Chicago Gathering

[CHamilton]

"Sears Tower"? :giggle:

No comment!

Well, looking down from that ledge, you can view a lot, so maybe it's "Seer's Tower." Or, given that Sarah has already posted the Eye, maybe she's thinking of Barad-dur.

 

[caravanman]

Very nice report on the AU gathering. For myself, being a person who is not too interested in the technical side of trains, it was excellent to read about your emotions on the journey. You write very well, and the black and white pics look cool too.

Ed

 

[SarahZ]

Thanks, Ed! I don't know anything about trains, other than how to ride Amtrak, so it was definitely a fun trip. I learned a lot from Alan, Jis, Ryan, and some of the other "regulars".

 

[pennyk]

Excellent report Sarah. I liked you in person as much as I "liked" you on line. You are a treasure.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Excellent report Sarah. I liked you in person as much as I "liked" you on line. You are a treasure.

Agree.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: The Pleasure was ours Sarah!

 

[SarahZ]

:wub:

 

[Notelvis]

Your report reminds me of an old story -

Back in the mid-1990's the National Association of Railroad Passengers held their annual 'Region 5' meeting in Fayetteville, NC where I was living at the time. I volunteered to help producing name tags and working the registration table for the event which was held in the Prince Charles Hotel, a recently renovated classic railroad hotel located across the parking lot from the Amtrak Station.

The Saturday evening meetings were being held in the 8th floor ballroom complete with an outdoor balcony overlooking the former ACL line through downtown. The meetings went on, presenters presented, questions were asked, questions were answered....... and then about 9:40pm we heard a train blowing for a crossing a few blocks north of the hotel.

The local organizer of the meeting stood and said "That would be the southbound Auto-Train." Everyone in the room stood up, walked out to the balcony, and watched the Auto-Train pass. Once the last auto carrier was out of sight headed towards Florida, the attendees returned to their seats without a word and the speaker picked up again as if nothing had happened.

Absolutely surreal.

 

[jis]

We did something similar at a recent ESPA meeting in Utica NY at the Station Restaurant. Indeed, the arrival of the eastbound Lake Shore Limited was penciled into the agenda, and a break was scheduled around it so everyone could go out and take pictures. Once it departed the folks got back to business

 

[SarahZ]

Trains still hold an air of romance and mystery. They've been around for so long and are mentioned in so many historic novels that it's hard not to get caught up in it.