NS line still next to Martinsville track....

[rixflix]

I dunno. Back in architecture school, I got an (only rumored to exist) A-plus for my Peking Embassy project.. Going North on whatever boulevard, you would hang a left through a discreet little booth, drive over the width of a large rectangular pond that acted
as a ha-ha (as the Brits would say) in lieu of a defensive wall. Extending to the right was a bank of terraced, stadium style housing units for the staff. To the left was the gut workings of an embassy. Sort of looked like a concrete frigate with antenna's and stuff on top.. Dead ahead as you bridged the pond was a LARGE porte-cochere. It was a
cube hollowed by completely circular openings on four sides. The driveway did a circle inside this (think of PRR's Pittsburgh entry only completing it's arches below and underwater) and let the visitor into the reception and ceremonial spaces.
At the end of this procession was a mini-Fenway!!! Have you seen those rollup security gates that are composed of little slats and links and make a clinkety kind of sound while in motion? Everything behind them shimmers when they are activated. Anyway, right field was deep, with the backside of the concrete housing terrace almost overhanging. Shops, saunas, day-cares, laundries, clinics and also mezzanine seats with meditative spaces were to have been here, connected by the type of walkways that Mel and Ernie and Vin would have loved. The third base line would have featured wierd
concrete and metal projections from the embassy's business side. I was into Paul Wurthman's stuff on liveable neighborhoods at the time, and made sure that backyard field could be also be laid out for football and soccer. Seeing how the Chinese play table tennis, I guess that game could have used up some space out back too.
And the pond out front!!! The Chinese apparently love ice. Roasted chestnuts, have a marshmallow kid. Uh-oh, Here comes Howe, back to Lindsay , down to Delvecchio, SCORE!!!!!


I guess that certain ballparks and railroad stations and speedways are in us forever.
and will always be shrines for the soul to go back to when it needs to. I call 'em Cathedrals. Never mind the burnt oil and french fry hazeat Reading Fairgrounds.

I'm pretty sure Bill Veeck would have signed for an apartment in the Embassy.

Rix

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

Baltimore I believe has tracks right next to it and I believe they actually are used for trains bringing in baseball fans....at least that used to happen. Anyone out there know for sure....

Both MARC and the light rail system stop at Camden Yards. Rode the light rail up from BWI for a game while in the area on business; after the game I was probably back at my motel room before some people got out of the parking lot at the yards. A lot of people did ride the trains, though.[:D]

[rixflix]

O.Winston Link would've loved the scene.
Remember the big N&W artic' wrapping itself around the drive-in movie?
And the train through centerfield in "Brewster's Millions"?
And the red subway cars on the elevated tracks behind old Yankee Stadium, on three minute headways in both directions on a Sunday?
Hooray for safety, but some of us remember those times when you didn't have to be chemically enhanced to enjoy the rush of derring-do.
The Tigers had just swept a doubleheader from the Yanks in one of those July 4th deals the AL used to set up circa 1960. Three years in a row, Tigers -Yankees July 4. Think of Lion-Packer Thanksgiving Day games a little earlier. A real mudfight!!! It ended late, I think Chico Fernandez stole home and we had to catch a train that Sunday night before PRR got a little slow. Zoomed down the IRT into Penn Station (one of my favorite cathedrals) and Dad in the lead, jogged then ran for the bottom door that the conductor opened for us as the train was pulling out. A more proud (of my Dad} and happy baseball fan couldn't have been found in diner or train that evening..
I am a faithful Reading person and grew up not liking PRR much, but man oh man the Pennsy could handle and soothe you!!!

Richard

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Train Guy 3

I dream of a speedway where the rail line runs throught the race track itself, then i can ride the train right in and get off and go to the pits.

That's one crazy dream. [:D]

[Modelcar]

....I believe it was Mike Joy that mentioned something about the fans walking down the tracks after the Martinsville race...and maybe he did it again yesterday...Wonder, he may be a rail fan.

[Modelcar]

....Darn, I missed rail cars at the California track.....I didn't see 100% of race but did see a big portion of it. I simply missed any rail cars within the view. I don't miss something like that very often.
Aggree....baseball can be ever so boring.

[Train Guy 3]

I dream of a speedway where the rail line runs throught the race track itself, then i can ride the train right in and get off and go to the pits.

[michaelstevens]

How on earth did this thread get linked with base ball (the world's most boring sport -- cricket doesn't even come close !!) ??

What about those CALTRANS train sets parked off the back stretch at Calfornicate Speedway, yesterday ?? -- and the Fox plug about "getting there by train" ??

[swknox]

YES. Baltimore does have tracks that bring in Fans for the O's games. I believe its MARC trains but don't quote me on that. But this helps ease the congestion with parking and the amount of cars going and leaving at the games end. Here in Delaware we are supposed to be getting commuter trains down to Dover from Wilmington in a few years although I'm not sure who will be running the show, but it would be nice if they built a track to DOVER DOWNS Int. Raceway so it would not take me 4 hrs to get home when I'm only 30 min away. No no wait, I live south of Dover so I guess I would still have to drive. If we could only talk them into extending trains down to Harrington then I could ride... The traffic on Rt. 13 and Rt. 1 and 404 is getting terrible esp from out of staters who just go to the frekkin beach.

