression when the reservation number I give her (or him) brings up a ticket from Illinois to California!
Smith27 Member # 2778
posted
You can still find plenty of jointed rail here especially on the NECR ex Central Vermont mainline in Mass. It can still be found also on the Guilford ex B&M main between Springfield and Deerfield Mass. the later being pretty poorly maintained. Fortunatley the NECR does an excellent job at keeping even the jointed rail in good shape. No wonder Amtrak still uses the CV routing for it's trains to this day!
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
To David ("Notelvis") Pressley - what time do you think you'll be at the Winter Park station this Saturday? I MAY go down there myself to meet you -- I only live about 15 minutes away. I need to see if there is an updated system timetable available since the one I got in November. Plus I should reserve my wife's and my train trip out west this summer.
--Rich K
P.S. I don't think the agent will be that surprised to see your Illinois-California reservation!
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: To David ("Notelvis") Pressley - what time do you think you'll be at the Winter Park station this Saturday? I MAY go down there myself to meet you -- I only live about 15 minutes away. I need to see if there is an updated system timetable available since the one I got in November. Plus I should reserve my wife's and my train trip out west this summer.
--Rich K
P.S. I don't think the agent will be that surprised to see your Illinois-California reservation!
Hi Rich,
Back from Florida and am just now reading your post. (I left from work on the 23rd and was unplugged for the duration). I wish I had seen it sooner as it would have been enjoyable (and interesting) to meet another forum regular in his 'native habitat'.
I was 'excused' from attending a baby shower which began at noon Saturday in Casselberry so I immediately called 'Julie' and learned that with both the north and southbound 'Silver Meteors' slightly delayed I could easily see both with one trip.
I arrived at the WPK station about 12:30pm and, as you predicted, the agent showed no surprise at issuing a ticket for the 'California Zephyr'. He even joked with me that my train would be in the station in 20 minutes!
Twenty minutes later the southbound arrived running about 30 minutes late. Consist (for those of us who are interested in such things)was one genesis locomotive, baggage car, crew dorm, two viewliner sleepers, diner, amcafe, and four amcoaches.
Within 15 minutes of 97 whistling off, northbound 98 arrived running about 25 minutes late. It's consist mirrored 97's with a noteable exception. The northbound train carried three viewliner sleepers at the front and a fourth viewliner sleeper deadheading empty at the rear of the train.
After 98's departure, I hung out for another 15 minutes enjoying the park, wearing shorts for the first time since October, and watching a CSX freight train. I left the station to find a Staples for an unrelated task at about 1:30pm.
Again Rich, I'm sorry that I narrowly missed the opportunity to meet up with you. As we have a number of relatives in the area, I'll contact you the next time were going to be in the area.
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
David - no problem, Mon!! As it turned out, I didn't even get to the station on Saturday, since my wife, her daughter, and I went shopping for new patio chairs on Saturday!! Let me know next time you're in town!!!
--Rich K
johnhedge Member # 4241
posted
Boy you guys bring back memories of my younger days. I was in Winter Park in 49-50 when it was just a wide spot in the road between Orlando and Sanford.
I worked for awhile at the old race track in Casselberry ,is it still there ,it was about 2 miles down a dirt road off Rte 40 and had been very active in the 20s and 30s
Herbert Casselberry delivered the mail in his left hand drive car. Which was the first one I had ever seen. He had special permission to drive it on the road as he was the mailman.
He was struggling with the local residents who wanted to rename the place Fern Park.
I also worked at Ben White race track while there, but those were my hobo days and are a whole new topic.
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
Hi John - to an old neighbor!! We actually live in Fern Park now -- it is an unincorporated area of Seminole County, nestled between Maitland (Orange County), Altamonte Springs, and Casselberry -- half of our mail comes delivered as "Casselberry," since our zip code (32730) apparently registers on all the on-line search engines as "Casselberry," not Fern Park (however, Fern Park does have its own small post office). We don't have our own police or fire departments -- we are in the jurisdiction of the Seminole County Sheriff.
The race track you are thinking of, I believe I have seen on old topographic maps and aerial photographs of the area. The race track is gone, but in recent years, there was a smaller *** racing track in the same area. That *** track actually closed a couple years ago, but there is another *** track down the road from the old one, on the other side of U.S. Highway 17-92.
I think Ben White also closed down a couple years ago, but there is a park or something there now.
Sorry this is off-topic, so to bring us back to AMTRAK, let me say that Fern Park is right on the CSX AMTRAK line that hosts the Silver Service trains, yet our closest AMTRAK station is Winter Park, 5-6 miles south.
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
translation: -- you know what "***" means -- a canine animal, aka a greyhound. Why does Train Web continue to censor that word!! Arrrghhh!!
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
Wow -
You guys are giving me a new appreciation for an area which I 'married into'.....ie: My wife grew up in Casselberry and her parents still live there. As for the phenomenal growth, my wife has difficulty finding familiar things from the 1980's. Great place to visit but too hectic for her to consider moving back.
posted