Rail fanning in the Lansing area

[MP73point4]

Has anybody ever heard if the JAIL was thinking of moving the dinner train from Charlotte to Lansing/Jackson? It sure would seem to me to be much more profitable to be on a route that actually goes somewhere and is longer then 2 miles. Besides the fact that the population bases are much bigger. they could even take advantage of both cities and start form opposite ends on alternate days or weekends. Jackson has the station for it and I sure a place in Lansing could be found. Heck the stations in Mason and Leslie are still in good shape and I bet the resteraunts that own them would love the extra business.

BTW the Depot Restaurant in Mason is one of the best greasy spoon's you'll ever come across even though they only do Breakfast and Lunch it is well worth it.

I'm not so sure either restaurant would want a dinner train 20 feet away. There won't be any extra business. People would be riding a dinner train. And yes, both places make an outstanding breakfast.
That said, I haven't heard they were considering changing the route, but I agree that the route change would bring it to a bigger market and make the ride a lot more interesting. Even Mason to Lansing would probably be OK in terms of length, although stopping short of crossing the CN would probably be wise operationally. Mason to Jackson and back would probably take too long. Maybe Mason to BFE and back for a southbound.
Of course, that would leave nothing on the trackage in/from Charlotte. Perhaps the end for that segment?

[AARR]

Of course, that would leave nothing on the trackage in/from Charlotte. Perhaps the end for that segment?

Unless CS picks up a freight customer or Amtrak adds it to their route the future is not bright

[SousaKerry]

The raw NXDN audio sounds a bit like someone is pressing the PTT button in the cab without saying anything. If I am picking those signals up, they must be somewhere in reception range.

Ok I think I have heard that a few times, just didn't know what was going on.

Funny that little ol JAIL is using newer technology then the big railroads who are lumbering along on analog wide ban still.

[Standard Railfan]

The raw NXDN audio sounds a bit like someone is pressing the PTT button in the cab without saying anything. If I am picking those signals up, they must be somewhere in reception range.

Ok I think I have heard that a few times, just didn't know what was going on.

Funny that little ol JAIL is using newer technology then the big railroads who are lumbering along on analog wide ban still.

It is much easier to change a radio system with a hand full of transceivers, base stations, and repeaters versus the thousands of units that a Class 1 has to change out.

Think of the cost of the transceivers alone. I would guess that a locomotive radio costs $1500+ times a couple thousand locomotives is a big ole pile of money.

The change over must also occur fairly quickly so as to not maintain two systems and risk having the wrong radio in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[SD80MAC]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought every railroad was narrow band now.

[brysonda]

Narrowband and NXDN digital are separate. Most use narrowband analog right now.