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Hi everyone! I'm back from my travels and wanted to report briefly on my trip to sunny (but not too warm) Fla. The Silver Meteor down was totally fine, on time, with food particularly good on this trip. The Silver Meteor back was not quite as good and a few hours late but still OK. Highlight of trip: Winter Park stopover, very nice town with lovely park, good restaurants, nice lake, fine Morse Museum (did not have time to see other museums; will have to go back!) all right by the train station. As for the Greyhound bus to Tallahassee--well, Orlando's Greyhound station wasn't too bad, & the bus itself was mercifully not as crowded as the one I took between Nashville & Atlanta . . . but the ride sure was LONG. Mostly highways at first, but from Ocala to Gainesville we took more secondary roads that were a little more interesting. Tallahassee itself had some very nice streets downtown and a couple of good restaurants there (though I also had very mediocre BBQ up by FSU) but overall it was a tad boring. Traveling there, I was esp interested to see that the Greyhound stop in Ocala is an Amtrak station--what's with that? Sunset Ltd never stopped there, did it? I guess this is now a bus stop for the Amtrak bus from Orlando to Gainesville via Ocala (there apparently is one that meets some trains) stops here (although there is no such bus to Tallahassee), but was there a train here before? There were tracks. . . .
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sojourner -- Ocala was indeed formerly served by AMTRAK, until just a few years ago, when all AMTRAK service on that line (I can't remember if that is tha "A" line or "S" line or whatever --Ocala Mike and others around here would know) -- so there is now no longer train service to Ocala, Wildwood, or Waldo, as all the AMTRAK trains to Florida now take the line further east, and go through Orlando & Winter Park. And no, the Sunset never stopped at Ocala.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Oh, do you mean the Silver Star went through there? I didn't realize it had a different route.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Ocala is on the Seaboard (CSX-S-Line) and at one time was the route of the Silver Meteor and Silver Star, as well as the namesake of our member from Camden SC - Mr. Palmland.
Ocala is also served by the Atlantic Coast Line (CSX A-Line). This was the Jax-StPete route (not via Tampa) of the West Coast Champion and City of Miami. The West Coast was gone before A-Day, but the City soldiered on to "The End".
Facing Union Station looking Northward, the line traversing E-W was the Seaboard with Amtrak service until 2004; the N-S (now stalls for the busses) was the ACL where it was, again, "tilt; game over" on A-Day.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Very nicely summarized, Gil. Meanwhile, Ocala and other former stations along the "S" line might not be the only towns in Florida to lose Amtrak passenger service, according to this article:
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I'm sorry, but, as often happens, I don't understand your post, Mr Norman. What Amtrak trains went through Ocala, and when?
I also don't understand from the article what stations are in jeopardy, Mike. How can Amtrak run to south Florida without stopping in central Florida? Do you still live in Ocala, Mike? How do you get to the train now--drive to Orlando, or another city?
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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sojourner: I live around 15 miles NW of Ocala proper; I consider my "home" Amtrak stations to be Deland if I'm going to Miami, and Palatka if I'm going to NY.
Up until a few years ago, Ocala was served (along with Waldo which served Gainesville to the north and Wildwood which served The Villages to the south) by the Silver Star. Our rail station is now a bus depot used by Greyhound and the Amtrak connecting service.
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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The last passenger train to serve Ocala was the Silver Palm which was essentially the current Palmetto which, until about 2005 or so, used to continue to Jacksonville, then to Tampa via Ocala, and on to Miami.
The Silver Star picked up it's Tampa 'turnaround' when the Silver Palm was truncated south of Savannah and had it's name changed back to it's original Palmetto. This kept Tampa 'on the route map' with a train. Ocala and Wildwood were not so fortunate.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I'm certain that the Amtrak "threat" as reported by the Miami Herald and located by Ocala Mike, is a bluff. What I believe Amtrak is seeking is the same indemnity that CSX has apparently won as a condition to selling the line to the State, but will continue to operate freight traffic as needed to serve the on-line industries.
As I understand, CSX will be indemnified for ANYTHING happening on the line, beyond the $200K "floor" noted, even if a Sun Rail train is not involved. Apparently, the provisions call for as example, if a CSX freight train derails resulting in injuries, persons or property, the passenger agency is liable - that even means cleaning up CSX's mess.
Amtrak, on the other hand, in its contractual relationship with CSX, has "self-indemnification' or as known in the language of the street, "no-fault'. In this case, an Amtrak train derails, Amtrak cleans up the mess and settles claims with its passengers and employees. CSX patches up any damage to their track and lineside structures and injuries to its employees (what if a CSX official was on the engine; lest we forget they also have jurisdiction over Amtrak crews on their lines).
What would appear the case is that Amtrak also wants to ride the "gravy train' and have this State rail agency indemnify them as well. "Hey, if the other guy's gonna get it, why not us?".
Finally, I guess I owe Ms. Sojourner an apology for hi-jacking her topic; maybe Ocala Mike will join in. But as likely obvious, I do hold greater interest in the business and public policy environment of the railroad industry than I do of merely riding trains.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Seaboard also ran a local train, the Sunland via Ocala. In SAL and early SCL days, many Miami bound trains split south of Ocala at Wildwood with a few cars heading over to Tampa, St. Pete and Venice. That route was real nice and I hated to see Amtrak drop it. It used to be possible to ride the Meteor from Miami to Ocala then a Greyhound to Tallahassee (their station used to be a couple blocks away). The Sunset Limited eventually made that not necessary until Amtrak illegally axed the segment east of New Orleans. Sorry I missed Soujourner here in TLH...hadn't checked messages lately.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by SilverStar092: The Sunset Limited eventually made that not necessary until Amtrak illegally axed the segment east of New Orleans. .
Mr. Silver Star, as I have noted here in the past, I have to agree with you on this point. Amtrak's "suspension' of Sunset East owing to Katrina damage is weak at best (the line has long been returned to service by CSX), and they are at risk of having some party force restoration of the service - at least long enough to give the 180 Day Notice under ARAA '97.
But before the cheerleading starts, let us be mindful that Amtrak has never been denied authority to discontinue a service. Therefore a return of Sunset East would likely be for a period of 181 days (the one day extra to file the Notice)...period. Possibly the advocates recognize such as the outcome and have decided not to aggressively pursue the matter.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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