Amtrak Autumn Express Thread

[Sisko24]

And so now it is confirmed: https://www.amtrak.com/fall-foliage-abo ... ress-train.

As a previous poster wrote, anyone interested in being on this trip should plan on buying their ticket at the moment they go on sale on September 12th.

[SouthernRailway]

Why doesn't Amtrak lease some heritage cars for this trip?

I would pay much more to see this route through the larger windows of a car other than an Amfleet or Horizon one.

[Greg Moore]

Why not lease heritage cars? Cuts into your profit margin. You may be willing to pay more, but not everyone necessarily would be.

[SouthernRailway]

I figure that there would be enough people to fill at least a few Heritage cars, at prices high enough to offset the costs of leasing.

I'd gladly pay many times the regular ticket price to be in an observation-lounge car with big windows, for example.

[Jeff Smith]

I'm tracking for media releases; I'm pretty sure last year it wasn't until September that the trip was released.

[marco]

I, too, would pay a premium to ride in the HICKORY CREEK or any other "touring" car. Is there any possibility of contracting with a private car owner to "tag along" on the ride? (At This late date)

Considering it's $169 for a ride in coach, and the coach holds X number of seats, what would the price be for a ride in a private car, with a reduced number of passengers? What would be the threshold to meet this requirement?

[Jeff Smith]

This was the press release from 2016: https://media.amtrak.com/2016/09/all-ab ... express-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was issued 9/28/16; tickets went on sale 10/3. Tickets were $149. Where is the source for $169?

[marco]

From a few posts up . . .
https://www.amtrak.com/fall-foliage-abo ... ress-train" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jeff Smith]

Thank you Marco; I've googled this, and usually there's an accompanying press release. Very nice to know; thanks!

[marco]

So, here is a consideration:

Can we, as a RAILFAN COMMUNITY EXTRAORDINAIRE gather 20 hardy souls each willing to pay $300 each, considering a "Day Rate" of private vehicle, (which as I've heard is "around $6,000 a day)?

Does someone in the community, KNOW SOMEONE who KNOWS SOMEONE ELSE who is willing to lead this opportunity to charter a car for this trip?

Perhaps we should consider widening the scope of the project, past chartering a car for the AXP. I would be interested in discussing almost any charter from NYP, particularly to MTR

Disclaimer: I am not now, nor ever have been involved with railroads other than ridership, and most of my rail education came from this website & trainorders.com, so, any posts made here with regard to prices OR logistics are estimations, or in some case wild fantasies, depending on how far I am from reality. Just Sayin'

[JimBoylan]

The train is going to be reversed twice during the trip, and use Penn Station in New York. It may have locomotives on both ends. So, observation and dome cars may not be very useful. That leaves a 1st Class Parlor Car, probably with food and beverage service. While $300 each from 20 passengers might pay for the car, Amtrak also wants to get paid, and the rumor is that they are asking $169 each from 60 or 68 passengers per car. I like the idea, but the economics are cruel.

[Noel Weaver]

I figure that there would be enough people to fill at least a few Heritage cars, at prices high enough to offset the costs of leasing.

I'd gladly pay many times the regular ticket price to be in an observation-lounge car with big windows, for example.

As I understand it, they are very limited as to the number of cars they can run on this trip. They need the highest capacity equipment they can find. Private cars and other cars with lower capacity need to be left in the yard or elsewhere. This is an exceptional trip over exceptional territory and they will have no trouble selling it out quickly.
Everywone here should go if you have interest in this territory, a repeat might be a long, long time coming again. I ran the River Line (West Shore) for several years and every trip was an adventure. As Conrail advanced things got a lot better and we really got over the road. Even though I an very familiar with this territory, I would buy a ticket and ride it IF I were still in the area but unfortunately I am not making any trips out of Florida this year either.
THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY, DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND!!!!!
Noel Weaver

[Alcochaser]

Graduated release braking limits the train to 30 cars.

You can go over 30, but you have to operate in freight mode breaking, and that would exclude any car with D-22 brakes. Which would be most private cars. Clearances would eliminate all domes. Sounds like they will be doing a lot of directiong swapping, so they will need MU lines thru the cars, something a lot of PVs don't have. (heck a lot of long distance Amtrak cars don't have this)

You can also have an issue with the HEP load being too high on a long train. The both the dual model and diesel GEs are rated for 800KW. And a train of 30 cars will come near that.

[Backshophoss]

Unless the plan is to have the P-32DM's take over at CP SM,figure on at least 2 runaround moves,1 at Hunter to head north to the River Line,
The other at CP SM to cross the river and head south on the Hudson line.
Wonder if a pair of GP38-3's could do the short tow from Newark up the ramp at Hunter to skip the runaround move there?

[Greg Moore]

Are the foliage trains really 30 cars long?