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AUTUMN 2013 Subsidy for services triples Volume 40, Number 4 BY LARRY SOBCZAK Prior to the implementation into law in 2008, some rail ad- On Oct. 1 the costs of Am- of PRIIA’s section 209, Michi- vocates, including many MARP trak service to taxpay- gan was already covering the members, were worried that the ers jumped from approximately difference with a subsidy for the Michigan legislature might not $8 million to $25 million a year. Pere Marquette serving Grand be agreeable to increasing the Rapids to and the Blue The increase in cost was state’s subsidies. Michigan Association Water serving Port Huron to Chi- of Railroad Passengers due to section 209 of the Pas- cago but not the serv- “We have a legislature that is very open to rail in general,” said www.marp.org senger Rail Improvement and ing Pontiac to Chicago. Amtrak Investment Act of 2008 (PRIIA) covered all of the difference be- Tim Hoeffner who is Director of which stipulates that states must tween revenue and expenditures Rail at the Michigan Department WHAT’S cover more of the difference be- on the Wolverine route prior to of Transportation. “It is maybe tween revenue and expenditures one of the friendliest legislatures INSIDE… the current fi scal year which be- on routes under 750 miles long gan on Oct. 1. to rail in my time at MDOT.” serving their state. (See PRIIA, page 3) Parking problems When PRIIA was signed in Port Huron See Page 3

Past, present and future of Englewood See Page 4

South Of Lake study moves forward See Page 5

MARP celebrates forty years of service See Page 6 PAID

44870 WORKING ON THE RAILROAD. Norlfolk Southern track gangs replace rails and ties in West Dear- U.S. POSTAGE U.S. PRESORT STD. PRESORT born in an effort by the Michigan Department of Transportation to bring speeds on the tracks between PERMIT NO. 10 PERMIT NO. SANDUSKEY, OH SANDUSKEY, Dearborn and Kalamazoo from 79 mph to 110 mph. Read an account of the work being performed on page 8. (Photo by Steve Sobel) MDOT accelerates track work BY LARRY SOBCZAK benefi ts from more reliable track Wolverine #350 and Transportation offi cials are conditions and eliminates the #353 have seen the bulk of de- hoping to squeeze two con- need for similar track disruptions lays and schedule changes dur- struction years of work into one next year between Dearborn and ing the construction. Some trains season this fall along the Mich- Kalamazoo,” said Al Johnson, have been cancelled outright igan-owned rail line between MDOT Rail Operations Man- while others have terminated at Dearborn and Kalamazoo. ager. Jackson with buses transporting The goal of the construction passengers to their fi nal destina- Amtrak, the Michigan De- tions. partment of Transportation and blitz is to get passenger are speeds up to 110 M.P.H. by 2016 Amtrak and MDOT offi cials coordinating their efforts to re- and cut the travel time between warn that all Michigan trains habilitate a major portion of and Chicago by more can be affected by the construc- the railroad by Thanksgiving than two hours. tion and urge passenger to check by opening up long construc- When all 2013 phases of the with Amtrak at the Amtrak web- tion windows four days a week project are complete in Novem- site or automated phone service between freight and passenger ber, more than 30 miles of new when making fi nal preparations traffi c during the mornings and track and 130,000 new crossties to leave for the . afternoons. will be installed by crews work- Turn to page 8 to see and read MI 48318-0076 ca, Ɵ ing ten-hour days. more about the construction. MARP 180076 PO Box U “This work provides great Page 2 Th e Michigan Passenger Autumn 2013

Michigan Association of Railroad Th e Michigan Passenger Passengers, Inc. is published four times annually by the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc. OFFICERS Copyright © 2013 Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc.

Chair All articles not originated by MARP are copyrighted by their Robert Tischbein respective originators. All rights reserved. Articles used in 586-726-9737 accordance with the Fair Use Clause of the [email protected] Constitution. Vice Chair The Michigan Passenger welcomes submissions on passenger rail Larry Krieg 734-347-2179 issues for publication. Material sent for publication should be sent [email protected] to our Editor at: [email protected].

