Amtrak Autumn Express Thread

usroadman wrote:Side note: Just wondering who from here was sitting near the front of the 4th car on Sunday (near the woman who worked at the Valley RR in CT)? I heard someone mention railroad.net just as we got to NYP, but they were gone before I got up there. I was in the middle of the car.

I move fast I was talking with Danielle from Essex Steam Train and her friend Drew, as well as a couple of other folks. Most of the trip I was pretty quiet, just really into the route, scenery, and history. After we got onto the Keystone line, there was less to see so I had more time to socialize. I was wearing an Army PT jacket (I'm retired Army and Army Reserve).

It was a good time. I agree with a lot of your points. I think the NYP station staff were, as usual, pretty Meh. Some are nicer than others or more helpful. They're not exactly proactive. When I got to the seating area in Penn, I waited for a few minutes before before they'd even break their bull session to talk to me. But as for the actual train staff and volunteers, those guys did a great job! Lancaster was a bit of a cluster, but it is what it is.

Gotta say the Autumn Express was a great time! Hats off to the crew and volunteers who made all of it happen. Got to agree about the service at NYP, its honestly a shame how bad that station can be sometimes, I usually try to spend as little time there as possible.

I'm curious about how they handled the runby at Lancaster; apparently they had to make room for 670's station stop, as well as 615's stop on Sunday, and there isn't a lot of trackage left there nowadays.

hazmatmess wrote:This was the exact moment on Sunday that I told my son we were riding the Autumn Express.

Mr. Beddard, if there were a way to have your precious photo properly pointed, it would be just great.

ExCon90 wrote:I'm curious about how they handled the runby at Lancaster; apparently they had to make room for 670's station stop, as well as 615's stop on Sunday, and there isn't a lot of trackage left there nowadays.

Both trains had cleared Lancaster before we arrived on Sunday, from my FB posts I'd guess about 3:20 when we arrived. I'm guessing that's why we were held in Harrisburg and slow part of the way to Lancaster. No other trains entered the station while we were there.

Thanks for the reply; it would really have taken some juggling if 670 had had to overtake the special around Lancaster.

It certainly appears that Amtrak has the fantrip/excursion "game plan/execution" down pat - unlike the privately sponsored ones I went on "back in my day".

Have to wonder why they are of zilch interest to me anymore

Something to do with the Metroliner-era Amfleet windows? Hard enough to see out of if you have a window seat. (Although it's certainly a big help when the people planning the trip are the same ones running the railroad; a lot different from a group of whitehats standing around and saying "let's see now--how are we going to do this?")

Anyone know yet if Amtrak is having a fall/foliage excursion this year? If so when and to/from where?
Thanks

Scuttlebutt is weekend of October 14 and 15, NYP to Newark to former LV NK Tower, change ends former New York Central West Shore to Selkirk to return via Hudson. It will be an all day experience and comes with a very high recommendation.
That EHH would allow this to happen comes to me as a somewhat surprise. If this proves to be incorrect, please don't shoot the messenger.
Noel Weaver

I'm not familiar with that route. Looks like it's going up the west shore of the Hudson river, and coming back down the East. That is one thing I like to see in the Autumn Express, using high-speed trackage when possible for the return home.

I was really hoping they'd do something more Mid-Atlantic this year though. They did Baltimore, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, and then New York. I'd like to see them some back to Maryland.

It would be a project, but I'd like to see a trip that begins in DC, goes up through the various yards in south Baltimore to get from the Camden Sub to the Hanover Sub, then goes out over the Hanover Sub, makes its way out into the country of Western Maryland/Southern PA, and then comes back down the Met. Sub back home.

The West Shore was a former NYC line from Weehawken Nj to Selkirk/Albany NY.
Possible access from Hunter tower/NJT Raitan Valley line,reverse onto CASO (PRR)freight line thru CASO Meadows yard.
After crossing the Passic River on Hack Bridge,at CP Marion enter the CSX West Shore mainline to North Bergen yard,at northern Jct,
enter the original NYC West Shore Mainline to Selkirk/Albany.
At CPSK, east on the B&A to CPSM,then south to the Hudson line at CP125,for the return run to NY Penn.

Noel, EHH needs to cover the increased dividend and his Golden Parachute. If service-sensitive freight is leaving, the money has to come from somewhere else. Of course, he needs a lot more than just this 1 trip.

Wow, another tempting route. I will have to consider.

Don't leave it too long--this one's going to sell out fast. (As Jane Ace used to say, "don't miss it if you can.")