National Train Day 2010 Plans

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Tampa Union Station will be hosting another National Train Day celebration this year, Saturday, May 8 from 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM.

Here is the announcement from one of the sponsore, the Florida rail passenger association, Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers:

Come on out and celebrate as historic Tampa Union Station comes alive on May 8!

Celebrating the 141st anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike of the transcontinental railroad between the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific.

Features this year include: Amtrak equipment on tour!

Exhibits! Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, National Association of Railroad Passengers, Friends of Tampa Union Station, Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society, Florida Railroad Museum, area historical agencies and museums, and others!

Operating Model Railroads!

Live music!

Special guests!

And much much more!

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

FREE ADMISSION
 
I just printed out my tickets for the 11:00am tour of the equipment display at the Chicago National Train Day!

Are there bonus points for travel on NTD this year?
 
I ordered my ticket for 3:30PM. that way i can hopefully check in to my hotel early and store my bags instead of using those $10 a hour lockers
 
Jackson said:
Tampa Union Station will be hosting another National Train Day celebration this year, Saturday, May 8 from 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM.
Here is the announcement from one of the sponsore, the Florida rail passenger association, Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers:

Come on out and celebrate as historic Tampa Union Station comes alive on May 8!

Celebrating the 141st anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike of the transcontinental railroad between the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific.

Features this year include: Amtrak equipment on tour!

Exhibits! Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, National Association of Railroad Passengers, Friends of Tampa Union Station, Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society, Florida Railroad Museum, area historical agencies and museums, and others!

Operating Model Railroads!

Live music!

Special guests!

And much much more!

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

FREE ADMISSION
Click to expand...
For only $18 round trip (after AAA discount), I think I'll be checking out the festivities in Tampa. Actually, I'll probably bring my folks too. They just signed up for AGR, and I don't get my referral points till they travel! Can't wait to see details more specific than " live music and special guests". I'm hoping it's not too hokey but I'm going with an open mind.
 
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
 
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amtrakwolverine said:
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
Click to expand...
Aloha

All the Nikon cameras are good, that lens is a standard. Lots of us like other lenses because we either can not get close, or far enough away from our subject to get a full frame shot.

A warning since you may use your flash a lot be sure the batteries are filly charged, and in good condition. There are settings on the camera that will allow low light use without flash if you know how, but one setting I don't recommend is slow shutter speeds because of blurring problems
 
amtrakwolverine said:
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
Click to expand...
I had a D60 until I dropped it (actually walking into Union Station) and replaced it with a D90. Lovely cameras the both of them. My usual carry is the 18-105, with a 35mm 1.8 or 55-200 (soon to be upgraded to a 70-300) as needed. The 55 is probably a pretty good length for this type of shooting.
 
amtrakwolverine said:
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
Click to expand...
Aloha

Another thought that might give you an idea why we use different lenses is to look at my photo galleries. on the right side of the large image is a information about the picture button (mouse to right edge). You will note some of the older pictures are from an Olympus camera, and the more recent ones with a Pentax. The lens focal length, Shutter speed, and Aperture information is also included. Hope you enjoy and share your results with us later.
 
Ryan said:
amtrakwolverine said:
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
Click to expand...
I had a D60 until I dropped it (actually walking into Union Station) and replaced it with a D90. Lovely cameras the both of them. My usual carry is the 18-105, with a 35mm 1.8 or 55-200 (soon to be upgraded to a 70-300) as needed. The 55 is probably a pretty good length for this type of shooting.
Click to expand...
The D60 can do no wrong :lol: you will have the tools to take great pictures with the d60. As i'm learning the hard way, its not the camera its how you use it.

Ryan, I ordered the 70-300 yesterday, gets here tomorrow! Hopefully its good :lol:
 
amtrakwolverine said:
what type of cameras do you guys use. Im thinking of bringing a Nikon D60 with a 55MM detachable lens(only one i have).
Click to expand...
I will be using my Nikon D40X with the Nikkor 55 - 200mm AF/VR lens.

For the quick HD videos I will have my little card case sized Nikon S70 in my pocket.
 
Since this thread has developed into a discussion of cameras, I'll add that I'm bringing both my Canon Rebel XST and my Flip Ultra HD (and of course my cell phone which is just silly if I think of it as a camera!).

