What is this? FreeRepublic is blocked on Amtrak WIFI as an offensive site!

Swordmaker | November 27, 2014 | Swordmaker

[Swordmaker]

Yesterday, my girlfriend and I borded an Amtrak passenger train in Stockton to travel to visit her friends in Visalia for Thanksgiving. Amtrak offers its passengers free WIFI as part of their amenities on the trip. As part of the log on, it specifies that Amtrak block access to "offensive" web sites, but otherwise allows free access to the Internet. I agreed to their conditions and found myself connected.

Four attempts to connect to FreeRepublic resulted in being notified that my browser could not connect to the server! Thinking FR might be down, I turned off my WIFI, and reverted to my cellular connection, and was instantly connected to FreeRepublic. Turn on WIFI, no FreeRepublic. MSNBC, there. CNN, likewise. There. But FR, is BLOCKED as an offensive website! I am offended.

[ExCTCitizen]

What I would like to see is a private company (like Florida East Coast starting passenger service).

[ExCTCitizen]

Yes, I'm a FERROEQUINOLOGIST. I've been one since I remember seeing the New Haven hauling auto racks through my town to Boston.

In Connecticut, they are relaying the second - a third - tracks in for the new NewHaven-Hartford-Spingfield commuter rail. The line is used as freight for PanAm, CSX and for ConnecticutSouthern, and for the Vermonter.

I have a nice model railroad layout of the New Haven updated today. (With a business friendly Connecticut having a few manufacturing complexes.) The route I have model is the old Airline Route. The route was the route of the fastest New York to Boston passenger train (1880s) until 1990s when Amtrak electrified New Haven to Boston Shoreline route. The train was the New England Limitef , nicknamed the Ghost Train.

[ExCTCitizen]

You can’t. Ferroequinologist is the study of the iron horse.

[nascarnation]

La Quinta is headquartered in Texas (Irving)
It’s traded on the NYSE and the major holder of the stock is Blackstone Group.

[Tucker39]

That torques me even more! A Texas corporation blocking non-leftist TV networks? Massachusetts, maybe; but TEXAS?
I’m going to write to corporate headquarters and see if this came from the top or if it’s a rogue manager in Ocean City.
Thanks.

[nascarnation]

I wouldn’t necessarily think it was blocked on purpose.
My experience is that tv coverage in motels is kind of random.
Did you query management?

[NoCmpromiz]

like Florida East Coast starting passenger service

...to Key West... ;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

Sure he can steal it.

Over the years many iron horses have been stolen. There was even a Civil War movie made about one of them... Starred Fess Parker as I remember... ;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

New Haven RR...

Don't know much about their CT operations, but in these parts they are remembered for a huge yard in a place called Maybrook and a certain bridge over the Hudson at Poughkepsie about which persistent rumors still float concerning Conrail and torching their own bridge...

Maybrook now has only a single track going through it over which the Middletown and New Jersey (owned by East Penn RR) operates to service their lone customer on the line. From a little ways north of I84, the rest of the New Haven tracks are pulled. When they converted the Poughkepsie Bridge to the Walkway Over the Hudson, there are many reports that the bridge was no where nearly as damaged from the fire as Conrail stated. Not that it would do any good now since all the track leading to it on both sides of the river is gone. If the bridge were still in operation it certainly would have altered the face of railroading in this part of NY (and NJ as well) from what we see today.

By the way, does your NH model include a real smoking Cos Cob plant, of is that a different section?? ;-)

[ExCTCitizen]

On the Railroad.net website, I am always telling people that PennCentral did torch the bridge. I have heard from an ex New Haven engineer who drove the last locomotive over the bridge. He said that PC officials were at the bridge and half hour later it got on fire.

The 'Airline Route' was a branch that went from New Haven northeast to Boston. In 1955, it was the beginning of the end of the 'Airline', when a bridge got damaged by a hurricane. Today, thesection from New Haven to Portland is owned by the Providence and Worcester RR and the other section is part of CSX and MBTA.