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Seaboard92

Seaboard92

Engineer
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
4,698
Location
South Carolina
I'm sure as most of you know I work in the excursion business and I've partnered myself with someone who wants to run some major excursions in the northeast. So which routes would you guys be interested in. The only requirement for the route is it must have a wye or a method to turn the engine.
 
Please don't take offense to this question, but what have you done so far in the excursion business? There are only a small number of operations that do this sort of work. It
 
Gotcha.. I was more curious than anything. Years ago I looked into doing a charter and I didn't get too far before realizing it was insanely complicated, and expensive. But it sure sounds fun! ha.

Are you looking at using all Amtrak equipment or a mix of private cars too?
 
For my personal trips I'm doing a mix of single level short haul amtrak coaches and PVs. And the other one I'm doing for my friend is a steam excursion with no amtrak cars
 
My charters are mainline football charters. I need to amend the placeholder day today as the schedules have been released his. I have no idea his plan. I think mainline. Don't know though
 
Binghamton NY-Scranton PA, layover at Steamtown, & return. There may not be a platform at Binghamton, however.

This is totally a suggestion driven by personal bias; I make no claim that this is actually a good market. People in Binghamton haven't had a train for so long most of them probably don't know what a train is.
 
It's not quite the NEC, but I'd be highly interested in either BBRR all the way through VA (e.g. the ex-C&O route) [1] or the ex-N&W through West Virginia. If you go to either Staples Mill or Newport News, turning should be a non-issue. The ex-C&O James River Line would also be of interest to me (and probably to a few folks I know) as well as the ex-Pennsylvania line from Cape Charles to Philly (definitely a wye at Cape Charles [2]), as would the Shenendoah line (Hagerstown to Roanoke, I believe [3][4])

Also of interest would be the ex-B&O Washington to New Jersey and/or the non-Metropolitan Branch B&O line. The ex-B&O would probably terminate in Hoboken, and I'd be honestly shocked if you couldn't turn a train around there somehow.

[1] They're not doing it this year, but one year when W&M plays UVA? Bit of a rivalry there, quite literally going back to the 19th century. Actually, scheduling "game trains" for the CAA schools wouldn't be hard if you can get the access...most of the schools are either along the NEC, the Virginia lines, or the Downeaster route. The only exceptions are Stony Brook (on Long Island; cue issues with some of the curves) and JMU (Harrisonburg, VA...no clue if that's even on a line.)

[2] https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cape+Charles,+VA+23310/@37.2655447,-76.0134293,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89ba5c609acedfa3:0x52caf608b4c59f27

[3] The line crosses the ex-B&O mainline/Capitol Limited route at Duffields, so in theory you could base this out of WAS...and in another year or so, ROA will have an Amtrak station as well.

[4] The other option here would be the NS/Crescent line out of WAS followed by the NS branch to Front Royal. In general, I'm trying to keep you on a single Class I for a given trip.
 
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PS -- Binghamton to Scranton is now owned by NS. It was CP until last year, and they were pretty unfriendly to charter by most accounts. NS is rumored to be more friendly and I'm sure they could use the cash...
 
You can always turn a train at the West End Wye just outside the Palisades Tunnel west end out of Hoboken. I am sure NJT, which owns the piece of railroad from Bound Brook to Hoboken (or at least Aldene to Hoboken) can arrange for it given enough financial enticement.
 
If the Trenton Cut-Off is still intact, I'd like a ride over it....also the CSX line from Philly to Baltimore, the Delmarva line, and any longtime freight only route, for that matter...
 
We haven't figured out that just yet. Still working on that. Part of me is interested in that line north from Worcester to Gardiner
 
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The segment from Barber to Gardiner would be new mileage for me, so I would be interested.... :)

I have been from Groton to Barber (and on to Ayer and Lowell Jct., enroute to Bangor on an Amtrak Inspection Train back in the eighties). :cool:
 
I'll see if I can get that millage for you. It's all new to me. When was the last time they ran to Gardner? My partner wants to run a Pan Am Southern trip from Boston. I don't have much hope in it getting approved though.
 
Seaboard92 said:
How do people feel about a Providence and Worcester circle trip?
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Going which way? Via Springfield, or via Boston. If you went via Springfield and New Haven, you would not have to turn the train. You could do a Providence-Gardner-East Deerfield-Springfield-New Haven-Providence circle as well. Three railroads: P&W, PAS, and Amtrak.
 
Palmetto said:
Seaboard92 said:
How do people feel about a Providence and Worcester circle trip?
Click to expand...
Going which way? Via Springfield, or via Boston. If you went via Springfield and New Haven, you would not have to turn the train. You could do a Providence-Gardner-East Deerfield-Springfield-New Haven-Providence circle as well. Three railroads: P&W, PAS, and Amtrak.
Click to expand...
That would be interesting....but how long do you suppose that trip would take?
 
I would imagine it would take just about the whole day. Slow running between Gardner and E. Deefield. South of there, the railroad has been fixed up going to Springfield.
 
Palmetto said:
I would imagine it would take just about the whole day. Slow running between Gardner and E. Deefield. South of there, the railroad has been fixed up going to Springfield.
Click to expand...
I actually brought up that routing. The P&W said that it would have to be an amtrak charter for that. If we keep it to P&W lines we don't have to mess with amtrak even on the trackage rights. But you are right it's a great route.
 
Perhaps the P&W meant work this out through Amtrak, and they'll let you run it. Pan Am Southern allowed a special on their tracks last fall. Made a big ballyhoo among the railfans, so there's a precedent with PAS.
 
We're working with amtrak on a run from Boston to at least the tunnel on Pan Am Southern. But you know how that is with amtrak charters. Never get back to tou
 

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