SUMMER RAILFANNING SERIES PLANS AND THE NEW TRI-RAIL EXTENSION SUPPORT FANPAGE

I am happy to say that the Spring Semester of classes has come to an end at FIU and I am free for FOUR months... That is to say, I will be busy busy busy! at work with my hobbies, potential Learning Assistant job in the Summer A term, and other things.

First and foremost, the big announcement is that I am finally able to focus on an effort to bring Tri-Rail service into the Miami-Dade suburbs. This has been much overlooked over the years, as SFRTA probably focused more on the existing improvements. However, as 836 and other east-west roads continue to be a pain in the behind, the sparsely used CSX Lehigh Spur should come to mind and commuter rail should be designed to allow an option to avoid the ridiculous traffic on our roadways.

A fanpage has been started to kick off the efforts, which include a very sound and on-point vision of these specific transportation improvements. A dummy Trainz route has been tailored to simulate, to the best of my ability, this service. Traffic patterns have been tailored as well with consideration to the function of flow rather than the form of the roadways at intersections so one can see how the traffic should be modified.

You can go on and "LIKE" the fan-page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Floridians-for-Expanded-Tri-Rail-Service/381105252028714 

Here is a brief list of railfan engagements I am aware of and can plan for my "Four Month Summer": (note that summer is not quite Train Show season)

May 2014
National Train Day - Logistics TBD - Most likely Tampa, FL
Streamliners Event - Spencer, NC... Me, 50/50 on it... Most likely will be a group effort with SFRM

June 2014
Tampa Railfair - FSF Tampa, FL - 50/50
Various South Florida Railfan Mafia blitzes

July 2014
Random SFRM trips

August 2014
Same as July... lol

As usual, I will be a little more conservative with chasing outings and restrictive in favor of "good stuff", roadtrips, and the like

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