Marquette Rail Santa Express

[Saturnalia]

MQT3001 looks out the window, sighs, and wishes the Santa train was today...

Some weather forecasts are putting rain/snows mixes on Friday, others on Saturday. Both agree about 40 on Fri and 37 on Sat.

[J T]

MQT3001 looks out the window, sighs, and wishes the Santa train was today...

Some weather forecasts are putting rain/snows mixes on Friday, others on Saturday. Both agree about 40 on Fri and 37 on Sat.

Yeah, today would have been a good day with the sticky snow that we got. It looked pretty nice on the trees north of GR. And because that, I went to Coop to catch the C&M Santa train with Brakeman Leese aboard.

[Saturnalia]

Is it true the schedule has been altered to discontinue the Sparta stop? Some family members claim they saw an article about it recently in the Advance Paper.....

[Clay320]

^ Depends who's standing at Sparta when they roll up..

[amtrak1007]

Is it true the schedule has been altered to discontinue the Sparta stop? Some family members claim they saw an article about it recently in the Advance Paper.....

I would highly doubt that considering one of the employees is believed to be from Sparta.

[Raildudes dad]

Believe it. The Advance had the story. MQT moved the train back a week but Sparta scheduled their Santa stuff for last week and since it was already advertised, Sparta is looking forward to the train returning in 2013. The train may be stopping but the usual village festivities apparently wont be happening.

Here's the article http://www.mlive.com/walker/index.ssf/2 ... lpine.html

[Saturnalia]

Believe it. The Advance had the story. MQT moved the train back a week but Sparta scheduled their Santa stuff for last week and since it was already advertised, Sparta is looking forward to the train returning in 2013. The train may be stopping but the usual village festivities apparently wont be happening.

Here's the article http://www.mlive.com/walker/index.ssf/2 ... lpine.html

So it looks like the old schedule was thrown out the window? Can someone post a new schedule if there is one?

[amtrak1007]

Believe it. The Advance had the story. MQT moved the train back a week but Sparta scheduled their Santa stuff for last week and since it was already advertised, Sparta is looking forward to the train returning in 2013. The train may be stopping but the usual village festivities apparently wont be happening.

Here's the article http://www.mlive.com/walker/index.ssf/2 ... lpine.html

So it looks like the old schedule was thrown out the window? Can someone post a new schedule if there is one?

do some deductive reasoning on the schedule posted and see what you think they might do.

[J T]

This sounds pretty silly to me. A Christmas-themed train with Santa aboard will be rolling through Sparta this Saturday and no one will be there to greet it? I don't think there needs to be scheduled Santa "stuff" in town this Saturday for people to come out to see the train. What, all the people who brought their children in past years to see the train are just going to stay home?

[KCS KNOCKE TOWER]

Oh my God, life happened and the stop didn't happen according to the original plan. Here is a fun little fact, there's going to be a train running on this Saturday the 15th. Watch it, follow it, participate if you want to. If the schedule would have changed drastically, I'm quite sure there would have been and additional press release. Interestingly enough though, if one were to read the original press release, at the bottom it reads "Times are approximate and station stops are subject to change." The ONE Plan failed, welcome to railroading. Oh, if any body is really keeping score, it's probably plan D or F, If they make it to plan Z, look for two high-rail trucks lashed together pulling a vandalized cab Or, even better, a Sleigh with high-rail wheels That should really give a great photo opportunity.

[J T]

Maybe a rep from the city of Sparta should have read this thread back in early November.

[Saturnalia]

Oh my God, life happened and the stop didn't happen according to the original plan. Here is a fun little fact, there's going to be a train running on this Saturday the 15th. Watch it, follow it, participate if you want to. If the schedule would have changed drastically, I'm quite sure there would have been and additional press release. Interestingly enough though, if one were to read the original press release, at the bottom it reads "Times are approximate and station stops are subject to change." The ONE Plan failed, welcome to railroading.

I know what it said. I'm asking for the updated schedule, if there is one.

[LSRC]

I know what it said. I'm asking for the updated schedule, if there is one.

My guess is that there won't be one. I'm sure the other towns along the line already have advertised the santa train, and thus, I don't think that the MQT would change it around. They'll probably either stop in Sparta for the few people that show up, or roll right through, slowing down or stopping somewhere in-between towns to kill time.

[bnsfben]

Hmmm, I don't know if I want to drive three hours to go see a train with a geep and a few cars in the pouring rain. 39 degrees and rain is just about the worst weather you can get in Michigan in my opinion.

[Standard Railfan]

Hmmm, I don't know if I want to drive three hours to go see a train with a geep and a few cars in the pouring rain. 39 degrees and rain is just about the worst weather you can get in Michigan in my opinion.

What a whimp...

[Saturnalia]

Hmmm, I don't know if I want to drive three hours to go see a train with a geep and a few cars in the pouring rain. 39 degrees and rain is just about the worst weather you can get in Michigan in my opinion.

A good part of the experience is the social aspect, especially in Comstock Park

I've already found a way to keep the rain off the video camera. 2 rubber bands and an umbrella

[tsinoms]

Hmmm, I don't know if I want to drive three hours to go see a train with a geep and a few cars in the pouring rain. 39 degrees and rain is just about the worst weather you can get in Michigan in my opinion.

What a whimp...

I second that. Come for the experience man! Should be fun either way!

[bnsfben]

It's just not worth the ~$45 in gas.

[Saturnalia]

The consist is in:

One boxcar, one C&O Caboose and one MQT Caboose, with the MQT 2005 leading the charge.

Main to Siding at Vans at 20:50 EST.

[sd70accsxt700]

Oh my I cant wait. Buddy.