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Geno Dailey: Just Who Is This Guy Anyway???
  Wow! A page about me, where do I begin??? OK, My name is Geno Dailey (I know you already knew that), I'm 42 years old and I'm from just outside Buffalo, NY. I've been a railfan for just about all of my life and have been a train photographer since 1994. Train travel has always fascinated me. Some of my earliest memories of train travel involved excursion trains when I was in grade and high school! I started riding Amtrak in July 1996 and have since completed 67 trips of varying length from across the state to across the country!
  Outside of train travel and photography, I enjoy railfanning in general around Western New York as well as volunteering with the Western New York Railway Historical Society where I volunteer to work safety crew on excursion trains operated by the Medina Railroad Museum in Medina, NY. I believe I got the knack for phototography because my parents are professional wedding photographers with over 40 years in the business. On this page you'll find out a little more about the guy behind the camera who runs this site!
 
 So, Does This Guy Really Have A Life?:
 
 Well, yes, actually, I am 1998 Graduate of Erie Community College - South Campus with an Associates Degree in Communication & Media Arts. I'm also a 2001 graduate of Medaille College (also in Buffalo) with a Bachelor's Degree in Media/Communications. I currently work in Customer Service for a Fortune 500 Company.
  Outside of work and running this site, I also enjoy DJ'ing weddings and computers in general. Since 2002, I have built my own desktop computer and have realized that you will never be happier with a computer than you will be if you build it yourself! I have my father to thank for that as it was he who taught me how to not only use a camera, but to build a computer as well, Thanks Dad! I also enjoy working out! I'm a member of Anytime Fitness, a great 24 hour gym with locations nationwide! I said before, I enjoy DJ'ing, so I'm very much into music (Pop & Country specifically). Living in Western New York, I'm a big fan of pizza & chicken wings, Buffalo Bills football, & Buffalo Sabres Hockey. I'm a huge fan of Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH and 2019 will mark my 28th straight year visiting that incredible park! I also did a marketing internship there back in 2001! Two things I absolutely can't stand are winter weather and coffee (Diet Pepsi Please!)...
 
 Why Do I Run This Site?:
 
 Well, thats easy actually! I love seeing this beautiful country of ours and Amtrak provides one of the best ways to do just that! There is so much out there to see and I want anyone who is considering taking a trip by train to get an idea of what they will see by reading one of my travelogues! I also want to see Amtrak succeed! I believe we need passenger rail as part of a balanced national transportation system. New routes, expanded service, and even additional trains like the Auto Train would be great. The convenience factor of having your own car waiting for you at the end of your train ride is a great thing! For the railfan, I maintain a huge collection of roster photos. My hope is that if you're building a model of an Amtrak locomotive or passenger car, you might find a prototype photo here to help you in creating your model. Also, if you've rode the train at one point or another, you might find a roster photo of the locomotive that pulled your train or the car you rode in! I also want to show Amtrak in scenic locations across our beautiful country!
 
 Some Travel Advice:
 
 I've travelled over 87,000 miles on Amtrak since my first trip in 1996 and have learned a lot about trip planning and what you should do to make sure your trip goes well. Some of my best advice would have to include some simple common sense things that will help ensure your trip goes smoothly. Amtrak maintains an official list of tips on its web site and in the timetable so see their web site for their official travel tips. What you see below is what I've learned in 23 years of Amtrak travel:

1. MAKE RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE: Booking your trip on the day you plan to leave is usually much more expensive than planning ahead! Amtrak tends to have lower fares if you book online and they also maintain a great frequent traveler program called "Amtrak Guest Rewards" which allows you to earn points that can be used towards free Amtrak travel and other rewards.

2. ARRIVE EARLY: At least a 1/2 hour unless you're checking baggage, then I would arrive at least 1 hour before. Also, if you're boarding at a very busy station (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York Penn Station, etc.) then arriving early is essential so you can get your baggage checked in time and take care of any other business you need to take care of and find out which track your train will be departing from so you are waiting at the right place for your boarding call.

3. LABEL YOUR LUGGAGE: Make sure you have luggage tags on both the outside and inside of all of your luggage. Amtrak has tags available at the station for free. If they're not at the ticket counter, just ask.

4. BRING PHOTO ID: Amtrak requires valid government-issued photo ID when purchasing tickets and checking baggage and you may also be asked to show it while onboard the train when your ticket is lifted. You'll also need ID if you plan to buy an alcoholic beverage on the train as you have to be 21 years old to purchase alcohol onboard and may be asked to show ID to prove your age.

5. PUT AWAY YOUR LUGGAGE QUICKLY: When you board, it is best to put your baggage in the overhead rack (or in the luggage rack at the end of the car or on the lower level of a Superliner) in your coach as soon as you find your seat. The walkway (and stairway in a Superliner) is narrow and if you're boarding with a lot of people, it will slow down the line if your bags are in the way!

6. USE HEADPHONES FOR PERSONAL ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT: Today, people bring laptop computers as well as smartphones and other gadgets onboard. Railfans tend to sometimes bring scanners as well. Whatever you do, bring headphones! The rest of the coach doesn't need to hear the movie you're watching or the radio frequency you're listening to. It's common courtesy to do this.

7. BRING A SURGE PROTECTOR: Amtrak's electric power is supplied by the locomotive and though it's very reliable, its good practice to bring a surge protector with you if you plan on plugging in your laptop, cell phone, digital camera, etc to charge the batteries (you should also do this at home as well). Most coaches have AC outlets at each seat and sleeping cars have outlets in every room.

8. KEEP YOUR PHONE CALLS SHORT AND SWEET!: Nobody really wants to hear your personal phone conversations when they're trying to enjoy the trip, read a book, take pictures, etc. Keep your calls short and don't talk too loud, again, common courtesy! Some trains have a "Quiet Car" which you won't be able to use your phone in at all.

9. JUST HAVE FUN!: Train travel is a great way to see this country! You'll meet people you otherwise would never meet from all over the country (and sometimes all over the world!)! Take pictures! Enjoy a snack in the lounge car, or a hot meal in the diner if your train has one. There's no better way to see America than from the view through the window of an Amtrak train!