Secretary Clippings from newspapers and magazines must include the Hugh Gurney publication’s name and date. Photos sent in by e-mail should be in 517-545-2979 JPEG format. [email protected] We reserve the right to edit all submissions.To subscribe to this Treasurer publication, join MARP by fi lling out the application below. All David Randall MARP members receive a copy of this publication sent to their 248-924-4078 home or business. [email protected] Michigan Passenger Editor & MARP Webmaster: REGIONAL CHAIRS Larry Sobczak, [email protected] 586-781-6891 Jim Hinkins 313-881-6258 [email protected] Contributors: Clark Chenetski East/Central Michigan John DeLora Rosemary Horvath 989-506-9539 Hugh Gurney [email protected] Steve Sobel

West Michigan Vacant Contact MARP if you interested in this position. About MARP… [email protected] The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc. (MARP) Northern Michigan was established in 1973 as a consumer advocacy group to improve Don Monteith intercity rail and bus service, improve local transit and encourage (231) 675-1608 the preservation of historic railroad stations. [email protected] MARP is not affi liated with Amtrak, the railroads, governments or AT-LARGE EXECUTIVES any political party. MARP is incorporated as a Michigan non-profi t organization and is exempt from federal income tax under the IRS John D. Langdon 616-218-9009 code, 501( c )(3) as a charitable educational organization. Dues and [email protected] donations to MARP may be tax-deductible in accordance with the IRS code. Jim Wallington 517-303-6038 MARP is an all-volunteer organization. Its membership consists of [email protected] passengers and citizens who want a viable, balanced transportation Kay M. Chase system in Michigan. We can all use the help we can get! 269-388-3777 [email protected] http://www.marp.org [email protected] Kathleen Newell http://www.facebook.com/pages/michigan-association-of-railroad-passengers 310-740-0421 [email protected] http://twitter.com/michrailpass Autumn 2013 Th e Michigan Passenger Page 3 PRIIA If anything, PRIIA has seemed vice on the . For a $10 January to the Wolverine trains. to have the effect of improving fee, passengers can bring their bi- MDOT’s share of the cost of (Continued from amenities on Michigan trains. cycle onto the train and leave it on the service will be $1 million which page 1) In August, Amtrak announced a rack in the café car. Hoeffner said should be recouped it would be adding a “quiet car” to Advocates of bicycle service within a year through increased The state legislature included the Wolverine trains. such as the League of Michigan ticket revenues from increases in the increased subsidy when it ap- The quiet car gives passengers Bicyclists say that the service helps ridership. proved the 2013-2014 fi scal year bridge the gap between the train budgets last spring without po- a place to relax without being dis- “There defi nitely seems to be a turbed by other passengers using station and the passenger’s fi nal relation between the amenities and litical rancor which seemed to sur- destination or origination point. round comparatively smaller in- electronics, phones or talking. PRIIA. There seems to be an effort creases in the subsidy during prior In September, Amtrak an- MDOT is working with Am- by Amtrak to increase ridership on legislative sessions. nounced it is offering bicycle ser- trak to introduce Wi-Fi service this state-funded trains,” he said. Ridership gain squeezes parking in Port Huron BY JOHN DeLORA It’s no secret that ridership on the Michigan-supported Blue Water has been soaring. Rider- ship through the end of July is up 9.6 percent over the same period last year. The Blue Water ridership surge is causing parking prob- lems at the Port Huron Amtrak station. The 60 space parking lot has been overwhelmed, leading Port Huron offi cials to begin consid- CRAMMED IN. Some passengers boarding Amtrak’s Blue Water train in Port Huron end up parking on the lawn ering options, including: outside the station because all of the designated parking is full. (Photo by John DeLora.) • Expanding the existing A recent midweek survey of The VIA coach fare from $316.00 US. This roundabout lot (very diffi cult but probably the Port Huron lot showed cars London, ON to Vancouver is routing is offset by the much possible, depending on willing- parked everywhere possible, in- $587.00 CDN, while the Am- lower cost and the spectacular ness of nearby landowners to sell cluding in between the Amtrak trak coach fare from Port Huron scenery on the . at a reasonable price), station tracks and the busy CN to Vancouver (using the Empire Canadians can save $203.00 by • Establishing an off-site freight mainline close by. The Builder) is $384.00 US. If a pas- using the route lot with a shuttle bus connection survey revealed 113 cars at the senger is not time-sensitive, they and a whopping $271.00 by us- to the station (not likely to be station; the surprise was that can lower the cost even further ing the Southwest routing. popular with passengers), 92% of the cars bore Canadian by using the following routing: In the meantime, passengers license plates. Port Huron to Chicago, then might be better off having some- • or building a new station Chicago-Los Angeles on the with a much