Monday, February 01, 1999
High-speed train proposal excites rail buffs
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For some commuters, last week's announcement of a proposed high-speed train on the Cincinnati-Indianapolis-Chicago route was exciting because it's a glimmer of hope for a fast, direct transportation alternative.
INFOGRAPHIC
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Map of proposed Midwest high-speed rail system.
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But other Cincinnatians are excited because they love traveling by train. For some, it is even nostalgic: They remember taking the James Whitcomb Riley passenger train to and from Chicago in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
“It was something,” says Ronnie Stahl, 75, of Fort Thomas. “It was made for Cincinnatians, and they used it. ... It would be wonderful if this happens.”
Train buffs love watching the countryside roll by. Rumbling tracks below. Blowing whistles. Spacious seats. Friendly people. Dining cars. Observation cars. The train's gentle swaying.
If federal, state and local money can be pulled together, Amtrak could upgrade tracks and crossings between here and Chicago and run a train that shuttles passengers between the two cities in 41/2 hours. U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater designated the corridor last week, making it possible for the states to apply for federal money.
The $300 million line would be five to seven years away if the money is found to upgrade tracks and crossings and buy trains that would travel up to 110 mph.
A high-speed train would renew a traditional link among Midwest businesses and commerce.
Business commuters see a travel option that would drop them off in downtown Chicago. They wouldn't have to waste time getting in from Chicago's airport and wouldn't have to pay for expensive parking.
But it's the train buffs who are excited for the ambiance.
Mr. Stahl remembers when trains were the way to go. He can picture the silver-sided James Whitcomb Riley pulling out of Cincinnati's Union Terminal at 8:30 every morning and dropping passengers off in the Chicago station at 51/2 hours later.
He was the depot passenger agent who took care of New York Central's matters at Union Terminal in the 1950s when New York Central operated the Riley.
And he paints a picture straight out of a 1940s movie. Union Terminal bustled and the Riley was packed. It wasn't uncommon for more than 400 people to board for the trip.
Food and drinks were served in diner and lounge cars. Adults and children packed the observation lounge.
Businessmen in fresh- pressed suits went to Chicago in the morning and came home to Cincinnati that same night with their suits a little wrinkled.
Baseball players rode the Riley to get to and from games. Celebrities including Cincinnati's Doris Day and Ruth Lyons used the Riley, too. At Union Terminal at 11 p.m., a taxicab dispatcher would wait for the Riley so he could get the passengers into cabs and get them home.
Interstate highways sped the demise of the Riley — one of at least 10 trains between Chicago and Cincinnati — and hundreds of others that left Union Terminal earlier this century.
Interstate 74 and I-65 followed the same route as the Riley, and cars offered independence.
Now, crowded interstates are part of the driving force behind reinventing the train system.
“Enough people have finally seen a saturation point,” says Symmes Township resident Mike Weber, who has studied Cincinnati's train history and is a member of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. “You add a lane and it fills up in two years. You add another road and it gets congested.”
Mr. Weber is excited about the possibility because trains are a wonderful way to see the country.
“It's a way to be social,” he says.
Contact her at 768-8389; fax: 768-8340; mail at 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202 or by e-mail at tmalbert@enquirer.com
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