THE I:SJ , issue #J FALL 1974 the official newsletter of OARP tom pulsifer, editor OHIO A$0CINION OF R41LROlD e4$ENGERS Post Office Box 653 ·Xenia, Ohio 45385 OARP HAILS ANNOUNCEMENT OF TWO NEW AMTRAK ROUTES SERVING THE BUCKEYE STATEI A victory for railroad passengers? An opportunity for innovative service? A positive step in the right direction? An answer to mass-transportation questions? o o o o o • ~UT BE ASSURED, OARP IS WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS VERY CAREFULLY! BOSTON-CHICAGO CINCINNATI-NORFOLK ·December first was once predicted as If the unconfirmed reports we hear the start-up date on the long await- prove to become truth, the new exper­ ~ ed AMTRAK run through Cleveland and imental AMTRAK run over the N&W from (hopefully) Toledo. Due to difficul Cincinnati to Norfolk will have a ties in securing station facilities basic schedule almost identical to and right of way problems, the train that of the · James Whitcomb Riley on a will not run until June 1975 at the parallel route! earliest. This news is discouraging We hear there is a slim chance the ~ut at least there is hope. new train may be running before 1974 The tentative schedule, if they de­ is out, but AMTRAK will probably not cide to go with it, looks extremely announce the official details until good as it echoes the schedules for mid-October at the earliest. the old, popular New England States Tentatively, the westbound train will and 20th Century Limited. leave Norfolk at 2a00pm and arrive in The train will leave New York (GCT) Cincinnati at 7a00am the next day. at 6aJOpm, the section out of Bos­ Coaches, a sleeper, and a diner-lounge ton at 4aJOpm. Link-up is at Al­ would be switched onto the Riley for bany/Rensselaer. Cleveland arrival a through run to Chicago. Eastbound, should be around 7a00am and it will the process would be reversed. A late pull into Chicago about noon. The evening departure of llaJOpm will put eastbound run will leave Chicago at the train into Norfolk at 5aOOpm the 2a00pm. Cleveland can expect it at following day. about 9a00pm. Boston arrival is The train will serve such cities as slated for llaOOam, New York 9aJOam. Lynchburg, Roanoke, Bluefield, and The main part of the train will be Portsmouth. We do not know if any New York-Chicago, with coaches, a intermediate Ohio st~ps are being con­ ~ full diner, sleeners and a slumber­ sidered, but an eastern suburban Cin­ coach. The Boston-Chicago section cinnati stop might attract attention. (continued, next page ••• ) (continued, next page ••• ) BOSTON-CHICAGO (frcrn IJ 2ge l) CIHCIHNATI-NCRFOLK (from page 1) will carry a through coach and sleep­ OARP believes that due to the close­ er, with a di~er-loung e on the Bos­ ly parallel routes (N&W-C&O) between ton-Albany segment. the Queen City and .Norfolk- Newport As of this printing there is still a News the schedule of either the new question over what route the train train or the "Riley" should be ad­ will take west of Buffalo. The PC justed to give one route essentially and N&W serve the same points between a daytime train. Since the "Riley" Buffalo and Cleveland. West ofCleve­ is pretty well established on it~ land, however, an N&W routing would present route and schedule, the new cut off the city of Toledo and this service should provide the alterna­ would be totally inexcusable! AMTRAK tive. Departure from either end­ is known to favor an N&W routing be­ point at 61JOam would put it into cause of superior track conditions. the opposite terminal before mid­ The logical PC route from Cleveland night and give all enroute stops an ~oes through Elyria, Sandusky, Toledo, attractive schedule. We do not be­ Elkhart, and South Bend. The N&W line lieve the bulk of the riders will be serves Lorain, Bellevue, Fostoria, and riding all the way from end-point to Fort Wayne. OARP assumes that the PC end-pointo route will be the final choice, de­ Since we are going to have this new spite rough track and lower speeds. service (without even working hard OARP knows thRt this new route will for itl) we think that it should be popular. It was extremely well provide its own market. It should patronized until some misguided rail­ not merely become a "second section" road officials downgraded the service of the "Riley" on a scenic, but during the 60's, in the days before sparsley populated route through the railroad passengers stood up on their heart of Appalachia! own two feet making their demands **************~********************* known through such organizations as ours. We should see to it that this SHORT LINES o ••••••••••••••••••••••• run is so