Presidential Trains (Inauguration, Campaign, Etc.)

DutchRailnut wrote:And last Great president did take train to his inauguration , just not current one.
http://www.bassethoundtown.com/blog/wp- ... 555085.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In a "private" car leased or provided as a "favor" from someone else - dfinately a car not owned by Amtrak.

My guess would be leased, lest he be charged with "accepting gifts" even though he technically wasn't President yet.

Greg Moore wrote:
I honestly would must prefer that the person in the office COULD say take a chartered Acela w/o having to disrupt NEC traffic any more than say a sports team.

I think it would be good for us, as I think we end up forgetting the person in the office is just a person, and I think it would help the person in the office be a bit more in touch with the people.

I agree completely. If Queen Elizabeth (head of state of 16 countries + leader of the Commonwealth) can take commuter trains, with other passengers on them, and if the Royal Family flies commercially (sometimes even in coach!), I think that the US presidents--who are simply government employees who work for us (lest they forget)--should be relegated to something less over-the-top than Air Force One requiring LGA or whatever other airport they use to be shut down for a while every time they come to NYC.

Queen Elizabeth may not have much real power, but she is certainly an important world leader.

Whenever POTUS is in NYC,Air Force 1 and Marine 1 are at a Hanger at JFK,you don't fly a Miltary 747 into LGA to begin with!

Backshophoss wrote:Whenever POTUS is in NYC,Air Force 1 and Marine 1 are at a Hanger at JFK,you don't fly a Miltary 747 into LGA to begin with!

Trump flew his plane into LGA, resulting in it being shut down for quite some time. JFK is the expected destination for Air Force One from now on, but Trump has also stated that he plans to use his own plane (which will be Air Force One if he's on it) from time to time to fly into LGA, which will also result in whichever airport is used (LGA if it's Trump's own plane or JFK if it's the government's plane) being shut down. Ridiculous for all of that just so one person can voluntarily visit NYC.

SouthernRailway wrote:I think that the US presidents--who are simply government employees who work for us (lest they forget)--should be relegated to something less over-the-top than Air Force One requiring LGA or whatever other airport they use to be shut down for a while every time they come to NYC.

Well, as a practical matter the alternative (as described by several people above) is to basically shut down normal Northeast Corridor operations while the POTUS special passes in order to meet current security requirements. That would disrupt a lot of travelers too. Sports charters are altogether different because they don't require any special security. Talk to the Secret Service, not Amtrak, if you think the established rules are unreasonable.

SouthernRailway wrote:

Backshophoss wrote:Whenever POTUS is in NYC,Air Force 1 and Marine 1 are at a Hanger at JFK,you don't fly a Miltary 747 into LGA to begin with!

Trump flew his plane into LGA, resulting in it being shut down for quite some time. JFK is the expected destination for Air Force One from now on, but Trump has also stated that he plans to use his own plane (which will be Air Force One if he's on it) from time to time to fly into LGA, which will also result in whichever airport is used (LGA if it's Trump's own plane or JFK if it's the government's plane) being shut down. Ridiculous for all of that just so one person can voluntarily visit NYC.

Actually it'll be Executive One. His 757 is not an Air Force plane so it would not get an AF designation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_One" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sooner than later,figure on the Secret Service to end the use of the Trump pvt jet.
Every time there's a campaign special during the "election season",the RR line hosting it,the route used is basicly shut down!
Then there's the "Pilot" train,the campaign special with the person running for the "job",then a follow up train,loaded with RR personel
and Secret Service Agents on the "Pilot" and follow up trains.

Even President Trump is still considered a NYC resident,after moving in to the White House in DC.
Still subject to income taxes at the federal,NY state and even NYC levels.

Presidential Campaign Trains were used through the 2008 Campaigns. The last time a train was used in an official capacity was Ike during 1953 for a State visit to Canada riding the "Magellan".

Finally, regarding "C-32 Joe", Both RWY 9-27 and 1-19 at KILG are greater than 7000ft. That should be more than adequate to handle any VIP transport in the USAF inventory, save the VC-25 (B-742 26000-1).

