If you live in Pittsburgh, you might never think about taking a train. Yes, there still are Amtrak trains that serve Pittsburgh. Two departures and two arrivals daily:
Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia and New York
Capitol Limited to Chicago or Washington D.C.
Sounds pretty useful, right? Maybe not. The Pennsylvanian leaves once a day at 7:20am to get to Philadelphia by 3:25pm and NYC by 4:54pm. And that's if it's on time. The railroad from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg is not owned by Amtrak, so freight trains hundreds of cars long can slow down the route. And going to D.C.? Train leaves at 5:45am to get there at 1:30pm. Going the other way to Chicago means an 11:55pm departure to get there at 8:40am. According to Amtrak, last night's train departed at 1:03am. and arrived 25 minutes late, probably due to the same concerns over freight.
But even with its delays and longer travel times, there's something alluring about rail. Maybe its the history. Maybe it's the enormity. Maybe it's a link between old and new. Whatever it is, railfans make a hobby out of spotting, photographing, and collecting everything there is to know about trains.
Chris Guenzler takes it one step further. He has ridden every mile of Amtrak at least twice. Including historic trains and commuter rail, he has totaled over 1,000,000 miles. He rides one train by his home out and back nightly. He has kept track of every train he rides and keeps a box in his room of timetables and tickets from his travels. His website includes pictures and stories of every trip he's made. What cars were on the train, what he ate, what he listened to, everything.
The stories also tell of Chris's other obsession. A story from 1993 tells of Chris being thrown off of the train in New Orleans due to drunkenness. Experiences like that one led Chris to go sober in 1995 and use his train riding as a way to stay on the wagon.
It's really an amazing story for those who love alternative transportation, and his travelogues are concise but interesting journeys of America and beyond. His stories might even make you get up early to catch that 5:45am train to D.C.
Here's to the railfans! [raises a Coca-Cola in the air]
Showing posts with label train. Show all posts
Showing posts with label train. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
61Christmas
I took a 61C on December 25th. Thankfully Port Authority still has Holiday service.
The 61C McKeesport-Homestead bus is a very busy one, and a unique route in the system. It starts in McKeesport, a downtrodden industry town and home of the McKeesport Transportation Center. Ok, that makes it sound much more glamorous than it is. It's a Kiss-And-Ride, meaning that there are spaces for idling cars but not commuters.
It's also a modern look on how Port Authority has failed. It used to be a train station for the PATrain, commuter service between McKeesport and Pittsburgh. More info from a model rail fan here. Now it's a starting place for 15 or so bus lines. I believe there's a driver's lounge on the second floor, since I've seen drivers go up there between routes. The first floor is obviously a former waiting room and ticket office. Now it's just an empty box that the door sometimes keeps warm. That 2001 article describes a vending machine and fountain that are now gone. It also describes availability of schedules, which is also gone. They can't even use Port Authority owned land to tell people about their services. Oh well.
Anyway, it's the starting point for the 61C. And the start of my journey on Christmas Day. Many people would wonder who would ride a bus on Christmas Day. I was very interesting to see who would join me on that ride. I, like a few others that boarded, wanted to visit others on Christmas. But a few people got on wearing their work outfits. Security and hospital workers mostly. Some people don't get the day off.
So the bus journeyed on the near-empty roads. Into Duquesne, a city that lost it's high school due to low enrollment, low tax revenue, and low performance. Past Kennywood, an amusement park created at the end of a trolley line that this bus may have replaced. Into Homestead, home of a historic steel strike that is now the site of a large shopping complex. Then across the Homestead Grays Bridge to Greenfield and Squirrel Hill. The latter is a prominent Jewish community where a decent amount of storefronts were open like any other weekday. And then to Oakland, my destination and home to premiere universities and hospitals. A group of students who stayed for the break left the bus, and were glad to hear from the driver that the buses still run late tonight.
The route is a journey of Pittsburgh, past work and play, blight and revitalization, education and health, and diverse communities. Riding on a day like this makes you realize who needs good public transportation. Those getting to work on off-days. People visiting family and friends. Students away from home. Those who observe different holidays. Because for them, it's not just a way to a 9-5 job. It's how they get around like anyone with a car. And I'm grateful it's still around.
The 61C McKeesport-Homestead bus is a very busy one, and a unique route in the system. It starts in McKeesport, a downtrodden industry town and home of the McKeesport Transportation Center. Ok, that makes it sound much more glamorous than it is. It's a Kiss-And-Ride, meaning that there are spaces for idling cars but not commuters.
It's also a modern look on how Port Authority has failed. It used to be a train station for the PATrain, commuter service between McKeesport and Pittsburgh. More info from a model rail fan here. Now it's a starting place for 15 or so bus lines. I believe there's a driver's lounge on the second floor, since I've seen drivers go up there between routes. The first floor is obviously a former waiting room and ticket office. Now it's just an empty box that the door sometimes keeps warm. That 2001 article describes a vending machine and fountain that are now gone. It also describes availability of schedules, which is also gone. They can't even use Port Authority owned land to tell people about their services. Oh well.
Anyway, it's the starting point for the 61C. And the start of my journey on Christmas Day. Many people would wonder who would ride a bus on Christmas Day. I was very interesting to see who would join me on that ride. I, like a few others that boarded, wanted to visit others on Christmas. But a few people got on wearing their work outfits. Security and hospital workers mostly. Some people don't get the day off.
So the bus journeyed on the near-empty roads. Into Duquesne, a city that lost it's high school due to low enrollment, low tax revenue, and low performance. Past Kennywood, an amusement park created at the end of a trolley line that this bus may have replaced. Into Homestead, home of a historic steel strike that is now the site of a large shopping complex. Then across the Homestead Grays Bridge to Greenfield and Squirrel Hill. The latter is a prominent Jewish community where a decent amount of storefronts were open like any other weekday. And then to Oakland, my destination and home to premiere universities and hospitals. A group of students who stayed for the break left the bus, and were glad to hear from the driver that the buses still run late tonight.
The route is a journey of Pittsburgh, past work and play, blight and revitalization, education and health, and diverse communities. Riding on a day like this makes you realize who needs good public transportation. Those getting to work on off-days. People visiting family and friends. Students away from home. Those who observe different holidays. Because for them, it's not just a way to a 9-5 job. It's how they get around like anyone with a car. And I'm grateful it's still around.
Friday, November 30, 2007
At least 5 seriously hurt as trains collide in Chicago
At least 5 seriously hurt as trains collide - CNN.com
Breaking news now of an Amtrak Grand Rapids - Chicago train collision with the rear Norfolk Southern train. Reportedly 10 have been taken to a trauma unit while 100-150 are walking away. Amtrak has a 3pm update on their site.
Breaking news now of an Amtrak Grand Rapids - Chicago train collision with the rear Norfolk Southern train. Reportedly 10 have been taken to a trauma unit while 100-150 are walking away. Amtrak has a 3pm update on their site.
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