Passenger Trains > Illinois State Fair service

My daughters and wife asked if we could take Amtrak from Joliet to Springfield to attend the State Fair.  I called the State Fair facility to see if shuttle service was available between the Amtrak station and State Fairgrounds.  Springfield Mass Transit has connecting bus service but it stops at 6pm Saturday.  (The Day we want to go)  Apparently the powers to be didn't think about shuttle service for those wanting to save on gas.  I guess this party of eight is going to drive in two vehicles to the fair.  We would have taken 303 down and return on 306.  Oh Well.  Dan Tracy

U cant uber or lyft  back to the station afterwards?  

Another example of government at work. This should be a no brainer, but if they normally cut off service on Saturday at 6pm, who cares if people want to go to, or leave the 'once a year ' state fair? Our agreement says we stop at 6.

Posted from Android

What is your source of schedule information?  When I looked at Amtrak's schedule, there was no Train 303 from Joliet to Springfield.  There is a Train 301 departing Joliet at 8:12 am arriving at Springfield at 10:20 am.  You can return from the fair on a bus to catch Train 318 departing at Springfield at 4:51 pm.  That gives you 6 1/2 hours at the fair (exluding travel time from and to the Amtrak station.  You can extend your time at the fair a bit and take the last bus to the station area.  While you wait, you and your family can grab a dinner before boarding Train 306 departing at 7:30 pm.

Without knowing the Springfield transit service provided pre-covid, it's difficult to comment knowledgeably on this year's absence of service after 6:00 pm on a Saturday.  However, it's Springfield's transit system is like other transportation providers (airlines, freight railroads, intercity bus companies, other public transit authorities, and, yes, even Amtrak), maybe it does not have a sufficient number of drivers to commit to providing service on a Saturday evening.

P Wrote:
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> Another example of government at work. This
> should be a no brainer, but if they normally cut
> off service on Saturday at 6pm, who cares if
> people want to go to, or leave the 'once a year '
> state fair? Our agreement says we stop at 6.
>
> Posted from Android

Private sector airlines and intercity bus companies have canceled trips and/or severely reduce their schedules.  Recently many Greyhound travelers have been stranded in Pittsburgh due to lack of drivers:  

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/greyhound-passengers-stranded-in-pittsburgh/

 

dt8089 Wrote:
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> My daughters and wife asked if we could take
> Amtrak from Joliet to Springfield to attend the
> State Fair.  I called the State Fair facility to
> see if shuttle service was available between the
> Amtrak station and State Fairgrounds. 
> Springfield Mass Transit has connecting bus
> service but it stops at 6pm Saturday.  (The Day
> we want to go)  Apparently the powers to be
> didn't think about shuttle service for those
> wanting to save on gas.  I guess this party of
> eight is going to drive in two vehicles to the
> fair.  We would have taken 303 down and return on
> 306.  Oh Well.  Dan Tracy

See this link below. The special SMTD State Fair bus service runs later then 6pm
https://www.smtd.org/route801


Back in the day the there was a spur off the GM&O that ran down the east boundary of the Fair Grounds. Chicago politicians would charter special trains and be dropped off right at the grounds



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/22 19:01 by Spoony81.

Spoony81 Wrote:
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> See this link below. The special SMTD State Fair
> bus service runs later then 6pm
> https://www.smtd.org/route801
>
That schedule is for weekday service.  The OP and his family will be going to the fair on a Saturday.
 

RuleG Wrote:
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> Spoony81 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > See this link below. The special SMTD State
> Fair
> > bus service runs later then 6pm
> > https://www.smtd.org/route801
> >
> That schedule is for weekday service.  The OP and
> his family will be going to the fair on a
> Saturday.
>  

Duh on me. I thought it was service for all fair nights fair when I clicked on it.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/22 19:17 by Spoony81.

Spoony81 Wrote:
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> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Spoony81 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> >
> > > See this link below. The special SMTD State
> > Fair
> > > bus service runs later then 6pm
> > > https://www.smtd.org/route801
> > >
> > That schedule is for weekday service.  The OP
> and
> > his family will be going to the fair on a
> > Saturday.
> >  
>
> Duh on me. I thought it was service for all fair
> nights fair when I clicked on it.

That would make too much sense for Illinois. Why would anyone want to go to the state fair on a weekend?

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> That would make too much sense for Illinois. Why
> would anyone want to go to the state fair on a
> weekend?

Um, maybe because he and members of his family work during the week?

That was surely sarcasm.

