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Got my Amtrak reservations; lower floor Coast Starlight and Empire Builder eastbound and Zephyr westbound, hotel and registration all done.

OBTW, it should be well attended this year, Melissa had to add rooms to the Sunday night block cause it was already sold out two weeks ago. 

I've also got a table although I use it more as a place to put myself and chat with folks than to sell stuff.  It's nice to have an inside home base.

Getting from Union Station to Lombard is easy.  I take the BNSF Metra line from Union Station to Downers Grove and the hotel shuttle comes and picks me up.  It's how I get back to Union Station too but you have to take the 10 something AM train as there is no 11 something AM train and the 12 something PM train gets to Union Station about 1:50PM which is cutting it too close for 2PM departures westbound.

rdunniii posted:

Getting from Union Station to Lombard is easy.  I take the BNSF Metra line from Union Station to Downers Grove and the hotel shuttle comes and picks me up.  It's how I get back to Union Station too ......

Have you considered taking Metra west to Naperville and catching the CZ there ?  Looks to me [ assuming you are leaving Sunday ] like a significant time saver, even allowing for some Metra delay.

SZ

 

 

Steinzeit posted:
rdunniii posted:

Getting from Union Station to Lombard is easy.  I take the BNSF Metra line from Union Station to Downers Grove and the hotel shuttle comes and picks me up.  It's how I get back to Union Station too ......

Have you considered taking Metra west to Naperville and catching the CZ there ?  Looks to me [ assuming you are leaving Sunday ] like a significant time saver, even allowing for some Metra delay.

SZ

 

 

You are exactly correct.  However, you have to deal with Amtrak's reservation and management system which does not allow round trip reservations to have differing end points.  And if you do not show up at the Chicago endpoint before the return trip starts your return reservation will be cancelled and you will be denied boarding at any intermediate point down the line and will not be refunded anything.  You can, of course, make 2 one way trips but interestingly it seems sleeper rooms are available from Chicago but not Naperville when you go to make two one way reservations.

On the flip side, weather permitting, you get about 2 hours to leave the station after checking in to get some Chicago style pizza

RDUNIII, Id love to meet you while im there if you have time. Ill be driving from Minneapolis on thursday afternoon and landing in Lombard either Thursday night or Friday Morning depending on who comes with me. Im staying the Hyatt Place Lombard just up the road a bit from the Westin adn I will be leaving Sunday afternoon. If anybody wants or needs a ride to and or from the train station, airport or what not, let me know I may be able to accommodate you. Ill be going to the Museum of Science and Industry on sunday before I leave town so going back into downtown is not an issue

I'd like to meet you too, and any others from this forum.  I will have a table, which I tend not to spend a lot of time at, which can be used as a meeting place.  If I cannot be found it tends to get announced over the PA system   Last year my table was along the far side wall near MMW.

What time are you planning to go to the museum sunday, never been there before.

Last edited by rdunniii

Chicago museum of science & industry is truly one of the best museums in the country. I was there countless times unfortunately the O scale layout built by Minton Cronkite is no longer there, it was replaced by a HO layout which is terrific , other must sees: the coal mine, U505 submarine and then the list goes on. What a neat place. Be prepared to spend as much time there as you can as there is so much to see. Enjoy. 

big train posted:
Ron H posted:

Sounds interesting. What type of contests does this meet have?

Ron, I don't think anybody ever answered this question.  This page has a brief description of the contest arrangement.  It is sort of a hybrid where you can have your model judged, or I guess just essentially show it off.

Jim

Jim and Railroad Guy, thanks I may attend and bring a loco. I'de like to meet as many forum members as possible.