popular that additional ser­ New AMTRAK diesels are now regularly vice is warranted, along with the log­ assigned to the Broadway and Nation­ ical establishment of the 3-C and G-Y­ al Limiteds, p Corridors as connecting services. Chessie System has been ordered to We understand a local move is under carry the James Whitcomb Riley over way in Elyria to get a stop there, its tracks between Cincinnati and The Chamber of Commerce is involved Chicago for an indefinite period, with this and OARP member Rev. Bob The train has been arriving Chicago Wickens is keeping close tabs on the as much as 50 minutes early and at developments. The former NYC depot Cincinnati from 20-JO mi~utes early, has been extensively remodeled into a The train makes no intermediate pas­ cosmetology school so if Elyria is to senger stops; a service stop is made be a stop a new trackside station may at Peru yardso be located at the site of the former NYC freight house where there would FRA ordered PC to lo•.ver speed limits be plenty of parking spaceo on portions of the Broadway and Nat­ ional routes in mid-July due to poor Sandusky also deserve s to be a stop, track. The sophisticated DOT-FRA but as of this printing a local move inspection train wa s photographed as to promote this h2s not gained much it came through Xenia Septembe r 5th, momentum. The existing PC station would be usable for AMTRAK service. Afl~ TRAK took over oper a tion of th8 Interested Sandusky area me~bers can ticket of fices at Dayton Union St a­ contact rnembers~ip chairman Jim Mann tion and Col u~ bu s U~ion Depot on in Huron for "uod q t~s" on the sit- Au ; ust first. No i mm edi ate ch~ nges uation. ~ in hours are expected. OARP PREXY GETS "RILEY" ROYAL (?) TREATivTENT •••••• HELP WANTEDI •••••• o ••• o ••••••••••••enroute to flashington to visit AMTRAK The Columbus Public Lib­ rary is developing a \RP President Dave Marshall and his family rode significant collection ,te James Whitcomb Riley from Cincinnati to Wash­ of materials pertaining in~ton on July 4th and called the on-board cond~­ to railroad transport­ tions "inhumane". Ironically, he was enroute to ation in Ohio, including '1'/ashin.ztcn to confer with William Tucci of AMTRAK city and interurban car concerning services in and through Ohio! lines. They are acquir­ Marshall reported that the car they boarded was ing books, timetables, hot, dark, and dirty with no air conditioning in maps, photographs, arti­ the 900 heat and no means of ventilation except cles, etc., and have re­ by opening the end doors. Their car, however, quested assistance from was right behind the engine and diesel fumes came OARP members in securing in, choking the passengers. He said that many materials for this vital placed wet handkerchiefs over their faces to pro­ collection. tect themselves rather than suffer f_urthe.r from The Columbus Public Lib­ the oppressive heat. rary has taken a member­ There was one cool coach on the train. Those who ship with OARP and "the were lucky enough to find space there slept in 6a53" is sent to their the aisles. An attendant for the hot coaches sat Periodicals section. in the cool car and when asked about improving Any readers who can of­ the conditions, brok~ into tears. fer help should contact Marshall reported that "it was a sad spectacle. rllr. Sam Roshon, Head - This 35-year veteran coach attendant literally Columbus & Ohio Division broke down and cried." The attendant said tear­ of the Columbus Public fully that "when I go down home, my folks ask me Library, 96 South Grant w things are going. Once we had thirty passen- Avenuep Columbus 43215. ·r trains a day on this line and never ran one Mr. Roshon has been in like thisl Now this company runs one each way contact with the OARP and can't run it at all. Who takes the blame? office which was able to I do. After all these years, this is the way it supply information and had to end." leads in response to Marshall said his sincere reaction to the train several specific re­ (as he later reported directly to the ICC) was quests. OARP hopes that that "as much as I love trains and train travel, others will also be able this kind of service is unfit for human use and to help. should be shut down until steps are taken to cor­ ************************ rect it." He added that he reported his exper­ iences directly to M~TRAK and their reaction was that "that train varies; some days it's not that AlVITRAK TOTE BAGS costing way." about four dollars are As if adding insult to injury, Marshall stated available from many AM­ that his train arrived in Washington almost seven TRAK ticket offices.