April 2006 Meeting Details
CAROLINAS ASSOCIATION FOR PASSENGER TRAINS CHARLESTON, S.C., MEETING APRIL 8, 2006 The Carolinas Association for Passenger Trains will meet in Charleston, S.C., on Saturday, April 8th. The location of the meeting will be Ryan's Steakhouse at 829 St. Andrews Blvd. (SC 61/171). This is very close to where the Seaboard Railroad line crossed the Ashley River, before the merger of ACL and Seaboard. The line was abandoned in favor of ACL's mainline, west of the city and the Ashley River. As a result, all rail traffic had to come into Charleston proper from the North Charleston area. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. Mega Bar on Saturday is $6.99. It includes salad bar, soup, dessert bar, and hot bar (various meats, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc...). You will also be able to order from the menu if you like. Sales tax is 8.5%. A 15% gratuity will be added onto each bill. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and end by 3:30 p.m. Peter Tecklenberg of Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) , will speak at 1 p.m. on plans for the new multi-modal transportation center for Amtrak, buses, and local transit. Afterward, the board of directors will have its business meeting. The agenda will include: update on printing of CAPT's new multi-colored brochure and map, Amtrak funding, and rail developments in the Carolinas. After the meeting, interested persons will get together to go to the site of the new multi-modal center, and perhaps view other rail spots in Charleston. For those driving to the meeting location, take I-26 southeast to Exit 216A (this is the first Cosgrove Avenue exit). Head south (to the right after the ramp ends) and cross the river bridge getting to the left lane as soon as possible. About a mile after the bridge, you fork to the left. Further south, SC 171 will merge with SC 61. At this point, get to the right lane. Ryan's will be on the right at the next traffic signal. For those coming by train, the southbound Silver Meteor arrives at 5:06 a.m. The northbound Palmetto arrives at 9:44 a.m. at the Amtrak station in North Charleston. Taxis are available at the train station. Charleston area CAPT member Larry Libater will meet passengers for these trains if you give us advance notice. Call (704) 377-4771 and leave your information, or send an email request to mwheeler1@carolina.rr.com. If you are planning to make it a weekend in Charleston, you have other train options. The southbound Palmetto arrives at 6:47 p.m., and the northbound Silver Meteor arrives at 8:19 p.m. Join us in April. This will be our first meeting in Charleston in a number of years. Our next meeting for the early-summer timeframe is slated for Fayetteville, N.C., in late May or in June. Martin Wheeler, Jr. President Carolinas Association for Passenger Trains |
