Amtrak Silver Meteor - Take a Tour

[Lunican]

A lot of people don't even know Amtrak has a station in Jacksonville, let alone know what Amtrak first class looks like.

This train passes through Jacksonville twice a day, heading south to Miami in the morning and North to NYC in the afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/v/e3zyQRYPDVA&hl=en_US&fs=1&

[Lunican]

Also, judging from the times she gave, they should be somewhere around Palatka.

[CS Foltz]

Been at the Triumph Dealer on Wells road when that particular train has been rolling through south......we need more of them! Not to mention move the flipping Amtrak Station somewhere close to the center of town......like say "Prime Osburn"!! It needs to go back to what it started out as "train station!

[Reaper man]

One time I saw how much it would cost to go cross country via amtrak.  It was around the same as a cheap plane ticket.  At this point I thought to myself "what's the point?"

[CS Foltz]

Well you can't see much at 36,000 ft where as at ground level much more interesting up close and personnel! If time is not critical train is the only way to go but thats me!

[mtraininjax]

A lot of people don't even know Amtrak has a station in Jacksonville, let alone know what Amtrak first class looks like.

Oh, you mean the people who live in a cardboard box at the beach? Those people?

[buckethead]

I live at the beach, although not in a cardboard box. It has been only recently, and due  to this site that I have been made aware of any Amtrack presence in the Jacksonville area. I have seen a train or two, but I guessed they were passing through.

Please forgive my ignorance.

[mtraininjax]

You have to go to the Northside to see them pass through. I do apologize, yes, they do not make it to the southside.

[Lunican]

Or along Roosevelt on the westside.

[CS Foltz]

Wells Road off of US17 between 0915 and 0930........heading south on the CSX tracks! That would be a prime people mover track for either north or south but the current Administration has no concept, idea's or plans! Supposedly when CSX gets paid for the Orlando region, some of that money is supposed to coming here for Yard improvements and the like from what I have seen posted! tufsu1 may be more up on that than I am or maybe Ock!

[mtraininjax]

Station, though, is on the northside.

[Ocklawaha]

Station, though, is on the northside.

Under a highway overpass, and between two junkyards, is how it was described in a travel magazine right after it opened. They didn't mention 1/2 way into the Okefenokee Swamp! In GEORIGA!

Your right Mtrain, they don't come through the Southside...   YET!

Supposedly when CSX gets paid for the Orlando region, some of that money is supposed to coming here for Yard improvements and the like from what I have seen posted! tufsu1 may be more up on that than I am or maybe Ock!

Your right too CS, what we know is based on what projects we have worked on. Through the MJ "staff" and "regulars," the Railroads and Mass Transit are represented very well. 4 of us in some form of planning or program engineering in the field. Tufsu1, Lake, and Myself, are typical, all do or have done planning for transportation, railroads, BRT, Urban Spaces, etc... Regionally Tufsu1 is a fantastic resource. Locally, nobody is more in tune then Lakelander. In the USA in general, passenger rail in particular, history and Latin American Railroads, I'd probably be your guy.

BTW, looks like I'll be doing some talks at the main Library on the history of the Jacksonville Traction Company, if y'all are interested, I'll keep you posted.

OCKLAWAHA

[Jaxson]

In 2005, I took the train to Los Angeles for a convention.  It cost less to take Amtrak than it would have cost me to fly.  I saved enough money on the train to rent a car for the week.

I agree that Jacksonville made a HUGE mistake when they moved the passenger rail station to its current location.  It is an even bigger mistake for our city's leaders to continue to allow this travesty to happen.  The current station on Clifford Lane is a dump.

[CS Foltz]

Not only is it a dump............most people have no idea where the silly place is located! A couple of signs is about all that marks it and those are near where the station sits! It needs to be in a central location rather then in the bookdocks and an iffy part of town! I would not have known where it sits at until I had to go to a T Mobile cell site not far from it and just happened to see the road markers!

[mtraininjax]

Not only is it a dump............

Easy cheezy, some towns don't even have one. Being thankful for what you do have. And had some resourceful people not come together in mid 80s, we might not have been able to save what is now the Prime Osborn.