In the early 1980's the 20th Century Railroad Club and Amtrak ran a special train to the fair with an early morning departure from Union Station. The train parked on a siding near the fairgrounds; it was a short walk to the entrance. Departed from the fair late afternoon/early evening.

ironmtn Wrote:
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> DevalDragon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That would make too much sense for Illinois.
> Why
> > would anyone want to go to the state fair on a
> > weekend?
>
> Um, maybe because he and members of his family
> work during the week?

You really should delete your dumb comment, since you are unable to understand the sarcasm that was DevalDragons post.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> ironmtn Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > DevalDragon Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > That would make too much sense for Illinois.
> > Why
> > > would anyone want to go to the state fair on
> a
> > > weekend?
> >
> > Um, maybe because he and members of his family
> > work during the week?
>
> You really should delete your dumb comment, since
> you are unable to understand the sarcasm that was
> DevalDragons post.


As should you.  It was already pointed out by someone that it was sarcasm.  Do you really need to pile on?

And my comment was sarcastic, too. I knew full well that DevalDragon was being sarcastic. Sorry that could not be understood.

Here is a 1958 view of the fairgrounds looking NW. You can see the rail spur crossing Peoria Rd and Sangamon Ave and running along the east side of the grounds
I also attached and labeled an aerial with an unknown date from the Sangamon Valley Connection

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---

That's one the issues with the written word. It can be taken in many ways, sometimes quite literally, ways unintended by the original writer  My suggestion is if the intention is humor or sarcasm, convey that in the sentence.  Ie....add the connotation *humor*. *sarcasm* or *smile* :).  If you choose not to, be prepared for the slings and arrows aimed at you by those who misinterpret and are not willing to hold their tounge, and the flame war that ensues. 

    Nuff said

      Tom

Where is the Illinois Terminal in the aerial view.
I have only been to Springfield once.

Jim Baker, Whittier , CA

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

JimBaker Wrote:
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> Where is the Illinois Terminal in the aerial
> view.
> I have only been to Springfield once.
>
> Jim Baker, Whittier , CA

Several miles to the east (right) in this picture

Excellent aerial photos of the fairgrounds and the relationship to the GM&O. Thank you. I had not looked it up, but as the discussion progressed I had a recollection that a connection to a point near the fairgrounds was at Ridgely Tower. I rode past Ridgely many times on GM&O and Amtrak trains between my family's home in St. Louis and college and later living in Chicago. Ridgely and the fairgrounds visible not far away were a landmark for me on every trip.

To the OP's original point and the discussion about shuttle / transit service in Springfield. Transit systems almost always in my experience cut their services back on weekend days, and particularly in the evening hours. I've found it to be the case not only in smaller cities like Springfield, but even in the biggest metro areas. I've nearly been stranded far from where my car was parked, or from my hotel or the Amtrak station where I was to board an evening train because I went on a lark to ride some rail transit line late in the afternoon -- and didn't pay close attention to the schedule and the reduction of service that occurred after 6:00 PM. Particularly on a weekend day. One memorable ride on the Staten Island Rapid Transit in the New York City area almost left me completely stranded far onto Staten Island, with almost no practical means to get back to St. George and the ferry back to Manhattan. A very close call. Even though the ride on the SIRT was absolutely fascinating - risky yes, but so glad I did it.

All that said, one would hope that the transit system in Springfield could mount a continuing shuttle service farther into the evening to accommodate State Fair traffic, and connection with later Amtrak trains. But as has been pointed out, at a time when labor is so seriously constrained, there may not be the personnel and hours of service available to mount the service. Or the budgetary means and union contract provisions to do so. Or maybe it's been done, and actual demand just did not prove to justify its continuation in subsequent years. Special services like that can place a strain on a smaller transit system. One would hope that it could be mounted, but maybe it is just not feasible, unfortunate as that is..

ironmtn Wrote:
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> And my comment was sarcastic, too. I knew full
> well that DevalDragon was being sarcastic. Sorry
> that could not be understood.

My comment above diverted the discussion from the OP's original point, and I apologize. It should not have happened. I have a desert-dry sense of humor, and sometimes answer sarcasm like DevalDragon's comment with more sarcasm. I should have known better, as that has sometimes in the past fallen flat, and even offended. A former boss (who was terrific), and whose sense of humor was even dryer than mine, could sometimes trade comments with me that almost no one else understood. They weren't hurtful, just very, very wry. And often we would answer sarcasm with more sarcasm. He called it "jiu-jitsu humor".

In any case, I apologize to the OP and all for the unnecessary diversion. Thanks again for the excellent photos, and to everyone for the points made.

MC