larger parking area. Why are our neighbors using one drop them off at the station, Amtrak so heavily? , then the Coast rather than taking a chance on What is the cause of this rid- Starlight to Seattle, then the bus absolutely no spaces being avail- ership surge? A check of Amtrak and VIA connection to Vancouver. Cost: fares provides an answer. able. Grant denied Th e Western Michigan Inter- city Passenger Rail Connectivity and Expansion Imitative learned in September that it was turned down for a $58.3 million federal grant. Th e Western Michigan group, led by the city of New Buff alo, ap- plied for the federal Transporta- tion and Investment Generating Economic Grant (TIGER) to build a 19 mile-long passing track be- tween Niles and Dowagiac and a connecting track between Am- trak-owned tracks and CSX tracks in New Buff alo which would allow Amtrak’s Pere Marquette to stop at the new station in the city. Th e total cost of the project was projected at $71.9 million with the state of Michigan covering the dif- ference between the federal grant. ALMOST DONE. A CN freight train passes underneath the walkway to passenger boarding platform at the new Troy Transit Center. Construction at the center continued last summer despite continued legal fi ghts over owner- New Buff alo Mayor Migs Mur- ship of the property. In May, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the developer of an adjacent shopping ray said that the city intends to re- center has title to the transporation center land. The city of Troy and Grand Sawka Properties have been fi ghting apply if the TIGER grant program over the transit center property since 1999. The city has appealed the latest ruling to the Mcihgan Supreme continues. Court. and has begun preparations for condemnation proceedings. (Photo by Steve Sobel.) Page 4 Th e Michigan Passenger Autumn 2013 Past, present and future Englewood is a major crossroads in the Midwest BY CLARK CHARNETSKI On the left, a vintage postcard In the 1934 Howard Hawks shows Englewood Union Sta- tion in the early 20th Century. fi lm comedy “Twentieth Cen- Downtown Chicago is visible in tury” once-great Broadway pro- the distance. The station is gone ducer Oscar Jaffe (John Bar- in the modern view of this same rymore) and his entourage of site and it would include the Dan business manager Oliver Webb Ryan Freeway going to the hori- (Walter Connolly) and publi- zon. (Postcard from Clark Char- cist Owen O’Malley (Rosecoe netski’s collection.) Below, the Karns) are aboard the world’s approaches to the new Engle- most famous train as it pulls out wood Flyover are fi nished and of Chicago’s LaSalle St. Sta- are awaiting the installation of tion, one step ahead of the Cook the bridge segment. (Photo by Steve Sobel.) County Sheriff. Six minutes later, as Webb and O’Malley are discussing their plight, the train begins to slow down and stop. The conductor calls out “EN- GLEWOOD.” At Englewood Jaffe’s one- time protégée and now famous Broadway and Hollywood ac- tress Lily Garland (Carole Lom- bard) is seen climbing aboard. She could become Jaffe’s salva- tion if he played his cards right. What is this station “Engle- wood” and why did many of America’s most noteworthy pas- senger trains stop at this little sta- tion just seven miles south of the ? And why does the $141 million “Englewood Flyover,” Salle Station or Grand Central diana limestone with front door tion were three enclosures built now under construction, promise Station in the Loop. Various access from 63rd Street. When on the elevated ground adjacent to add signifi cantly to the solu- NYC trains used both stations. it was built there was a street to the main part of the station. tion to the snarled Chicago rail The NYC-RI junction was at car line on 63rd Street. The fi rst There was one for each of the traffi c? 61st St. tower. fl oor contained mail and bag- three main railroads. These con- As you leave In the late 1800s many of the gage facilities and a stairway to tained additional heated waiting in Chicago on Amtrak heading railroad tracks on the South Side the second fl oor. Part of the sta- areas and had doorways lead- for Michigan, just after the train were raised to be above street tion was essentially built into a ing to each of their respective goes over the Dan Ryan Ex- level. The elevated rapid tran- hillside. Just to the west of the platforms. It was not unlike the pressway you will notice some sit line that gives the Loop its station was a driveway to a small gates at airports. Canopies shel- jostling as you cross over the name was extended south to 63rd parking area. From track level tered the three platforms, which former Rock Island tracks which Street. A branch from this line the station looked like it came were at top-of-rail height. Some now carry trains from La- was also built to Jackson Park, a out of a hole in the ground and Nickel Plate trains also used the Salle St Station to the southwest Chicago World’s Fair site. The 63rd Street looked like it was in NYC facilities and tracks at En- suburbs. That crossing is Engle- area around the intersection of a trench. The fi rst fl oor of the glewood. wood. You are on the tracks of 63rd and Halsted streets became station was surrounded by re- Why did famous trains like the former Pennsylvania Rail- a commercial