But my big excitement is that I've booked a trip on the Capitol Corridor from Chico to SF on National Train Day weekend for my 8 year old granddaughter and me. I had considered doing a one-day quick turnaround trip on Saturday, but since it involves thruway busses that aren't weekend friendly, I decided on leaving on Friday and returning on Saturday.

Also, instead of paying the unthinkable amount of $3500. for a night at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in SF, I was able to find a rate of only $119. for Friday night. Sweet! So us gals will live it up a the "Top of the Mark" that night....Shirley Temples for her, Lemon Drops for me.

Amtrak, Cable Car, China Town, Top of the Mark, weekend with my best friend, PRICELESS! Life doesn't get any better than this, right?
 
I mentioned this in another thread, but I will be joining the Chicago festivities. I'll be arriving around 9:30am on the 332 Hiawatha. After my 11:30am equipment tour reservation (just printed my ticket) and some lunch, I'd like to take a CTA Blue line ride to ORD and back. Then, after some milling around the display booths and souvenir shopping, I will most likely will do another (unreserved) equipment tour toward the end of the day just to sit in a roomette and dream of my first sleeper trip on the TE later this year. Last year, the equipment display line didn't seem to be as long toward the end of the day. It's also a nice respite from the central hall of Union Station (sorry railfans, I forgot the official name of that room) where all the kids are blowing their toy train whistles.

Don't know if I'll leave at 3:15 on the 337 or at 5:08 on the 339 - depends on how my feet are doing at that point. I may bring my own portable seat this year so I can rest my feet when I need to (my wife found these great tri-legged stools at a garage sale a few years ago - I'll just need to be careful in Chicago as they have a Milwaukee Brewers logo on them :) ). There didn't seem to be many places to sit near the action last year.
 
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I'm planning on doing almost the same thing as I did last year -- riding the train from SF to Sacramento and going to the California State Railroad Museum in Old Town Sac. I'm thinking of riding the CZ on the 8th, then staying overnight, and coming back on a Capitols train on the 9th. I haven't seen any announcements specific to the Sacramento festivities... but I'm hoping the Railroad museum will be free like last year on NTD. They also handed out a 25% discount coupon at the museum on NTD last year, which came in handy!
 
Well Iv'e decided to take the Cascades to Portland from Seattle, see whats going down in Portland and then catch the northbound to Olympia and meet up with the rest of my less train inclined family as we head out to the lake for mothers day.
 
I'm planing to go to Union Station in L.A early to watching Santa Fe 3751 departure for San Bernardino and spend 2 hrs in the station and then take Metrolink to San Bernardino RR days.

Snuffy
 
singwith said:
I'm planing to go to Union Station in L.A early to watching Santa Fe 3751 departure for San Bernardino and spend 2 hrs in the station and then take Metrolink to San Bernardino RR days.

Snuffy
Click to expand...

I assume that you will do some new videos of 3751?
 
singwith said:
Eric Cooper said:
singwith said:
I'm planing to go to Union Station in L.A early to watching Santa Fe 3751 departure for San Bernardino and spend 2 hrs in the station and then take Metrolink to San Bernardino RR days.
Snuffy
Click to expand...
I assume that you will do some new videos of 3751?
Click to expand...
Yes!
Click to expand...
Aloha

What time will 3751 be there? My Daughter and Granddaughter are considering a visit to LAUS. The granddaughter(8) and I are planning to participate in a OTOL FEST in July via the Coast Starlight. It will be an excellent time for her to see what a sleeper looks like, this will be her first time in a sleeper trip.

Mahalo

Eric
 
The departure time is 9:05AM 5/8/10.

more info at

http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/view_to...amp;forum_id=51

GG-1 said:
singwith said:
Eric Cooper said:
singwith said:
I'm planing to go to Union Station in L.A early to watching Santa Fe 3751 departure for San Bernardino and spend 2 hrs in the station and then take Metrolink to San Bernardino RR days.
Snuffy
Click to expand...
I assume that you will do some new videos of 3751?
Click to expand...
Yes!
Click to expand...
Aloha

What time will 3751 be there? My Daughter and Granddaughter are considering a visit to LAUS. The granddaughter(8) and I are planning to participate in a OTOL FEST in July via the Coast Starlight. It will be an excellent time for her to see what a sleeper looks like, this will be her first time in a sleeper trip.

Mahalo

Eric
Click to expand...
 
anyone know how much the in room safe fee is at the days inn chicago. while it says i can have it taken off the bill if i don't use it what if the desk clerk refuses.
 
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