Amtrak to the New York State Fair

Is this a first? TimesUnion.com

Amtrak trains will stop at the New York State Fair this summer, providing direct service to and from the Rensselaer and Schenectady train stations.

Empire Service trains 281, 283, 284 and 288, and Maple Leaf trains 63 and 64 will stop at the station adjacent to the Fairground. Station code is NYF.

Amtrak is also offering a "kids ride free" promotion, one free child for each paying adult on the same itinerary, for travel to and from the fair. Use promo code V153 and buy tickets at least three days in advance. The fair runs from Aug. 21 through Sept. 2.

The State Fair station has always been a seasonal stop for many years. Check Timetables.org for details.

As for the station, on Streetview it's bascially nothing, less than many request only or flag stops.

A tiny strip of asphalt,NO signage! Puddle prone if it rains,good for 1 door at best.

I went to the fair and used the station one year. It is as minimal a station as possible. If you go to the fair, use the amtrak status app to see when the train is actually arriving. These trains are often late and the station has no shelter.

In a word... eeeeccccchhhhh!

Someone's gotta do a better platform that that. What is this, Tyrone?!?

At least Amtrak's doing some special fares. I saw that during Baltimore's Artscape event, Amtrak was auto-discounting fares to Baltimore. Of course, it didn't hurt (except commuters on the MARC who work in Baltimore, oh hi, I'm one of them) that Artscape was AT Baltimore Penn Station spreading to the Maryland Instutute College of Art several blocks west of the station (blocking a rather busy street into the station).

Red,Lordsburg NM has Nothing,uses a Grade crossing as the platform.is a flag stop for the Sunset Ltd.

It'd be nice if they did the same for the Farm Show. I went a couple times in high school with my ag mechanics class and I'd like to go again without driving all the way to Syracuse.

How many attendees vs the State Fair?

Who knows, it may be a matter of the right person asking Amtrak...

57 Second video with Amtrak stopping at the Fair Station last year.
Thanks to Mark and Yellows Train Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36hKiys8ETQ

Greg Moore wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:06 pm How many attendees vs the State Fair?

Who knows, it may be a matter of the right person asking Amtrak...

I didn't find much online regarding attendance, Greg. The official farm show site lists over four hundred exhibitors, and another unrelated website estimated between 20k - 30k guests over the three days the show is held.

https://www.newyorkfarmshow.com/en/home.html

I do remember sneaking away for about a half hour or so during each visit to check out the stored equipment by the tracks. One year the snowbanks were high enough for me to look into the cab of the GG1, haha.

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:41 am Red,Lordsburg NM has Nothing,uses a Grade crossing as the platform.is a flag stop for the Sunset Ltd.

Tyrone, PA is a flag stop for the Pennsylvanian and also uses the grade crossing.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:08 pm

Tyrone, PA is a flag stop for the Pennsylvanian and also uses the grade crossing.

C'mon now, my anthropomorphic friend - Tyrone does in fact have a platform. It's about 50' long, so if you overshoot it a little or want 2 doors open, then you'll have to use the road. But a platform does exist.

gp80mac wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:48 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:08 pm

Tyrone, PA is a flag stop for the Pennsylvanian and also uses the grade crossing.

C'mon now, my anthropomorphic friend - Tyrone does in fact have a platform. It's about 50' long, so if you overshoot it a little or want 2 doors open, then you'll have to use the road. But a platform does exist.

The platform is not used in practice -- it's almost always been the road, and always out of one set of doors, and that is *IF* they stop. It's usually one or two people getting off. I haven't experienced anyone getting on in the mornings.

I've seen it used when I was there. Maybe that was a fluke?

It may be one of those things that depend on who the conductor is that day.