center for a grow- taining walls. the Twentieth Century Limited, road line from Chicago to Fort ing working class neighborhood Most of what has been writ- the and the Wayne and the East Coast. It is that was renamed Englewood. ten about Englewood concen- all stop at En- now owned by Norfolk Southern Englewood junction lies at trates on the trains that used glewood? (NS.) 63rd Street between Halsted and it. The author could fi nd little Englewood provided a trans- For about another ten miles, State streets. A small station about the station itself. The fer point between Rock Island this NS line also follows the was built on a triangular shaped most extensive article was writ- trains from the west and the trains right of way of the former New piece of land surrounded by the ten by George W. Hilton for the of two major railways to the east. York Central. Those tracks were Rock Island, Pennsylvania and December 1980 issue of Trains In the movie “Twentieth Centu- removed when the New York Central railroads. It Magazine. “The One Best Place ry” the actress Lily Garland was Central and the Pennsylvania was located on the south side to Watch Trains” is an account traveling from Los Angeles to Railroad merged into the Penn of 63rd Street and was jointly of his train watching days in the . Even though a Central. At this point the line owned by the three railroads. 1940s. I recall stopping at En- traveler had planned to transfer now splits with the left tracks The Rock Island and Pennsyl- glewood on New York Central in the loop, if his inbound train going east to Porter, Toledo and vania lines cross at nearly right trains between Chicago and Ann were running behind schedule he New York. (At Porter Michigan angles to each other and are car- Arbor. I only visited the station could still make the connection trains head to Michigan.) ried over 63rd Street on bridges. after it had closed just shortly at Englewood. The Rock Island before it was demolished. Heading toward Chicago, The curved connecting track of had an extensive commuter ser- New York Central (NYC) pas- the New York Central forms the The portion of the second vice, so passengers living in sub- senger trains followed curved eastern boundary of the station. fl oor directly above the fi rst urbs served by the Rock Island connecting tracks onto the Rock The station was a two story contained the stairway and a would fi nd Englewood handy. Island tracks to get to either La- affair trimmed with Bedford, In- concourse/waiting room. At- tached to that second fl oor por- (See ENGLEWOOD, page 5) Autumn 2013 Th e Michigan Passenger Page 5 South Of The Lake planning moves forward BY HUGH GURNEY Consultants HNTB have nar- rowed the options to four possi- ble routes for improved passen- ger train service between Porter and Chicago Union Sta- tion, MDOT spokesman Mo- hammed Alghurabi and HNBT presenter Matt Webb reported at a briefi ng in Dearborn on Sept. 24. Each of these four routes meets the basic requirements of the year-long study -- two paral- lel tracks to be used exclusively by passenger trains that provide frequent and reliable service at speeds of up to 110 mph. Up to 56 trains a day will use these tracks as they operate between and such diverse points as Ka- lamazoo, Fort Wayne, Indianap- olis and beyond. Over the coming winter, HNTB consultants will apply even more stringent criteria as they weed out the weaker alter- natives and come up with a sin- gle, preferred alternative. A Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will then be drafted describing all aspects of the alternative including possi- ble drawbacks such as moveable bridges, impacts on the neighbor- hoods the project passes through and all impacts on the natural and built environment. In tandem, a Service De- Statement will follow. provide for true high speed oper- to review all the material dis- velopment Plan will be drafted In response to the frustration ations of up to 220 mph, but they cussed at the public briefi ng or covering such factors and likely expressed by some in the audi- are not precluded. call 877-351-351-0853. Com- ridership and sources of funding. ence as to the time it was taking The South of the Lake Study ments can be submitted on line Both the Tier 1 Environmen- to complete the study, Alghurabi is a joint effort of the Michigan, at the web site or mailed to: tal Impact Statement and the Ser- explained that it will be quicker Indiana and departments Bob Parsons vice Development Plan should to do the required analysis right of transportation in conjunction Public Involvement be completed by the end of 2014 rather than have it done quickly with the Federal Railway Ad- and Hearings Offi cer and submitted to the Federal and sloppily and sent back by the ministration. MDOT is the lead Michigan Department Railroad Administration. FRA. agency. of Transportation The FRA will then make Until the Tier 2 Environ- Those interested in studying P. O. Box 30050 a Record of Decision as to the mental Study is completed, the the four routes now under con- Lansing, MI 48909 preferred alternative. A detailed project is not eligible for federal sideration and making comments Comments must be submitted Tier 2 Environmental Impact funding. The project will not can go to www.greatlakesrail.org by October 28, 2013.

