WASHINGTON (AP) — Did you travel on Amtrak the week of Thanksgiving? If so, you helped set a record.Amtrak says it has set a new record for numbers of passengers it carried the week of Thanksgiving. The nation’s intercity rail operator said Tuesday it carried 685,876 passengers between Nov. 24 and 30 and 127,577 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
The total number of passengers is 4% higher than last year and surpasses a previous record of 666,716 riders set in 2007. Amtrak added extra trains to accommodate more riders.
The Canadian National Santa Train passes the New Haven Michigan depot in December 2006. (Photo by Larry Sobczak)
MARP has heard Santa’s elves whispering about the Canadian National Santa Train schedule through southern Michigan. The train is a vintage trainset which transports Santa between area CN employee parties. You can catch a glimpse of the train as it travels through the area but remember not to tresspass on CN railroad property and the train is for CN employees only.
Here’s the schedule (weather and rail traffic permitting):
Flint
Friday, December 18, 2009 – 1800-2000
Port Huron:
Saturday, December 19, 2009 – 0900-1100 depart via Mt. Clemens Sub.
Flat Rock:
Saturday, December 19, 2009 – 1600-1800
Pontiac: Holly Sub.
Sunday, December 20, 2009 – 0930-1130
Battle Creek: Via Flint/South Bend Sub.
Sunday, December 20, 2009 – 1530-1800
The Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive, pictured on an excursion trip near the Saginaw County Fairgrounds on Dec. 11, 2004. (Photo Courtesy of J.R. Valderas)
Press release from the Steam Railroading Institute:
The Steam Railroading Institute, in its sixth season of the North Pole Express, hosted over 2,500 passengers this past weekend during its annual winter train excursions. Children and adults, from as far away as California, enjoyed a magical four hour experience which included a trip to the North Pole. Passengers enjoyed complimentary hot cocoa, visits with Santa, holiday rides, model railroad displays, live entertainment, holiday crafts, Kris Kringle Mart and hours of family fun. “We are very fortunate to be able to host thousands of new and returning visitors annually,”commented TJ Gaffney, Executive Director.
While Pere Marquette 1225 was under steam and the star of the show for the first trip on opening day, during a routine inspection of the locomotive at the North Pole a mechanical issue was found. The crew decided that in the interest of preserving the locomotive and keeping the North Pole Express trains operating, as planned, it was best to remove 1225 from service. “We would love to continue to run the locomotive,” said Greg Udolph, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Steam Railroading Institute, “but the truth remains, the 1225 is a 70-year old piece of machinery that was built on an assembly line the same way an automobile is built. During its career the engine has racked up well over a million miles. The boiler on 1225 has shown the crew that it is ready for some serious work. Next year starts a major rebuild of the locomotive to try to put some of the miles back into her. With the current mechanical issue at hand it is best for the locomotive and the schedule of the North Pole Express trains to bring the engine down and prepare for her rebuild.
This past July, during TrainFestival 2009, the engine had a couple of tubes that cracked and released some steam. In the weeks to follow, the crew fixed the problem by replacing the tubes. The engine then successfully ran a two-day photo charter, hourly excursions during Hamburg Railroad Days and an all-day excursion to Cadillac, Michigan, in conjunction with the Ft. Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s Nickel Plate Road 765. Unfortunately, this repair was not enough. It is time to fully inspect the boiler and figure the cause of these problems. This process will be costly, intense and take a minimum of one year.
In order to continue to give the passengers the experience they deserve we have decided to bring 1225 out of her storage building and put her on display for all to see. She will be fully visible and located next to the Christmas trains. Volunteers from SRI will be on hand to answer questions, show off different parts of the locomotive and provide cab tours. Passengers will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the engine. Kids will have the rare and unique opportunity to sit in the engineer’s seat and ring the bell on the locomotive.
SRI would like to thank the many passengers that have been very compassionate of the fact that SRI had to substitute the motive power. The North Pole Express will still be operating and offering a quality memorable experience for each of its passengers with the assistance of a Great Lakes Central Railroad diesel locomotive.
The Steam Railroading Institute strives to provide a memorable experience for each and every passenger and will continue to preserve the knowledge, skills and technology involved with the maintenance and operation of steam locomotives and to educate the public about the enormous impact that these machines had in the economic development of Owosso and the Great Lakes Region.
From Lansing State Journal
LANSING TWP. – Bud Kouts Chevrolet has moved its used car lot across Michigan Avenue to its new car dealership, clearing the way for a possible Michigan Flyer bus terminal.
Owosso-based Indian Trails Inc. has an option to buy the land for a new terminal for its Michigan Flyer subsidiary, which offers bus service to Detroit Metropolitan Airport from East Lansing, Jackson and Ann Arbor. http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009912010318
BOYNE CITY — Boyne City residents will have to go about five miles farther east to catch an Indian Trails bus ride after Dec. 1.
On Tuesday, Indian Trails will discontinue service to a bus stop at the McDonald’s Restaurant on Division Street in Boyne City. The next closest bus stop is at the Mobil E-Z Mart in Boyne Falls.
The change comes despite a request by Boyne City officials that Indian Trails and the Michigan Department of Transportation reconsider the change.
About a month ago, Boyne City officials received notice that Indian Trails was considering extending its service to Sault Ste. Marie. The route had previously ended in St. Ignace. On Monday, city officials learned that the change had been decided.
Chad Cushman, vice president of business for Indian Trails said the Boyne City stop and stops in Onaway, Tower in Northern Michigan; Epoufette, Naubinway, Nadeau, Carney, Bagley, Daggett, Stephenson, Wallace and Calumet in the Upper Peninsula and a location in Wisconsin will be removed from the company’s service route to offset the extra miles added to the service system between Saint Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie
Cushman explained that Indian Trails’ service is subsidized by the Michigan Department of Transportation and because of the state’s budget crisis, it won’t subsidize additional miles on its rural routes.
He said the locations that were chosen had a history of very low ridership. In 2008, the Boyne City stop had 131 passengers, or about 2.5 passengers per week. During the same year, Tower and Onaway combined had 67 passengers.
Cushman said even with all of the service eliminations — including the 4,380 annual miles from the Boyne City stop — the Sault Ste. Marie route will still add 27 unsubsidized miles for the bus company.
He said bus service will continue in Boyne Falls on roughly the same schedule as was offered in Boyne City with stops around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
For more information on Indian Trails bus service, call (800) 292-3831 or visit www.indiantrials.com.
