21-solar-eclipsehttps://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/21-solar-eclipse/UPDATE: 'Eclipse Express' coverage from southern Illinois | Trains MagazineAmtrak's Eclipse Express takes passengers close to the best moment of totality.InStockUSD1.001.00news-wirenews-reviewsarticleTRN2020-11-032017-08-2122792
A humid breeze wisps through the wheels of a rusted baggage cart in Champaign, Ill., at 5:28 a.m. Monday.
Amtrak’s product line agent Ed Kim stands on the platform of the Illinois Terminal Intermodal Transportation Center in Champaign as the engineer of the Eclipse Express special dims the headlight for a station stop to board 70 passengers and six media guests.
“I’m very excited we are able to cater to a special event, with passengers able to travel to Carbondale and return on the same day. We’re taking a few cars off the road, with Carbondale next door to the Shawnee National Forest so we are also improving the carbon footprint.”
Kyle Swartz of Chicago rode Amtrak’s Chicago-Champaign-Carbondale, Ill., Eclipse Express special Monday. He is shown with his telescope with a Canadian National north-bound freight passing the Amtrak stop in Carbondale. Swartz loves space and trains.
Visitors to Carbondale, Ill., stare at the sun with the benefit of inexpensive light filter glasses during the total solar eclipse on Monday.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Americans and visitors by the tens of thousands are congregating as close as they can today around a narrow band of shadow cast by the moon as it blocks the sun for mere minutes making a total solar eclipse.
The path of that shadow crosses every time zone in the continental U.S. and Class I railroad network in a way not seen for nearly 100 years. Trains contributors Steve Smedley and Bob Johnston are following space fans to southern Illinois on Monday, Aug. 21., as passengers aboard Amtrak’s Eclipse Express, a special sold-out train of coaches from Chicago to Carbondale. Once there, passengers expect to see the sun completely blotted out, for a time. Expect to read and see a glimpse of passengers’ experiences on News Wire.
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4 thoughts on “UPDATE: ‘Eclipse Express’ coverage from southern Illinois
NEWSWIRE”
I’m curious as to why Amtrak didn’t operate more eclipse special trains from other areas to the eclipse zone. Washington DC to Greenville could have been an option, as well as Seattle-Portalnd to Salem. Also the Kansas City-St. Louis route was largely in totality.
I’m curious as to why Amtrak didn’t operate more eclipse special trains from other areas to the eclipse zone. Washington DC to Greenville could have been an option, as well as Seattle-Portalnd to Salem. Also the Kansas City-St. Louis route was largely in totality.
If passengers “ravel” to Carbondale,does that mean they”unravel” on the return trip?
That would be Champaign, IL, not Campaign.
“Were (sic) taking a few cars off the road, with Carbondale next door to the Shawnee National Forest so we are also improving the carbon footprint.”
Doesn’t that mean less CO2 for the trees in the Shawnee National Forest? Isn’t that a negative impact?