shortly after it started operations P1: “63rd and State Flyover” ter of a mile on each side of the ENGLEWOOD in 1971, and Rock Island Rockets will allow three Metra tracks to crossing, including over the Dan (Continued from stopped for their last time on Jan- pass over the four NS/Amtrak Ryan Expressway. After the uary 1, 1979. Commuter service tracks with allowances for a fu- tracks are placed onto the bridge, page 4) ended shortly before that. Engle- ture fi fth track. This project will the old RI tracks and the crossing Some famous people originat- wood became just a junction, al- also allow Metra to shift some of diamonds will be removed. The ing their trips in Chicago would beit a very busy one. On an av- its trains from Union Station to former NYC connecting track use Englewood because it was erage day, 78 Metra RI trains, 14 LaSalle Station, thus freeing up will be retained. a short climb up the stairs from Amtrak trains and 46 NS freight some slots at Union. Completion Two other CREATE projects their cab or limo to their train. trains use the junction. of this project is the end of 2014. will also have a major impact in The construction of the Dan To relieve and simplify Chi- At the present time, most of this part of Chicago: The 75th Ryan Expressway in the 1950s cago area railway lines, a pro- the bridgework has been com- Street Corridor Improvement through the heart of the South gram dubbed CREATE was envi- pleted, though the section direct- Project and the Grand Crossing Side and Englewood led to the sioned. One of its key elements ly over the NS/Amtrak tracks still Project. (See www.createpro- demise of Englewood Junction as is to separate the NS/Metra grade has to be installed. The structure gram.org.) a station. Amtrak service ended crossing at Englewood. Project is being built for about one quar- Page 6 Th e Michigan Passenger Autumn 2013 Meeting notes MARP celebrates 40 years of service BY HUGH GURNEY Almost sixty people gathered at Durand Union Station on Sept. 14 for MARP’s 40th Annual Meeting. Some were long time members who recalled early meetings around a kitchen table while others are very new to the organization. State Representative Ben Glardon from nearby Owosso applauded MARP’s work on behalf of railroad passengers and the preservation of historic stations. Melissa Horste from Senator Carl Levin’s offi ce like- wise saluted MARP’s achieve- ments and briefed the group on legislative issues. The Senate has approved $1.45 billion for Amtrak in Fiscal Year 2014 but the House of Representatives has come up with a lower fi gure so a compromise fi gure needs to be worked out. She expects a Con- tinuing Resolution to fund the agency until the end of the year. It is too early to say how much will be available for High Speed Rail and New Starts. Federal Railroad Admin- istrator Joe Szabo sent video greetings, noting that Michigan had experienced a 30% growth Top photo, the audience at Durand Union Station’s ballroom watches and listens to presentations in ridership since 2005. At the during MARP’s 40th Annual meeting in Durand on Sept. 14. Bottom left photo, MARP Executive Com- moment, all are working hard mittee member Jim Wallington presents Norma Ward with a $1,000 travel certifi cate from America by to make up for decades of poor Rail Chairman Larry Swartz for Ward’s years of service towards rail travel. Bottom right photo, Key- investment, with crews at work note speaker Kevin Keefe, publisher and vice president for Kalmbach Publishing shares his experi- right now to upgrade the tracks ences on the rails in Michigan. (Photos by Larry Sobczak) between Dearborn and Kalama- by Great Lakes Central Rail- tal Council and Transportation September, total ridership for the zoo for 110 mph speeds. A road under contract with MDOT. for Michigan for providing the 2013 Fiscal Year will be around completely renovated station in Windows have been replaced, all funds to enable one of the com- 890,000. Overall, revenue is Battle Creek is now open and new seats installed, and wheel- muter cars to be on display in holding up well, down slightly work is progressing well on new chair access provided. Over Hamburg on Saturday, Septem- on the Blue Water and Pere Mar- transportation centers in Troy 2,500 people walked through ber 21. For information, check quette, but up by $1 million on and Dearborn. several of these cars during the http://tiny.cc/FriendsOfWALLY. the Wolverine. While ridership U. S. Representative Dave recent Ypsilanti Heritage Days. Tim Hoeffner, Director of has been down slightly on the Camp of Midland sent a con- Benham is encouraged by MDOT’s Offi ce of Rail, wished Pere Marquette, possibly due gratulatory letter, commending the response of Watco, the new MARP a Happy 40th