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Has anyone heard of any other Amtrak organized activity except those taking place on Train Day, May 10th, itself? [I know big Al is to do something, but I have not seen it.] Early on, I heard that there was a 6 week ramp up period before May 10th. Is anything happening out there. For a ramp up period it appears to be pretty quite. Only thing appeared to be the April 3rd ticket special to buy and travel on May 10th.
What with airlines going down and gas prices going up this would be a good time for Amtrak's 'publicity staff' to 'pull out all the stops.' Oh, well!
Is anyone aware of any website, other than NARP and Amtrak that could coordinate assorted nation-wide publicity events and efforts. Maybe we need an independent customer service, publicity-focused website/agency/interest group to push passenger rail experience/interest/service/travel.
MightyAlweg Member # 5407
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I haven't heard a peep.
I am considering going to the event at LA Union Station. But first I will need a better understanding of the events taking place. I have absolutely no interest in "bands" or "VIP Appearances" that the Amtrak website vaguely mentions. I would have no desire to see a C List celebrity that might attend this thing as a "VIP", and the only other "VIP" would be a local politician from Los Angeles or Sacramento that I have even less desire to look at in person. Or worse, hear them blabber on about how much they support passenger rail and need my vote.
The rest of the events are summed up by "exhibits" and "trip planning", which is also extremely vague. What kind of exhibits? Exhibits of Amtrak specifically, or trains in general? What kind of trip planning that I can't already do extensively online from the comfort of my home?
I am considering a one-way trip on the Coast Starlight this August from Seattle back to LA, and might visit Train Day to help push me over the edge and make that reservation over a return flight. But thus far the information about what Train Day is exactly is not enough to get me to attend.
I am also planning on walking over to Phillipe's for a french dip, and then visit The Edison a cocktail lounge nearby that is made in an old power plant, before I take the train back to Orange County. But to do that, I'll first need to be convinced Train Day is something worth attending. I'm not yet convinced it is, and I'm waiting for more information.
notelvis Member # 3071
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The Carolina Assosiciation for Passenger Trains and presumably the NC Train Host Association will be present with their literature (and hoping to add to their ranks) at the event in Greensboro, NC. I've not heard what else is being cooked up but the two groups do have a couple of retired band masters among them! The retired band director at Duke University used to live for his annual trip to Chama, NM!
My wife and I have need to go Wake Forest, NC near Raleigh that weekend and I may have a chance to stop by in Greensboro and check things out.
Now if I had the means to just jet cross-country at the drop of a hat or the time to spend a week to ten days on the train in May, I'd consider spending May 10th where May 10th ought to be spent.......at Promontory Summit, UT.
MightyAlweg Member # 5407
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Now if the "bands" at Train Day are high school or college marching bands, that would actually be fun and festive. But I got the impression the "bands" mentioned on the Amtrak website were average cover bands who didn't have a gig at a local bar that night.
I don't need to listen to some tavern cover band sing their sloppy rendition of "City of New Orleans", thank you very much.
If it's a marching band that will be there, I'd enjoy listening to that for a few minutes. But the information on the official Amtrak Train Day website is extremely vague, so who knows?!
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