Trip Report, Amtrak Adirondack

Here's more on the Adirondack Northway (I-87) closure in upstate New York:

http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/hea ... rID=135845

http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/top ... rID=135853

http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet ... ud20050614

Yes, the Adirondack has certainly used a vast variety of equipment over the years.

But, even in the years when the D&H provided the equipment (early - mid 70's) all was not perfect.

I well remember a ride from Montreal to Albany in March of one year during this period. We had an Amtrak E-8, two D&H coaches and a D&H lounge car. One coach had water leaking out of the ceiling and the (steam) heat was stuck in the on position in the other. Unfortunitely, the Dome car was out of service this day also...

An Adirondack memory along the D&H from August 1974:



If all goes according to plan, I'll be on the northbound Adirondack from NYP to MTR on Wednesday September 21st ... on my way to Senneterre, Quebec.

D&H 42 "ADIRONDACK LODGE" ... a great place to have lunch southbound along Lake Champlain between 1975 and 1977.

MODERATOR'S NOTE

Great photos, Mr. Deasy.

I'll give them another day of "face time' at the Forum after which, in the interest of conserving bandwidth, the IMG will be changed to a URL link.

As I recall, during that mid-70's pre-Conrail era, the D&H was a modestly profitable carrier, and they had a CEO that was reportedly a railfan. Oh well, I guess 'sanpilly' painted equipment complete with silvered trucks is a less expensive "playthings" for the CEO and entourage than is a Gulfstream.

Conrail changed everything for the D&H. The interchange at Binghamton with the ERIE dried up in favor of the NYC via Watertown.

Now, if only there was a photo available of the Alco PA's that headed up The Adirondack during that same era...THAT would have "ample face time" at this thread as well.

GBN

The Montreal Limited and Laurentian trains of the D&H (Pre-Amtrak) provided a really nice service.

I've over thought that it would be worthwhile to have a day and an overnight run of the Adirondack. Especially since Amtrak retracted the former Montrealer to St Albans.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:MODERATOR'S NOTE
Now, if only there was a photo available of the Alco PA's that headed up The Adirondack during that same era...THAT would have "ample face time" at this thread as well.

GBN

Although it is not the best photo, it is better than no photo:
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... e_&_Hudson
I'm not sure why the photo is labeled foreign power in eastern Massachusetts ... it sure looks like the Amtrak Adirondack on the D&H north of Albany in the 1975-1977 era, after Amtrak (x-Wabash) dome coaches had replaced the 2 CP Skyline domes leased by D&H.

It's good enough, Mr. Deasy, and it will get the "face time" I promised.

Through no fault of either their own or their progenitors, most of our Members under age of 40 did not, get to observe those magnificent engines in real life. Obviously account age and the road along which I grew up (NYNH&H), I was so able.

To date, I can recall all too well the matter of "The Blue Birds That Got Away"

I guess to close this message on an Amtrak related note, I must wonder if any of our modelers out there have attempted to livery a PA in an Amtrak scheme. Somehow, i think Phase Vwould go quite well.

PA leads SB Adirondack across Hudson River south of Fort Edward station with consist of all smooth-side refurbished cars in May 1975. Adirondack at its finest!

Just out of curiousity - Has the Adirondack run the entire lifespan of Amtrak? I thought it took the place of the Montrealer. Or did the Vermonter do that? Did we have twice daily service between Montreal and New York at one time?

My old roommate from college has some fond memories of the Montrealer. Although the train is gone, and he hardly ever rides Amtrak, he is still a supporter because of that train

The Montrealer ran until 1995 and was replaced by the Vermonter, which reduced service as far north as St. Albans with bus connection to Montreal.

updrumcorpsguy wrote:Just out of curiousity - Has the Adirondack run the entire lifespan of Amtrak? I thought it took the place of the Montrealer. Or did the Vermonter do that? Did we have twice daily service between Montreal and New York at one time?

My old roommate from college has some fond memories of the Montrealer. Although the train is gone, and he hardly ever rides Amtrak, he is still a supporter because of that train

The Adirondack started up in 1974, the Montrealer in 1972. The latter was one of Amtrak's early successes. It was a full service train with multiple sleeping cars, a full diner and a lounge car called Le Pub that featured on-board entertainment (a piano player). During the winter season the train was very popular with skiers bound for Vermont.

Over the years it suffered from several equipment downgrades and - ultimately - deterioration of Guilford track between Springfield, MA, and Brattleboro, VT. For over a year, the service was suspended. Finally, Amtrak restored the train running via New London, CT. This stretched the New York - Montreal run to over 14 hours and resulted in the train missing the Hartford and Springfield markets. Consequently, it was a sitting duck when the Mercer cuts were implemented in the mid 1990s.

updrumcorpsguy wrote:Just out of curiousity - Has the Adirondack run the entire lifespan of Amtrak? I thought it took the place of the Montrealer. Or did the Vermonter do that? Did we have twice daily service between Montreal and New York at one time?

My old roommate from college has some fond memories of the Montrealer. Although the train is gone, and he hardly ever rides Amtrak, he is still a supporter because of that train

The Adirondack was restored by Amtrak (and NY State) in 1973 or '74.

Prior to Amtrak D&H ran a day train and an overnight train between New York (GCT) and Montreal (Windsor Station) (The Montreal Limited and the Laurentian).

The pre-Amtrak Montrealer/Washingtonian was discontinued in late 1966. Amtrak revived the train in late 1972, if my memory serves me correctly.

I miss the Montrealer. It would be great to have that train running again, over its original route.

Yes Mr. CNJ it came back in 1972.

Well the Vermonter is now routed over the New Haven-Springfield Line - again. I've always thought a seasonal overnight train service to Vermont (with sleeping car service) would work well (course full-time would be better). Such a train could depart northbound out of Washington DC around 5 p.m. or so and hit Vermont destinations between 6:00 a.m. (Brattleboro) and 10:00 a.m. With this schedule, I'd schedule the train so it has an extended layover in Springfield to afford these early morning arrival times in Vermont. Vermont would still get a train that serves it's detinations in daylight (or dawn) hours. Course if they ever got the train to continue onto Montreal - an early morning arrival there would be appealing as well. Course, then you would probably hit southern Vermont in very early morning hours - and thus lose Vermont funding of this train. Southbound would have a similiar schedule so it would reach NYC and Washington DC in the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. respectively.

Instead of heading to Vermont via Springfield and laying over there to allow for descent early moring arrival times in Vermont, how about continuing up to Boston on the NEC and then back down the CSX line to Palmer Junction and up to Vermont (bypassing Springfield).

Course I think we discussed this whole idea of overnight service from Washington DC to Vermont on another thread a couple of months back. In a perfect world, Vermont would have a day train and an overnight train. As I have stated before, I think Amtrak could benefit from a "hotel" on wheels concept where one departs a city in the evening and arrives in destination in a.m. A perfect compliement would be a day train. This is sort of what we have on the trains from NY to Miami.

Problem with an overnight train from NY to Montreal on the Adirondack is that too many stations would be hit on unfriendly hours of the evening/morning (i.e. upstate NY). I overnight service, although perhaps longer, would work better on the route of the Vermonter.