Anniver- to competition from Megabus, MARP for its efforts to promote owners of the Ann Arbor Rail- sary. Starting on October 1, the Hoeffner is not alarmed. passenger train safety and con- road, who are far more positive State of Michigan will be fi nan- Hoeffner reported on rail serve historic railway locations. about letting the commuter trains cially supporting all Amtrak op- projects throughout the state. Michael Benham of the Ann come into downtown Ann Arbor erations in Michigan including A major rebuild of the Wolver- Arbor Transportation Authority on the portion of the route that the Wolverine, Blue Water and ine route between Dearborn and briefed that group on the status they own. Pere Marquette. Despite this, Kalamazoo is underway at this of the proposed Howell to Ann A total of $19 million in Hoeffner does not anticipate time. The transportation centers Arbor commuter rail project, capital costs is needed to get any major changes in opera- in Birmingham/Troy and Dear- generally referred to as WALLY. WALLY up and running. Annual tions. MDOT’s investment in Wi born are coming along well. The Graphs from recent studies dem- operating costs are estimated at Fi will more than pay for itself new Grand Rapids station is tak- onstrate that property values in $7.2 million, about 2/3 of which within a year or two. Bicycles ing shape. CSX has agreed to a transit shed outperform a re- would be covered by passenger are now permitted on the Blue implement Positive Train Con- gion as a whole by 41.6%. In fares and the Michigan Compre- Water for an additional ten dol- trol on its route, saving MDOT 2010, MDOT upgraded tracks hensive Transportation Fund. lars. Quiet cars are now part of hundreds of thousands of dollars. and grade crossings on about 4/5 all Wolverine trains. Hoeffner is Planning for the East Lansing of the proposed route, so trains Ridership estimates are with- hopeful that Amtrak’s focus on station is moving forward and can now operate at 59 mph. A in the range of other new com- corridor trains outside the North- Ann Arbor has hired a consultant layover track was constructed at muter rail projects, while start up east Corridor will keep opera- for that project. MDOT is work- Osmer, just north of Ann Arbor. costs are lower than the average. tional costs down. ing with M-1 on plans for a new Twenty three ex-Metra coaches Benham thanked Tim Fischer If ridership in Michigan this have been completely rebuilt of the Michigan Environmen- September is comparable to last (See MEETING, page 7) Autumn 2013 Th e Michigan Passenger Page 7 Tour Chicago Union Station during MARP’s Nov. 2 meeting The Nov. 2 MARP meeting will be held in Chicago Union Sta- tion, 225 South Canal Street, where we will be treated to tours of behind-the-scenes locations within the station, including the fas- cinating Control Center which guides the movement of all trains within the adjoining yard. You will also have a chance to observe situations that have been addressed by the Chicago Union Station Passenger Action Taskforce (CUSPAT) headed by Larry Krieg. The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. following the arrivals of Wolverine train #351 at 10:47 a.m. and Pere Marquette train #371 at 10:38 a.m. Taking the Blue Water train is not recommended since it does not arrive in Chicago until almost noon. If you do not qualify for the usual 10% or 15% discounts (NARP, Senior, Military, AAA), you may request a Convention Fare Dis- count Code (10% discount) by sending an email to marprail@ yahoo.com . We’ll email the information you need to obtain this fare. For overnight lodging, one of our members has found a rea- DEARBORN UPDATE. Work continues on the new transit center on Michigan Avenue near Greenfi eld Village in Dearborn. The $28.2 sonable rate at the Embassy Suites Chicago, 1445 Lake Cook Rd, million transit center will be capable of handling intercity and com- Deerfi eld, IL 60015. The hotel offers complimentary drinks Friday muter passenger rail as well as intercity and commuter bus service. and Saturday evenings, a full breakfast in the morning, and a shuttle An opening date is yet to be announced but it will likely be in 2014. to the nearby Lake Cook Road Metra station. See www.marp.org The city of Dearborn received federal grants to build the center. The for instructions for fi nding and booking a room. top photo shows Amtrak’s Wolverine train #355 passing under the If you have questions or need more information, email us at partially completed walkway to the boarding platform. The bottom [email protected] . photo shows the transit center from Michigan Avenue. (Photos by Steve Sobel) MARP receives international congratulations Dear MARP: state ARPs such as MARP. to Ottawa to assist us – John to Speed