[heavyd]

Oh that is going to bug me about the ball park!!! Last year during the playoffs one of the teams the Yankees played has busy tracks next to the park. I am a Yankee fan and I watch the entire games and every 15 mins it seemed you could hear train horns. The tv play-by-play anouncer even mentioned that the noise was train horns and that the park was right next to the tracks. Ok they played Minnesota then Boston and finally Florida. I am guessing Boston maybe?

[Modelcar]

Baltimore I believe has tracks right next to it and I believe they actually are used for trains bringing in baseball fans....at least that used to happen. Anyone out there know for sure....

[broncoman]

I don't know how fast trains normally go through there, but it seems it would have been cool to build the stands over the tracks (like a snowshed). Could use some plexiglass on the sides and top for the occasional railfanning while the yellow/red flags were going on. Isn't there an elevated line that runs near/right next to a ball park. Thought is was Chicago but could be wrong

[Modelcar]

...With the upcoming changes it seems all will be better off...Fans safer and the NS will have less concern for people safety and the [race], track seating will gain some capacity....The only thing that possibly will be missing will be the absence of viewing the RR tracks from TV and hence maybe a train during the race.

[Train Guy 3]

The track is to be moved back and the new seats will be added to the backstretch after the fall Winston.... ummm... NEXTEL Cup race on October the 24. The seats were to be added in last year before the fall race but instead seats were added over-top the suites in turns 1 and 2.
I loved that train..... combined my 2 loves at once, trains and NASCAR. I snaped a few shots of it. The engineer even gave a freindly wave and a blow of the horn ( possibly to the idiots on the tracks) to the fans. I believe the 3rd loco was a Conrail, I'll watch my tape to find out. Did anyone see the 2 NS pushers on the end of the train?

[heavyd]

I'll help relocate the tracks for free NASCAR tickets!!!!

[Modelcar]

I'll be civil about this....and I also happen to have a "3" on the back window of one of my vehicles. "Unknown" Gordon happens to have 4 championships and more wins in a shorter period of time than any other modern era driver. And as for the NS railroad, I would wager they won't be paying for the relocation of track that will be benefitting another concern.

[michaelstevens]

Rusty's win was definiteley "one for the old folks".
Pretty sure that I heard (during the TV show) that M'ville and NS have a deal for the "shoofly" -- M'ville pays..

Who's Jeff Gordon ??

If it doesn't have a "3" or an "E" on the side; it isn't worth watching !!

Talledega here we come !!

[Modelcar]

Jeff is the one that suffered the damage and lost track position from the track failure.

[Anonymous]

....What about Matt Kenseth, Dale Jarret, and Jeff Burton?

At least Rusty won the thing, although I wish he could have won it in a [bow]FORD.[bow]

[Modelcar]

....If the darned track would not have damaged Jeff's car Sunday he would have had a great chance of winning it....Again...!

[wcfan4ever]

According to NASCAR.com, the tracks are to be moved and the seating is going to be enlarged. Right now they have 93,000 seats and want around 100,000. This is the first year since 1996 that I missed a Martinsville race on TV and i've only seen one train go through. ~GO JG!~

[pmsteamman]

I am hopping the NS placed a slow order on this section of track near the "track" for the simple reason of the amount of people that attented the race, there is bound to be someone walking near the track . I have seen CSX do this for a parade, with the instructions to be on the look out for people on or about the track.

[bnsfkline]

This would be the best place to stage an Operation Lifesaver event, during a NASCAR Nextell Cup race........Let J. Gordon be the victim

[UPTRAIN]

Take ur camera...watch the race and railfan...like killing two birds with one 12 guage shell [;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by heavyd

I saw the tracks, you can see it every time they go to the blimp over the race track. With about 120 laps to go a NS unit coal train went by, (very slow, I'm sure the crew wanted to watch for fans and some action!) Even one of the tv race commentators, I think it was ol D.W. said "Hey look, here comes a train!" The cameras panned over to to it and you can really see how close the tracks are and NO FENCE! That really surprized me! But they could add several thousand seats if those tracks weren't there. It would be neat to build seats over the tracks then fans can't walk along them any more.

I saw that too. ( was there an old Conrail unit on that coal drag, too?

[Modelcar]

heavyd...It is my understanding the tracks are to be moved away from the back stretch side of the track about 350 ft....and yes, then extend the capacity of the stands and....by removing the tracks beyond the parking lot people won't have to cross over them to access the track, etc....I missed the train passing yesterday...was away from watching it at times.

[heavyd]

I saw the tracks, you can see it every time they go to the blimp over the race track. With about 120 laps to go a NS unit coal train went by, (very slow, I'm sure the crew wanted to watch for fans and some action!) Even one of the tv race commentators, I think it was ol D.W. said "Hey look, here comes a train!" The cameras panned over to to it and you can really see how close the tracks are and NO FENCE! That really surprized me! But they could add several thousand seats if those tracks weren't there. It would be neat to build seats over the tracks then fans can't walk along them any more.

[TH&B]

People walking on the tracks is as American as apple pie, although also the Russians do it in Russia.

[Modelcar]

....Yes, we hope the folks would move if activity on the track appears....but I couldn't believe how many were walking down the tracks to perhaps where they had parked after the race. The rails are real shiny there and I have seen trains go through while a race is being run...Dozens of people were not only walking on the ROW, but between the rails,etc....The info I read was this work was to start after last season and I didn't see any change from the aerial views I saw yesterday....