Gilbert B Norman wrote: The last time a train was used in an official capacity was Ike during 1953 for a State visit to Canada riding the "Magellan".

Remember Carter took the metroliner DC-Baltimore and return in 1979. I seem to remember a 'feeler' train preceded the President's train and helicopters flew alongside.

https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/docu ... 80779t.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As far as I can recall, this is the ONLY trip taken by a sitting US President on Amtrak. Am I forgetting any?

R36 Combine Coach wrote:As mentioned before, Biden is known to be a "regular" commuter on Acela between WAS and Delaware, although much to the frustration of daily passenger and USSS.

I kind of know that this is slightly off topic, but: While he was a senator, I actually rode in the seat right next to him in First Class (or as it was then known as Metroclub). He was a very down to earth guy and we had a wonderful conversation between DC and Wilmington. Even though our political views differed, we "agreed to disagree", and the conversation remained pleasant.

That jives with most things I've heard about him.

There are certain politicos on the other side of the aisle I certainly would have no problem riding and talking with.

SouthernRailway wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:
I honestly would must prefer that the person in the office COULD say take a chartered Acela w/o having to disrupt NEC traffic any more than say a sports team.

I think it would be good for us, as I think we end up forgetting the person in the office is just a person, and I think it would help the person in the office be a bit more in touch with the people.

I agree completely. If Queen Elizabeth (head of state of 16 countries + leader of the Commonwealth) can take commuter trains, with other passengers on them, and if the Royal Family flies commercially (sometimes even in coach!), I think that the US presidents--who are simply government employees who work for us (lest they forget)--should be relegated to something less over-the-top than Air Force One requiring LGA or whatever other airport they use to be shut down for a while every time they come to NYC.

Queen Elizabeth may not have much real power, but she is certainly an important world leader.

Worth noting in this context that the British Prime Minister also travels on regularly-scheduled trains, in the same 1st Class car as other passengers. There are plenty of pics out there of the PM sitting there reading papers with the "Red Box" by his side.

Ridgefielder wrote: Worth noting in this context that the British Prime Minister also travels on regularly-scheduled trains, in the same 1st Class car as other passengers. There are plenty of pics out there of the PM sitting there reading papers with the "Red Box" by his side.

I mentioned this statistic before, so I'm not going to post the statistics again, but you have continued to ignore "distances" completely. London is the largest city in the UK, it's where the Queen lives most of the year, and where goovernement considers home. They only have to take a private car and drive a few miles to see all the different heads of theinstutions of the U.K., both public and private.
That's not true with the USA. The largest city lies thousands of miles away, and the financial headquarters is hundreds of miles away from the home of government. The Prime Minister doesn't take a commuter train to travel hundreds of miles every week, to visit Edinburgh or Glasgow. And certainly the Prime Minister doesn't take the train to and from Scotland on the very same day from London. They take the train when they're going to stay awhile, a week or two at the least if not months. If they wish to go and return on the same day for official business, they fly!

The Queen has estates throughout Britain, most Presidents don't. Where have recent Presidents owned homes elsewhere prior to serving in the White House. Obama's latest home was in Chicago, 700 miles away and over 15 hours away by train. Both Bush's homes were in Texas, 1,400 miles away and 28 hours away by train. Clinton home was in Little Rock, 1,000 miles away and 20 hours away by train. Reagan's home was in California, over 2,600 miles away and 52 hours away by train. FYI, I used highway miles and assumed the special train averaged 50 mph to calculate the elapsed time. Few of them will take a train that long, and I'm fairly sure the Queen and Prime Minister wouldn't either.

Because the distances as so much farther in the USA, the taxpayers provide the President with a plane, and he/she uses it.

electricron: I don't think anyone here is proposing the President take LONG journeys (say 5+ hours) by train. I believe the OP wonders why couldn't the President occassionally take one of their short journeys by train, as some foreign leaders do. I'm sure the answer is that US security protocols (which I think are a bit over the top) make it far more logistically difficult to travel by train than by AF1 or motorcade.

Nevertheless, it sure would be nice if Amtrak decked out a modern trainset that they have lying in storage as Amtrak-One. But I'm not allowed to discuss that here