rail, cuts to VIA services I am writing to congratu- Since the foundation of appear before our Senate Com- in southwest and a new late the Michigan Association Transport 2000 Canada, MARP mittee on Transport to testify on Indian Trails bus service to of Railroad Passengers at its and the National Association the need for a Canada Sault Ste Marie Michigan have meeting in Durand, Mich. on have been a constant source of Act with a model law based on been some subjects of our joint September 14, 2013 at the Du- inspiration and assistance to NRPC’s Found Act; and Jim efforts. rand Union Station, marking the their Canadian partners. Nation- to interview me for Passenger MARP has been kind association’s 40th anniversary. ally, Anthony Haswell, founder Train Journal, giving us an enough to give the undersigned international profi le and hence The Michigan Association of NARP gave early advice with an International Friendship on the founding of a national credibility. Our thanks for these Award. In fact, it is MARP itself of Railroad Passengers (MARP) and other helping gestures! had existed for three years when rail passenger association. The who should be recognized for the fi rst steps were taken to cre- NARP board gave a generous Since that time the two its international friendship for ate Transport 2000 Canada in grant to Transport 2000 Canada associations have worked to Transport 2000/Action Canada. 1976. Transport 2000 in Britain at a time when the latter was strengthen international land Many thanks to all at MARP and France agreed to Canadians faltering and in debt with sup- links between Michigan and and bon anniversaire! adopting the name and aims of port by Michigan MARP board Canada: The fate of the Interna- Harry Gow, the movement, and the struc- members and more. tional Limited, related Customs Founding and Past President, ture of the Canadian entity was Michigan Association of and Immigration (INS) prob- Transport Action Canada loosely inspired by the coopera- Railroad Passengers members lems, the prospects of a renewed (Formerly Transport 2000 tion of the National Association John DeLora and Jim Walling- rail tunnel Detroit-Windsor, the Canada) of Railroad Passengers with ton travelled at different times DRIC highway project, High

for broader public support, cit- old time railroad employees who nounced that the next MARP MEETING ing Westrain as an example. We still considered that they worked meetings would be at the Bangor (Continued from need to get more young people for the Michigan Central, not the station on October 12 and the involved in the debate over New York Central. He recalled Chicago Union Station on No- page 6) transportation. crack trains like the Wolverine, vember 2. On behalf of Ameri- After a delicious lunch, Chad and Twilight Limited. can By Rail, Wallington present- which would tie Cushman offered greetings to At MSU, he became familiar ed a $1,000 Travel Certifi cate to in with the M-1 streetcar proj- MARP on its 40th Anniversary with the Grand Trunk, the Maple Norma Ward for her successful ect. Work on the M-1 project on behalf on Indian Trails, which Leaf and other fi ne trains on that efforts to save the Durand Union will likely get underway in the is over 100 years old. Indian line. He commended Michigan Station and for her many years spring. Consultants on the South Trails is proud of its association for real progress in making 110 of service as a tour director for of the Lake project have come with MARP, with the Amtrak mph speeds a reality. America By Rail. up with a reasonable number of Thruway Services it provides Keefe then showed a series of The meeting concluded alternatives to review. Michael and with the Michigan Flyer, visuals of the Twilight Limited at with a series of visuals showing Benham of AAATA is working which is experiencing tremen- its peak in the 1950’s. This was some of the accomplishments on the Howell-Ann Arbor com- dous growth. an extra fare, all parlor car train of MARP over its forty years, muter project and Alex Bourgeau that ran between Detroit and Chi- including rehabilitation of the of SEMCOG is taking the lead Kevin Keefe, publisher and cago for many years. Chelsea Depot and hosing down on the Ann Arbor-Detroit com- vice president for Kalmbach the Detroit Michigan Central muter rail project. Publishing, spoke of growing up During the short business in Niles and his association with meeting, Jim Wallington an- Station as a Bicentennial Project. Hoeffner expressed the need Page 8 Th e Michigan Passenger Autumn 2013 Working on the railroad Weather, equipment and tight train schedules challenge crews replacing rails between Dearborn and Kalamazoo Michigan Passenger contributor Steve Sobel spent several days observing and photo- graphing the