LA Union Station 75th Anniversary and National Train Day

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FrensicPic said:
Amtrak's National Train Day in Los Angeles will be held on May 3 to correspond with the 75th Anniversary celebration of L.A. Union Station. National Train Day elsewhere will be on May 10.

Will be making a "double points" run on the Pacific Surfliner to attend.

https://www.facebook.com/events/292004647622171/

May 3rd is the day I am to arrive at Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief! If on time, I have some time between my arrival and my departure on a Pacific Surfliner.

Any ideas as to what to expect in the way of celebratory activities at Union Station?
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Dakota 400 said:
FrensicPic said:
Amtrak's National Train Day in Los Angeles will be held on May 3 to correspond with the 75th Anniversary celebration of L.A. Union Station. National Train Day elsewhere will be on May 10.

Will be making a "double points" run on the Pacific Surfliner to attend.

https://www.facebook.com/events/292004647622171/

May 3rd is the day I am to arrive at Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief! If on time, I have some time between my arrival and my departure on a Pacific Surfliner.

Any ideas as to what to expect in the way of celebratory activities at Union Station?
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Try the Facebook link I provided or, this link to Amtrak's NTD site for Los Angeles.

http://www.nationaltrainday.com/s/#!/events/los-angeles-ca-union-station-lax_505

or, LA Metro's website for the 75th

http://www.metro.net/about/union-station-75th-anniversary/
 
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I went to this today in LA. I was mainly interested in the kids area and showing my younger child and wife the superliner cars. Both of those exhibits had super long lines. The place was packed as can be. While it was a great turnout, I can't see going again to basically wander around Union Station for a couple of hours. We have all been to Union Station at least a couple of times so it was nice to see it all dolled up but not like we had never seen it before. The only thing that had no line was the Amtrak Bus. We got on that for a couple of minutes to sit down in the cool air conditioned bus. Funny because the driver said the the CEO of Amtrak had just been there and she didn't recognize him. After a couple minutes of sitting and enjoying the a/c, we got up to get off. My 8 year old daughter was disappointed as she thought we were going for a bus ride. There was even a crowd around the model train exhibit. Had some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's too. The lines were a bit shorter after we ate lunch and returned but still they were way too long to consider standing in them. I enjoy trains but I am not going to wait 2 hours to see one. Maybe NTD is normally less crowded. It probably didn't help that this was the 75th anniversary of Union Station. Could have been very enjoyable but wasn't really at all.

We ate at Philippe's which was pretty crowded but the wait was under 40 minutes. Loved the cole slaw. Sandwich was good too. Actually, that 75 cent lemonade was pretty darn good too.

Not a totally wasted day but I doubt I will drive 2 hours to do that again.

Dan
 
I was going to go today and even made reservations on the surfliner. Well, got back from SD yesterday night, got in bed and when I woke up today, it was already noon. Judging by what Dan O wrote, looks like it was good that I slept in. I don't think I need anymore convincing about the necessity and merit of taking the train. I already take the surfliner twice a week and made Select last month.
 
NTD isn't about preaching to the choir, it's about the great unwashed masses who have only the vaguest conception that passenger trains still run (I'm sure you've heard the knock that Amtrak is "America's Best-Kept Secret"). For those unknowing people who may have turned out on a whim or a whiff of curiosity, a packed station is the best thing possible. Why? It's crowd psychology, in the sense of "Hey, this train thing is bigger than I thought. What does everyone else know that I don't?" And that can be the beginning of a new journey [pun intended].

As a bonus, if they learn about Metro Rail at the same time, all the better.
 
sportbiker said:
For those unknowing people who may have turned out on a whim or a whiff of curiosity, a packed station is the best thing possible.
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I wish I had known that ahead of time. As my wife said today, "It looks like a lot of people like the idea of trains until it comes time to ride them."
 
Dan O said:
I went to this today in LA. I was mainly interested in the kids area and showing my younger child and wife the superliner cars. Both of those exhibits had super long lines. The place was packed as can be. While it was a great turnout, I can't see going again to basically wander around Union Station for a couple of hours. We have all been to Union Station at least a couple of times so it was nice to see it all dolled up but not like we had never seen it before. The only thing that had no line was the Amtrak Bus. We got on that for a couple of minutes to sit down in the cool air conditioned bus. Funny because the driver said the the CEO of Amtrak had just been there and she didn't recognize him. After a couple minutes of sitting and enjoying the a/c, we got up to get off. My 8 year old daughter was disappointed as she thought we were going for a bus ride. There was even a crowd around the model train exhibit. Had some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's too. The lines were a bit shorter after we ate lunch and returned but still they were way too long to consider standing in them. I enjoy trains but I am not going to wait 2 hours to see one. Maybe NTD is normally less crowded. It probably didn't help that this was the 75th anniversary of Union Station. Could have been very enjoyable but wasn't really at all.

We ate at Philippe's which was pretty crowded but the wait was under 40 minutes. Loved the cole slaw. Sandwich was good too. Actually, that 75 cent lemonade was pretty darn good too.

Not a totally wasted day but I doubt I will drive 2 hours to do that again.

Dan
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Dan, I only went to a couple of Train Days at LAUS, the first was fun but the second was a mob scene. I did win a raffle at the bus for a trip for 2 to Yosemite including lodging and food, so that was pretty good. I highly recommend SLO for train day, especially if your kid likes model train layouts. The $3 speeder rides are a blast, too. http://slorrm.com/
 
Great turn out...bigger than previous NTD's I think the big draw for Angelinos was the 75th Anniversary Celebration as much or more than NTD. I noticed more promotion by LA County Metro and Southern California's Metrolink than from Amtrak. Perhaps they (Amtrak) were riding one the coat tails of the others.

I've been to every NTD in Los Angeles and will continue to do so. After arrival, I start the day with brunch at Olvera Street then come back for a day of train stuff!
 
Alice said:
Dan O said:
I
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Dan, I only went to a couple of Train Days at LAUS, the first was fun but the second was a mob scene. I did win a raffle at the bus for a trip for 2 to Yosemite including lodging and food, so that was pretty good. I highly recommend SLO for train day, especially if your kid likes model train layouts. The $3 speeder rides are a blast, too. http://slorrm.com/
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Mob scene would be a good description of yesterday. It's a lovely station so if we had never been there it would have been a treat to see it for the first time. But we have all been there at least a few times. Thanks for the tip re SLO but I am on the far side of LA, about 90 mins from downtown LA and San Diego. My kids have seen the model RR museum in Balboa Park a few times and really enjoyed it. Don't have to fight a mob there either.

Someday I may learn, and more importantly remember, that events that are cool and free are frequently not that enjoyable just because of the excessive crowds. When Metrolink first started running their line to Riverside they offered free rides one day. We went and the train was so packed we decided not to go to LA. I would rather pay the regular fare for a more enjoyable ride than be a sardine. I was hoping my wife and youngest child would get to tour a superliner sleeper and perhaps some other superliner cars yesterday as they haven't been on anything more than Metrolink. Maybe the next long distance trip I book I will leave from LA so they may have a chance of seeing how big a roomette is.
 
the_traveler said:
Dan O said:
My kids have seen the model RR museum in Balboa Park a few times and really enjoyed it. Don't have to fight a mob there either.
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That is some impressive layout. Almost a "must see" for a model raIroader or any railfan. :)
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Or just about anyone else. I don't consider myself either a model railroader (do have a couple Lionel trains 0 gauge) or much of a railfan. I must say I really enjoyed the layout at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago too.

Dan
 
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