Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC/Toronto Wiki-Train

Please RSVP by this Friday Sep 8 with your passport info at: https://train.wikinyc.org ! (it goes to a google form).

The NYC→Toronto Wiki-Train is a special group trip to WikiConference North America 2023 on the Maple Leaf Amtrak service, with its initial departure on Wednesday November 8, in time for the GLAM Culture Crawl.

The northbound day-long train trip is mostly through the beautiful Upstate New York countryside (7:15 am - 7:43pm), and with enough participants we can probably get an exclusive car for Wikimedians.

We are planning discounted tickets for each one-way trip, $50 instead of approximately $134. Other travel and accommodation is on your own. Note that the trip involves a US-Canada border crossing, and you will need a passport or passport card.

The event is a successor to the 2017 Wiki-Train to Montreal, as well as the earlier 2012 Wiki-Bus to DC.

There is also an option to purchase tickets for a southbound return trip from Toronto→ New York City directly after WikiConference North America, on Monday November 13 (8:20 am - 9:16 pm), for the same price.

Information for border crossings

See this video to understand what will happen at border crossings going from US to Canada and from Canada to the US. (Despite the video, the train is 2 miles away from the falls which are visible only for a couple of seconds on the east side of the train.)

Interest in Nov 8

Those interested will need to provide us with your name, your passport ID number, your date of birth, the passport expiration date, and where your passport was issued. We will need this information prior to September 8.

NYC→Toronto

Wednesday November 8

(7:15 am - 7:43pm)

Pharos (talk) 02:56, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
-kosboot (talk) 02:57, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
– SJ + 12:19, 28 May 2023 (UTC) (esp for an entire train)[reply]
Jim.henderson (talk) 23:40, 1 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Legoktm (talk) 16:07, 11 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Mozucat (talk) (~~with possible +3~~) 20:40, 14 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
— MusikAnimal ^talk 22:24, 16 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
~ L 🌸 (talk) 01:39, 27 June 2023 (UTC) -- especially if I can get on the train at Albany-Rensselaer[reply]
Arrives at Albany-Rensselaer at 9:50 am; leaves at 10:10 am. kosboot (talk) 13:07, 13 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
— The Earwig (talk) 02:01, 27 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
DrX (talk) 20:59, 30 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Geraldshields11 (talk) 15:40, 2 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Jacobin 357 (talk) 15:26, 5 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Peaceray (talk) 04:31, 11 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 22:48, 14 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Newyorkbrad (talk) 23:33, 16 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Ronald Sexton (talk) 11:57, 20 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
--Turktimex3 (talk) 02:32, 25 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Airplaneman (talk) ✈ 20:57, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Heck yeah! Enterprisey (talk!) 03:17, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Tduk (talk) 16:55, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Will join the train in Yonkers RoySmith (talk) 19:41, 20 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
econterms (talk) 23:48, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 05:43, 9 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe

Probably? — Rhododendrites ^talk \\ 17:32, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
If I can re-arrange my travel to land in NYC, then I'm interested. Sounder Bruce 19:58, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Bluerasberry (talk) 15:49, 5 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Interest in Nov 13

The Maple Leaf train crosses the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, straddling the border between Ontario and New York

Those interested will need to provide us with your name, your passport ID number, your date of birth, the passport expiration date, and where your passport was issued.

Toronto→NYC

Monday November 13

(8:20 am - 9:16 pm)

Pharos (talk) 02:56, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
-kosboot (talk) 02:58, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Jim.henderson (talk) 10:29, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
~~Legoktm (talk) 16:07, 11 June 2023 (UTC)~~ I'm going to stay in Toronto a bit longer, so I won't be coming back with y'all :( Legoktm (talk) 03:26, 16 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
--Windblown29 (talk) 18:51, 11 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Mozucat (talk) (with possible +3) 20:40, 14 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
— MusikAnimal ^talk 22:24, 16 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
DrX (talk) 21:00, 30 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Geraldshields11 (talk) 15:40, 2 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Peaceray (talk) 04:31, 11 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 22:48, 14 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Newyorkbrad (talk) 23:34, 16 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
--Turktimex3 (talk) 02:32, 25 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Enterprisey (talk!) 03:17, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Tduk (talk) 16:55, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
RoySmith (talk) 19:41, 20 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
econterms (talk) 23:48, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Bluerasberry (talk) 15:49, 5 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
...

Maybe not

~~Somewhat less~~ probably? — Rhododendrites ^talk \\ 17:32, 28 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Timetable

Union Station grand hall in Toronto - makes one want to imagine the demolished Penn Station

(arrival/departure times) Amtrak train 63 Maple Leaf

7:15a - Departs New York, NY - Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Sta.(NYP) -
7:44a | 7:44a - Yonkers, NY (YNY)
8:03a | 8:03a - Croton-Harmon, NY (CRT)
8:45a | 8:45a - Poughkeepsie, NY (POU)
8:58a | 9:00a - Rhinecliff, NY (RHI)
9:20a | 9:21a - Hudson, NY (HUD)
9:50a | 10:10a - Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)
10:34a | 10:34a - Schenectady, NY (SDY)
10:52a | 10:52a - Amsterdam, NY (AMS)
11:50a | 11:50a - Utica, NY (UCA)
12:03p | 12:03p - Rome, NY (ROM)
12:54p | 12:54p - Syracuse, NY - Regional Transportation Center (SYR)
2:10p | 2:10p - Rochester, NY - Louise M. Slaughter Station (ROC)
3:16p | 3:16p - Buffalo, NY - Depew Station (BUF)
3:29p | 3:29p - Buffalo, NY - Exchange Street Station (BFX)
4:39p | 4:41p - Niagara Falls, NY (NFL)
4:42p Canadian Border
- Amtrak services that cross the US-Canadian border are subject to inspection by Canadian and American law enforcement officials. Passengers will detrain with baggage at the border, should be prepared to show the ID selected when making reservations and will reboard the same train.

(Remainder of trip operated by VIA Rail Canada, Train 98)

6:03p | 6:03p - St. Catharines, ON (SCA)
6:22p | 6:22p - Grimsby, ON (GMS)
6:59p | 6:59p - Aldershot, ON (AST)
7:14p | 7:14p - Oakville, ON (OKL)
7:30p Toronto, ON - Union Station (TWO)

Thinking outside the train

Possible sponsorships:

An Amtrak collab around climate + public transit; including
Photo crawls and Edit-a-thons: stations along the route ("Common in 60 seconds" photo crawls at each stop?), more detailed coverage of architecture and official areas of the start + end stations
Something about the Niagra Falls station (approximately 90-minute layover only when crossing from Canada to the US and going through Customs)

General railthusia: intersecting lines, specific trains passed, modern rail technology (cars, safety, physics)

While it has a Wikipedia article, the train to/from Toronto (The Maple Leaf), lacks an article on WikiVoyage.
NY / Toronto; including
NY greenlands along the way (valley, finger lakes, falls)

Coverage of city rail infra
US federal. Currently: the most Amtrak-friendly administration we'll ever have.
Canada federal?
WikiCred to host credibility-related activities
WikiVoyage has articles on trains, but lacks an article on the Maple Leaf