accelerated work schedule along Amtrak’s Wolverine Train line between Dearborn and Battle Creek. Transportation offi cials are attempting to squeeze upgrades that would normally take two years or longer under normal work schedules into one season. See page one for more details. Sobel returned with this report: BY STEVE SOBEL The second day of track improvements didn’t come easy for the crews out on the Michi- gan Amtrak line between Ann Arbor and Dear- born on Sept. 10. Mother Nature dished out one of the few days with temperatures over 90 degrees in this area this summer. A record of 94 was supposedly not broken, missing out by 1 degree if you go by Above, Norfollk National Weather Service reports. Sourthern rail crews use heavy machines But don’t tell these guys that. to install a new rail The water brigade was busier than normal along the Michigan this afternoon once the sun really got working. Line in Ann Arbor. Left, a clip and mag- Yet, this Norfolk Southern crew, one of several net machine clears out on the tracks, was working hard to replace the way for the new ties and rails in the work window between the rail. Below, the crew departure of Amtrak train 351 and 5 p.m.. rests at the Ann When I showed up the crew was near the Arbor station after a and they had already laid 1500 hot day in the sun. feet of rail while another rail crew four miles east was doing similar work. (Photos by Steve Sobel) One crewman was working a large circular magnet that picks up everything metallic such as tie plates, spikes, old clips, discarded spike buckets and of course other metallic stuff (such as pop cans that were here and there.) The work- man was unloading a car full of this stuff and depositing it in one pile for pickup later by a big- ger hauler. Another man was working a machine that follows the crew laying the new 136 pound rail while putting the old, worn-out 140 pound rail on one side to be picked up by crews later. This ma- chine was installing Amtrak “clips”, which are somewhat different than what Norfolk Southern used on their tracks. Unfortunately the machine didn’t accept the He also mentioned that they hope to work they were doing for some time. slightly different clips and work stopped while until the end of November. If all goes well, he The passing siding back near Wayne won’t several men attempted a fi x or to modify what said “we should fi nish in Jackson by that time”. be in use until the track gangs complete the tie the machine couldn’t handle. About an hour lat- When the cold weather sets in, he didn’t think replacement as they’re doing now. This gang I er, the machine once thought modifi ed, wasn’t. any track work would be ongoing then. was told has about 60 men doing the work, which This held up the crew doing the rail installation. As far as tie replacement, they’re only re- Johnny again said “the ties in that area were in The mismatching clips meant the crew could placing ties that weren’t replaced last year when very bad shape.” not fi nish replacing the intended additional 1500 those two work sessions were done to upgrade Basically they’re currently replacing one rail feet of rail before the 5 p.m. deadline. With this the speeds close to the normal speed, but many at a time and in a few days the other rail will in mind, the crew called it a day to prevent the ties needed replacement this time around as well. be replaced. Once this is done, the tie gangs will delay of scheduled trains. Their goal is to fi rst get the track up to 79 come in and replace the ties that have been ear- Just as well, it was too hot! With the crew mph although he said they could do 90 mph in marked for replacement. I was told that this is taking a rest at the Amtrak station’s shady side, I places where there are no curves, especially west the best way to do this, by replacing the worn got some photos of the crew. of Chelsea. rail with the new rail fi rst then when the tie gang I learned a lot through a short conversation I asked him about the “Rusty Rail siding in shows up with the big machine, ties are removed, with Johnny who was in charge of the crew. Chelsea”. He replied and was also confi rmed by replaced, the spikes now in place to hold the new He told me where the other crews were work- Don, the station agent in Ann Arbor, that this rail will be removed, replaced again and the other ing, such as a tie gang around Dearborn, working siding has been in use for a few weeks now, holes will be fi lled in with a glue like substance west. Another rail gang was about four miles east although track speeds on the siding are still to preserve the new ties. This process doesn’t of the Ann Arbor station and working west. 30mph. But it’s better than those back up moves disturb the clips being installed today.