Ron H

Last edited by Ron H
Matt Makens posted:

RDUNIII, Id love to meet you while im there if you have time. Ill be driving from Minneapolis on thursday afternoon and landing in Lombard either Thursday night or Friday Morning depending on who comes with me. Im staying the Hyatt Place Lombard just up the road a bit from the Westin adn I will be leaving Sunday afternoon. If anybody wants or needs a ride to and or from the train station, airport or what not, let me know I may be able to accommodate you. Ill be going to the Museum of Science and Industry on sunday before I leave town so going back into downtown is not an issue

Wheres the best place to stay

WickedWanda44 posted:
Matt Makens posted:

RDUNIII, Id love to meet you while im there if you have time. Ill be driving from Minneapolis on thursday afternoon and landing in Lombard either Thursday night or Friday Morning depending on who comes with me. Im staying the Hyatt Place Lombard just up the road a bit from the Westin adn I will be leaving Sunday afternoon. If anybody wants or needs a ride to and or from the train station, airport or what not, let me know I may be able to accommodate you. Ill be going to the Museum of Science and Industry on sunday before I leave town so going back into downtown is not an issue

Wheres the best place to stay

The "best place to stay" for the March Meet, is right there in the Westin Lombard Hotel.

Hot Water posted:
WickedWanda44 posted:
Matt Makens posted:

RDUNIII, Id love to meet you while im there if you have time. Ill be driving from Minneapolis on thursday afternoon and landing in Lombard either Thursday night or Friday Morning depending on who comes with me. Im staying the Hyatt Place Lombard just up the road a bit from the Westin adn I will be leaving Sunday afternoon. If anybody wants or needs a ride to and or from the train station, airport or what not, let me know I may be able to accommodate you. Ill be going to the Museum of Science and Industry on sunday before I leave town so going back into downtown is not an issue

Wheres the best place to stay

The "best place to stay" for the March Meet, is right there in the Westin Lombard Hotel.

Yup!

rdunniii posted:

I'd like to meet you too, and any others from this forum.  I will have a table, which I tend not to spend a lot of time at, which can be used as a meeting place.  If I cannot be found it tends to get announced over the PA system   Last year my table was along the far side wall near MMW.

What time are you planning to go to the museum sunday, never been there before.

Richard,

I remember your table. So, were there any further updates to your Sunset EMD demonstrator that USPS lost & kept showing up on E-Bay through a Pawn Shop in GA?

These are just my opinion.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

20160402_130306 [1280x960)

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Hot Water posted:
Matt Makens posted:

I got a really good rate at the Hyatt Place and I think Hot Water is correct, the Westin is prolly the best place to stay. 

Not to mention Harry Cary's restaurant right off the main entrance at the Westin.

And for the budget minded (aka, that flock of birds singing "Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!"), across the parking lot at the Mall there is a food court and other eateries available.  The brisk walk there & back will do you good,  

naveenrajan posted:
rdunniii posted:

I'd like to meet you too, and any others from this forum.  I will have a table, which I tend not to spend a lot of time at, which can be used as a meeting place.  If I cannot be found it tends to get announced over the PA system   Last year my table was along the far side wall near MMW.

What time are you planning to go to the museum sunday, never been there before.

Richard,

I remember your table. So, were there any further updates to your Sunset EMD demonstrator that USPS lost & kept showing up on E-Bay through a Pawn Shop in GA?

These are just my opinion.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

20160402_130306 [1280x960)

Nope.  The pawn shop sold it and I returned the money to the person that bought it from me and never received it.  And because I could not prove to the USPS's satisfaction the money involved they never paid the insurance claim.

On another note.  I agree the Westin is good.  When the Chicago March weather is not cooperative it is even better.  In addition to Harry Cary's there is also Holy Mackerel in the hotel which has good calamari.  There is also a decent Deli across the parking lot and several good restaurants around the perimeter of the mall. 

Guys...just to clarify a comment made earlier by Alanrail....., they dye the Chicago River green, not the lake..LOL!    Which is kind of ironic, as the river is always a greenish tinge!   It just becomes a brighter green on St.Pattys' Day.....  Joke is, the river is always green from the bodies that the Mob bosses dropped in, back in the roaring 20's.......

Hello all

Looking forward to attending the March meet ..my first time .  I'll be setting up a small demonstration track of outside 3rd rail "Old School"  O gauge .    So if you have an outside 3rd rail engine  and you wish to try out the 6' mainline please  bring it along .  The video is of a Mi- Loco circa 1935  ( 17/64th scale)

.. currently running with an umbilical power cord to tender swipe ..by meet time a proper outside 3rd rail will be added to the track .   Looking for additional 20's / 30's O scale pieces, please bring along to March meet ...also looking for sectional outside 3rd rail track.  See you in March

Cheers Carey    

 

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