TRAINS Magazine/Amtrak Conference - March 6

[Otto Vondrak]

I must have missed the announcement of this event... did anyone else catch it? Is anyone here planning on attending? Is photography still a hot-button issue?

Amtrak and Trains magazine present a town hall meeting with Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman and board Chairman Tom Carper
Topics: This meeting will be held on three issues of importance to railroad enthusiasts:

* The photography policy
* Locomotives and passenger cars
* The future of the long-distance passenger train

This meeting is available to the first 300 guests who pre-register in advance. If you are interested in attending this event please fill out our Registration Form. Important: This event is open to only the first 300 registrants. Once that limit is reached no additional attendees will be accepted.

http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=5979

[nomis]

They are still accepting registrations ... as of the time of this post.

[Gilbert B Norman]

I certainly commend Messrs. Boardman and Carper for agreeing to hold this conference. It is especially daring on their part to hold such in the "Town Hall" format in view of the often evident hostility and incivility on display at such.

I can't think of two more "hot buttons" amongst the railfan community than photography policy and LD trains, but in view of that my personal interests in Amtrak affairs are more oriented towards business and public policy, i see little reason to attend.

[TREnecNYP]

If i could afford the room i'd do it. I hope the photo policy is left in its current 1st amendment acknowledging format.

- A

[buddah]

Well how about that? for once we rail fans would have a chance to be the proverbial "fly on the wall"

too bad family situations have me in Florida until late March or I would definitely have added my name to the guest list.

[railohio]

I'll be there, Amtrak tickets are booked and conference registration is done. I don't see Amtrak making any big announcements at this event, surely it will just serve to reinforce the status quo, but it is a good excuse to go to Chicago for a weekend!

[Otto Vondrak]

Commitments on March 7 keep me from attending... but I expect a full report from anyone who attended...

-otto-

[Gilbert B Norman]

For anyone planning to attend the "Foamer Forum', Don Phillips' April TRAINS column should be considered required reading.

Mr. Boardman and entourage have agreed to "come in Saturday" to accommodate the railfan community; I hope that this community will present themselves in a mature and respectful manner and formulate questions in line with what Mr. Phillips believes are germane at such a gathering.

Incidentally, Mr. Philips considers Amrtak's amateur photography policies to be 'fair game". Here is pertinent Brief Passage from this column regarding such:

• Of course, anyone other than a railfan can easily take a photo on a platform. The kiddies heading for college? Aunt Jane getting off the train from Florida? That's just fine. But if you have a good camera and try to take a photo of a locomotive? You're the enemy.

[AMTK1007]

As Mr Norman points out, I too hope that those attending will provide thought provoking serious questions.. it is the interest of the rail enthusiast community to be on their best behavior and to show themselves in a positive light... not as a bunch of goofballs and iditots that think they know more then the railroads.. ( you may, but it never works out well when you push that issue) As a friend of my in the industry said " these people can be your worst nightmare, yet they can also be your best allies".

Those of you that are going... Lets do our best as a community to show Mr Boardman and his traveling party ( and there are other heavy hitters coming) that we are allies, not enemys. the beter the rail enthusiast community is presented, the more serious we will be taken.

[steve4031]

Honestly, I think the photography thing is least important right now. Whether or not a railfan can take a picture of an engine is not going to improve amtraks service. We have to remember that Amtrak primary purpose is to move people. Most are not rail fans. Most are perplexed by some of the control tactics used by Amtrak employees in the diner and in other areas. So I think we should highlight areas of improvement for customer service.

[AMTK1007]

it doesn't matter what you feel should be addresed, the fact remains that it needs to be done in a well thought out and done in a logical and respectful manner

[Otto Vondrak]

I'll be looking for commentary and review from folks who attend the conference this weekend.

-otto-

[Batman2]

I will be attending and, provided there's good internet access, provide updates live. By the way, if anyone else is going, can they give me a lift from Ogilvie Station to the conference location? I don't trust myself to be a good driver the day after getting home late from DC, and why drive when there's a well-timed train to that general area.

Edit: I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going mainly because I figure that it's a good opportunity to ask about any potential internships/recommendations about where to get them. Not to mention potentially getting my foot stuck in the door. I'm not a huge railfan; I'm interested in a career.

[byte]

By the way, if anyone else is going, can they give me a lift from Ogilvie Station to the conference location?

Your best bet would be to hitch a ride with these folks.

[Otto Vondrak]

Edit: I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going mainly because I figure that it's a good opportunity to ask about any potential internships/recommendations about where to get them. Not to mention potentially getting my foot stuck in the door. I'm not a huge railfan; I'm interested in a career.

I don't think this conference is the proper forum for the information you seek. This is not styled as an Amtrak job fair.

-otto-