Rolling History

I love it when history and daily life coincide... I'm riding Metra bilevel car 7848 today. My dad likely rode this car in the early '70s.

Built by Pullman-Standard in 1970, it is one of only about a passenger dozen cars still in use today which wore the Chicago & North Western Railway's forest green and coach yellow livery.

The CNW was sold to the Union Pacific in 1995, ended intercity passenger service in 1971 when Amtrak was formed, and commuter service in 1974 when the Regional Transportation Authority was formed to take over commuter rail in the Chicago metro area.

RTA assumed ownership of the CNW's passenger cars and some locomotives (as they did with most other railroads providing commuter service in Chicago), and repainted them thru the late 70's.

In 2003, RTA started purchasing new equipment, and most of the older cars were sold for scrap years ago, but a handful still remaining intact were brought back into service when oil prices spiked in 2008.

This car was one of the few saved from the scrapper's torch. With the State of Illinois on its way to bankruptcy, it is possible it may see 50 years of service, as RTA doesn't have money to buy new equipment.

Up In The Air

I suppose it's just a bit ironic that I'm writing this from an Admirals Club as I get ready to leave on a Sunday, missing Valentine's Day with my wife, and instead of spending Presidents' Day with the kids, I'll be in meetings...

"Up In The Air" with George Clooney opened in theaters last year, and to much acclaim, if you're into airlines. Supporting cast included American Airlines, and there was no shortage of airline porn in the film, albeit not very realistic at all times...

For those who didn't realize, the movie came out of a book written by Walter Kirn, and a good one at that. I was on a delayed flight last December, and sought out the book to read onboard my flight once it finally left for Madrid, and then France. I'm not one to buy books to read on a flight, but made an exception for this, since it was highly reccommended by some friends. I was not disappointed...

Reading a book on an airplane about a guy who practically lives on an airplane is ironic at best. The more I read, the more I related with what was going on in the story, with a few exceptions. First of all, I didn't have a on-the-road mistress to meet up with every couple weeks, and the type of consulting I do is nowhere near what the guy in the book does (he's hired to fire people...). But, far too much of the story rang true. Living out of a suitcase, having the security checkpoint dance figured out, my love of the clubs and other perks that come along with elite status, and the drive to make sure that every dollar spent and mile flown was directed to maximize my frequent flyer mileage balance...

It's no shock that I'm an AAdvantage member. I worked for American Airlines for over 17 years, and living in the desert, I had one choice of airlines heading east, and one choice heading west (Southwest). So, I racked up elite status within three months of moving to the desert, and have managed to keep it with the move to the prairie. I like AA for some reason -- they meet my minimalist expectations, and they (or a oneworld alliance partner) serve most of the places I need to fly. So I fly on them. Thinking of flying someone else is like shopping at Lowes after having worked at Home Depot -- you just don't do it...

And the clubs... Yes, I'm writing this from an Admirals Club. It's not a place to get drunk. It's a place to charge my laptop, get on wifi (including to blog...), and have a Diet Coke or four before getting on a flight. I can't speak highly enough of the value this offers, so much that my VP agreed to change their policy on reimbursing memberships after I pushed the productivity gains...

Anyway, I digress. I saw the movie with my wife, and got elbowed in the ribs more than once for pointing at the screen and saying "I do that..."

If you haven't seen it, read the book. Then see it. You'll be a little disappointed perhaps, but both storylines are good, and speak to the "glamour" of life on the road these days. If you're married, well, don't get too many ideas (especially from the party scenes) if you intend to stay that way. I'd like to say more about the plot, but hate spoilers, so I won't.

Time to board with my Priority Access and head off into "Air-World"...