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[CBQ] 75th anniversary of the EPB

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] 75th anniversary of the EPB
From: "gaedgar66" <vje68@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 03:59:38 -0000
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Courtesy of the Milw RR group:

Well, it's hard to believe, but the date of the 75th anniversary of 
the Empire Builder passenger train is almost upon us.  June 11, 2004 
is the diamond anniversary of this, the second-longest continuously 
operated passenger train in the United States.

With regard to celebrating this event, here's some of the events 
planned and items that will commemorate it:

Amtrak has commissioned a painting by noted railroad artist J. Craig 
Thorpe.  It features the Amtrak version of the eastbound Empire 
Builder crossing the Two Medicine Bridge east of Glacier National 
Park and is available for $15 at the Amtrak store at 
http://store.amtrak.com/75yecoembupo.html.

A similar (but not the same) painting by Mr. Thorpe adorns the cover 
of the new (effective April 26) Amtrak Spring/Summer 2004 timetable.

The Great Northern Railway Historical Society will be selling a T-
shirt that commemorates the anniversary.

While Amtrak has not specifically released any information about 
this, continuing rumors are that they will actually be providing 
extra equipment for departures of the Empire Builder on June 11 from 
Chicago, Portland, and Seattle.  Supposedly, Amtrak's lone remaining 
dome car, ex-GN full length lounge "Mountain View" (Amtrak 10030) is 
supposed to be on No. 7 out of Chicago on June 11, with as yet 
undetermined extra rolling stock out of the western origin cities.  
I have also heard that Montana governor Judy Martz will be boarding 
the westbound Empire Builder in Havre on June 12 and riding to 
Seattle, and that there will be other Amtrak dignitaries on board.

Between the Washington Association of Railroad Passengers, the Great 
Northern Railway Historical Society, and the State of Washington, 
there will likely be events commemorating the anniversary at several 
stations in Washington, as well as in Portland, Oregon.

The James J. Hill Library in St. Paul is planning events near the 
date of the anniversary.

In the middle of the Empire Builder route in Montana and North 
Dakota, where the service it provides is so vital, local residents 
are well aware of the anniversary.  I've heard that events are 
planned in places like Whitefish, Shelby, Havre, Minot, and Rugby, 
but nothing specific.

I've been in contact with numerous people at BNSF with regard to this 
event.  So far, everyone thinks that BNSF participation is a good 
idea, but I see no commitment to date.  With the train operating 
mostly on BNSF trackage and the fact that corporate headquarters in 
Fort Worth is named for James J. Hill, the Empire Builder, 
participation by BNSF would seem to be a given, but we'll see.  

For those of you keeping track, all passenger trains in this country 
are again threatened at the end of 2004 fiscal year (end of 
September) as the current administration/Congress is proposing only 
half of the funding that's necessary to keep the system running.  
Amtrak proponents have been fighting this battle for the 33 years of 
its existence (33 years to the day here on May 1, by the way).  
Whether or not you are a fan of the Great Northern or the Empire 
Builder specifically is really not the main point of supporting this 
anniversary.  The Empire Builder is unique among long distance Amtrak 
trains in the way it fills a public need.  While traversing a route 
with the least amount of online population, the train regularly 
places second in total ridership of all Amtrak trains (only the 
Seattle-Los Angeles Coast Starlight carries more, usually).  Over the 
past several years, the train has usually posted the best on-time 
performance of any long distance Amtrak train (truly a source of 
pride and incentive money for CP and BNSF), which is in stark 
contrast to trains like the Orlando-Los Angeles Sunset Limited that 
regularly post a monthly ontime performance of zero percent!  
Commemorating this event will only serve to show (though the media, 
hopefully) that passenger trains are not a thing of the past, but are 
forms of transportation that are still needed and used in this 
country.  With Amtrak's limited funding resources and equipment, it 
appears that the only way expand the skeletal network of passenger 
trains in this country is increase awareness of the advantages of 
passenger train travel, and I can't think of a better opportunity to 
get the message out than this upcoming anniversary.

I would urge those of you in the states served by the Empire Builder 
to contact your local cities and chambers of commerce and urge them 
to participate in the celebration.  For those of you that are members 
of a railroad historical association, especially the GN bunch, it is 
hoped that an information brochure will be produced and that 
volunteers available to distribute it on board the train and in the 
stations.  Actually, this request goes to everyone, even in places 
like Staples, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Dells.  While not on a former 
Great Northern route, the Empire Builder has been serving Staples for 
25 years (a whole generation), and on the former Milwaukee Road 
between St. Paul and Chicago, 33 years - almost as long as did the 
Hiawathas!

For so many reasons, participation by everyone that values passenger 
train service in this country is important, and will be appreciated 
by many.  Thanks for your time!    --Mark Meyer





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