Classic Trains Article: Passenger Corridor Revivals

FRA Map Inspired: Trains.com

The author mentions the Mercury, from Cleveland to Detroit; Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Memphis trod by the Dixie Flyer, the Georgian, and Dixie Flagler; and the North Coast Hiawatha.

Have a read, see what you think.

2 routes along I-90?

Where are the people to populate this train?

More than that, where is the excellent equipment used by NP, GN and CB&Q to run a train worth boarding, Vice the overage dirty things Amtrak uses today?

O’Keefe needs to ride the LDs, and not in a PV.

Well... after finding myself locked out of Trains dot com, and going through the annoyance of having to dream up a new password. I finally got to read the CLASSIC TRAINS article authored by long-standing Kalmbach staffer Kevin Keefe.

First, so far as the Midwest former NYC/MC Mercury service, even if such were restored, I still think the routing for an upcoming IND-CLE-DET journey next weekend would still be Lady Lex rolling on the 65, 70, 71, and 94. Oh, and of course the returning Wolverine would have a full service Dining Car serving Win Schuler's Prime Rib.

Uh, in my dreams.

Now so far as the suggestion to restore The Georgian, Nashville-Atlanta. I think Chessie would have her claws extended over that and ready for war. Returning from Florida on my road trip last month, I stayed in Antioch TN (have friends there). Chessie runs 'em long and with mid train distributed power. Even staying at a Hampton X-the Street from where the NC&StL passes in a deep cut, she woke me up several times as her trains rolled through (there's an Express on the other side of the street; even if I think Express has a better Breakfast than Hampton, staying there once cost me most of a night's sleep - and I couldn't even see the trains). Even if Chessie were to "give any Corridor trains her railroad", I cannot foresee them time competitive with driving the 24 and 75 - even if the traffic around Chatanooga and Atlanta only gets worse (room to expand the 24 near Chattanooga is simply nonexistent).

So again I say to those railfan nuts at the FRA playing around with their 50's era Guides (hey guys, how about service on the Abington Branch; how about rounding up some 4-6-2's for it to boot?), concentrate on routes between population centers (Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta do qualify) where rail can be time competitive with highways - and air.

Didn't The Georgian and its sister trains run to Chicago, not Memphis?

And isn't the line from Atlanta to Chattanooga (ex-Western & Atlantic) owned by the State of Georgia? Or do I misremember? I'm sure if they threw enough money at CSX an accommodation could be had.

True, Mr. Charles River; but the Nashville-Atlanta segment addressed was part of the route.

And yes, the W&A is owned by GA (a bit by TN) and Chessie leases the line. It also was where over most of the line, from Kennesaw to Tunnel City the Great Locomotive Chase occurred.

Now so far as Georgia welcoming passenger trains, they are simply too "car-centric" They's sooner build Lexus Lanes through Cobb County than rail transit.