Amtrak's ADIRONDACK

We get wifi on the Detroit trains here, but it's really a crapshoot if there is actual connectivity on the train. Usually its in the lounge car, and some A-I lounges have it, some don't. Then there's that dreaded "maintenance on a shoestring" that the railroad practices given their federal bankers, leading to questionable reliability. If a lounge car is equipped today with wifi, will the hardware stay the same for 20 years? Will it get updated? Or will it get removed, forgotten, or ignored like Metroliner Railphone?

Albany Rider wrote:R36 Combine Coach:

WiFi on the Adirondack (and on the Maple Leaf) is turned off just before the boarder to avoid the high "roaming charges" of the signal carriers.

A physical problem for the Adirondack is that mobil service is spotty north of Glens Falls because of the poor coverage in the Adirondack Park.

Tony

Whats interesting then on its NW sister, the Cascades, the Wi-Fi works while in British Columbia!

AgentSkelly wrote:

Albany Rider wrote:R36 Combine Coach:

WiFi on the Adirondack (and on the Maple Leaf) is turned off just before the boarder to avoid the high "roaming charges" of the signal carriers.

A physical problem for the Adirondack is that mobil service is spotty north of Glens Falls because of the poor coverage in the Adirondack Park.

Tony

Whats interesting then on its NW sister, the Cascades, the Wi-Fi works while in British Columbia!

Probably cross-border data partner. The northwest & northeast are 2 different animals in that respect. I'd have to look at the coverage maps.

25Hz wrote:

AgentSkelly wrote:

Albany Rider wrote:R36 Combine Coach:

WiFi on the Adirondack (and on the Maple Leaf) is turned off just before the boarder to avoid the high "roaming charges" of the signal carriers.

A physical problem for the Adirondack is that mobil service is spotty north of Glens Falls because of the poor coverage in the Adirondack Park.

Tony

Whats interesting then on its NW sister, the Cascades, the Wi-Fi works while in British Columbia!

Probably cross-border data partner. The northwest & northeast are 2 different animals in that respect. I'd have to look at the coverage maps.

Looking at coverage maps, it seems telus has cross-border service out that way. Out east here the service stops at the border. Going to look at coverage contracts to see which carrier actually handles the onboard wifi.

I'd find it strange if they turn it off due to "roaming" costs. When I was in Canada last year, it was like $5 to turn on "Canada Service" for my cell and data plan. Sure beat roaming charges. I can't imagine Amtrak couldn't do something similar.
(now there may be contractual issues or something that prevents it, but the idea is there.)

I just saw the cover of next month's Classic Trains Mag and I noticed the feature story is D&H circa 1970's. I know we've got a lot of fans of the D&H/PA-era on the Adirondack, so I thought I'd send out a heads-up. We've had some great discussion of the Amtrak-sponsored, D&H-operated Adirondack in the past, as well as a great pic of a PA coming back from Boise rebuild passing through Michigan Central Station. That's a rare one...

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1592045

Here is a photo of Amtrak's Adirondack southbound at Mechanicville NY circa 1974-1975. Although it is an Amtrak train, not a single piece of equipment in the consist is owned or leased by Amtrak. The locomotives are D&H Alco road switchers, probably RS11 or RS3 models. The first car is a D&H coach, and the roof profile suggests it is one of the modernized heavyweight coaches, such as D&H 1012. The second car is a D&H coach, one of their former DL&W/EL lightweight coaches. The third car is a commuter coach borrowed from MTA/PC, probably substituting for either a bad-ordered D&H coach or an Amtrak Empire Service coach. The fourth car is D&H 36 BLUFF POINT, a Skyline dome cafe car leased from CP.

http://ww.rrpicturearchives.net/showPic ... id=2916414
http://ww.rrpicturearchives.net/showPic ... id=2916416

The station stop at Whitehall NY, April 1975 ... looks like they are refueling the locomotive ... one D&H locomotive, one D&H diner lounge and two D&H coaches ... the passengers' tickets would be one of the few reminders that this is an Amtrak train.

I will be in the Albany/Schenectady area at the end of the week. I'm planning to video the Adirondack (both trains) running with the VIA Rail equipment. Is the platform at Schenectady station available to use as a vantage point or is that opened only at train time for ticketed riders? If so restricted, can anybody here recommend a good spot to catch it in the area, or should I head one more stop up the line?

Thanks.

Generally speaking you can get upstairs to the platform before train time, not a bad spot for pics but if you can get across the river to Mohawk yard or Maxon Road, less than 10 min from Schenectady station. Plenty of space to get good shots of the train at those locations. PM me with any questions or for directions.

I've been told that the Via passenger cars will make their last trip on Amtrak's Adirondack on Tuesday, November 27th.

jhdeasy wrote:I've been told that the Via passenger cars will make their last trip on Amtrak's Adirondack on Tuesday, November 27th.

I'm going up on the 23rd, so I will catch them then.....

Thanks for the help and directions...

And here is my video; my camera tried to ruin the departure of #68, but this is the ONE time I am letting it go as is, since I don't get a do-over on this...

Amtrak With A Little Help From VIA Rail Canada

Nice shot of the dutch door at 3:14.

jstolberg wrote:Nice shot of the dutch door at 3:14.

It's the little things like that I miss seeing until I play back the copy through my TV....

Great catches!