It's a shame that you didn't go up this fall & catch the dome. The ride to montreal is supposidly(I've never been on it) the nicest ride on the east coast. If you are getting on @ NYP you should not have any problems getting you seat if you board on the lower lever (shhh....). The Adirondack always boards on 1 of 2 platforms, trk. 5&6 or trk. 7&8. If you see a train w/ a diesel loco on those tracks, that's your train.
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I would have loved to have gone durring the period the train had the dome but I can only go when I'm on break. Damn College!
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Kaback9 wrote:I'm planing on taking the Adirondack up to Montreal on Jan 3rd from NYP. I was wondering if I should worry about getting a seat. Theres a few of us going up and I would like to be able for all of us to sit at least close to each other.Unless there is a massive snowstorm that shuts down the Northway that day, you shouldn't have any problem getting seats.
It did happen once to me when I was taking the Adirondack to Schenectady for an ESPA meeting. There was a major snow/ice storm north of Saratoga that shut the Northway down. The bus lines canceled their Montreal service and transferred all of their passengers onto the Adirondack. Since the Adirondack was the only thing running between Albany and Montreal that day, the business of reservations seemed to have gone out the window. The train was already almost full out of New York and literally SRO out of Albany. They must have had a ball at the Canadian border getting all those people cleared through immigration!
Jishnu wrote:Kaback9 is getting on at NYP. This is an all-reserved train, and the Northway doesn't begin until Albany, three hours and 140 miles away. In my experience, the train has been most crowded immediately leaving Penn, and then thinning out north of Albany. So when boarding at NYP, the status of the Northway that day I think is less important than a number of other factors including gasoline prices at the time of one's reservation and length of the consist.Kaback9 wrote:I'm planing on taking the Adirondack up to Montreal on Jan 3rd from NYP. I was wondering if I should worry about getting a seat. Theres a few of us going up and I would like to be able for all of us to sit at least close to each other.Unless there is a massive snowstorm that shuts down the Northway that day, you shouldn't have any problem getting seats.
My wife and I have taken this train out of NYP a few times and found it to be quite crowded -- on the particular days we've taken it. Of course, ours a small sample size and I can't speak to general trends. On our most recent trip, we were not able to find two seats together until north of Albany. It all depends on how you play it at NYP. You need to stay focused.
Kaback9: I'm sure you know that NYP is prone to large crowds that queue up in the moments after a track is announced, and that you need to keep your eye on the departure board. Because of the track configuration west of Penn Station, trains headed north via the Empire Line along the West Side of Manhattan generally depart using Tracks 6 and 7, and sometimes Track 8 or, more rarely, 9. These are accessible from Gates 6E, 6W, 7E and 7W (and 8E and 8W, etc.), which are toward the southern or 31st Street side of the concourse. Position yourself and members of your group near these gates and keep and eye on the departure board. If you do this, you'll be among the first in line as the track is announced, and you'll have no trouble finding seats together.
"Might as well travel the elegant way."
The date is 3rd of Jan which is a Saturday in the middle of what is effectively a long weekend for many and in the middle of winter. In general Saturday is a lighter day on the Adirondack going north. Last two times that I traveled on it on a Saturday the crowd was so light that Canadian customs was done clearing the train in 30 mins flat leading to a very very early arrival in Montreal, way ahead of schedule. The last trip was even on a day that the Superdome was on.
As I said unless something untoward happens it is unlikely to be hugely crowded on that day. Notwithstanding that, get to the station and make sure you are near the front of the line and you will be alright. Getting there by 7:30 is plenty early. Make sure you get your ticket stamping by the agents who check those that are crossing the border done as soon as you get to the station. They will start working the Adirondack passengers as soon as the Maple Leaf departs. Unless something unusual happens it will usually leaves from 6. You will notice people start to line up way way before any announcement is made by anyone. I have always managed to be within the first ten on the line and that has always worked out well.
As an aside usually on a Saturday the consist will be sent into the station soon after the Maple Leaf departs. You can check where it has been placed by going downstairs to the arrival level and peeking down the stairs or walking down a few steps to check where the P32DM pointed west is standing. All that you have to do is check tracks 5 through 9.
The other trick of course is to engage a Red Cap to take a few pieces of baggage down for you. Will cost you a few bucks in tips but will guarantee that you will be taken down before general boarding. This works well even on the most crowded of days. I have even once had a Red Cap carry my backpack. The small amount of money was very well spent
As I said unless something untoward happens it is unlikely to be hugely crowded on that day. Notwithstanding that, get to the station and make sure you are near the front of the line and you will be alright. Getting there by 7:30 is plenty early. Make sure you get your ticket stamping by the agents who check those that are crossing the border done as soon as you get to the station. They will start working the Adirondack passengers as soon as the Maple Leaf departs. Unless something unusual happens it will usually leaves from 6. You will notice people start to line up way way before any announcement is made by anyone. I have always managed to be within the first ten on the line and that has always worked out well.
As an aside usually on a Saturday the consist will be sent into the station soon after the Maple Leaf departs. You can check where it has been placed by going downstairs to the arrival level and peeking down the stairs or walking down a few steps to check where the P32DM pointed west is standing. All that you have to do is check tracks 5 through 9.
The other trick of course is to engage a Red Cap to take a few pieces of baggage down for you. Will cost you a few bucks in tips but will guarantee that you will be taken down before general boarding. This works well even on the most crowded of days. I have even once had a Red Cap carry my backpack. The small amount of money was very well spent
Hey! I may be going up to Montreal next weekend. Does anyone know if any crew changes would occur. I'll be departing from NYP. Would it be in Alb or Rsp? Thanks. 
Dedheda wrote:Hey! I may be going up to Montreal next weekend. Does anyone know if any crew changes would occur. I'll be departing from NYP. Would it be in Alb or Rsp? Thanks.At least 1 (if not 2) crew changes will occure, I don't think that they change crews @ rouses point, why do you ask?
hi55us wrote:Correct. No crew change at Rouse's Point.Dedheda wrote:Hey! I may be going up to Montreal next weekend. Does anyone know if any crew changes would occur. I'll be departing from NYP. Would it be in Alb or Rsp? Thanks.At least 1 (if not 2) crew changes will occure, I don't think that they change crews @ rouses point, why do you ask?
Took the Adirondack this summer from NYP to RSP.... most scenic Amtrak trip I've been on. They put me in the second car on the train - first was reserved for Montreal folk. There was a descent line assembled just before departure. Those traveling only to ALB were put in cars further back since most in my car were from Saratoga to RSP. Only crew change was at ALB - during the engine change. Track speed on the D&H is IIRC 59 mph so it isn't necessarily a "crawl" north of ALB, unless you're used to nothing but the electrified NEC. They were still working on the tracks but it seemed like we moved right along at a consistent pace with 1 or 2 slowdowns. Also seemed like quite a bit of welded rail on the line so it was pretty smooth. We were very crowded leaving NYP and began to thin out mostly north of Saratoga Springs. Cafe/Lounge car stayed quite full most of the trip, with half of it used by the NPS for their narrative. It was a great trip and it's on my agenda for next year - hopefully during the fall so I can ride the dome.
shadyjay wrote: Track speed on the D&H is IIRC 59 mph so it isn't necessarily a "crawl" north of ALB, unless you're used to nothing but the electrified NEC.True, it's 59 mph for a while, as seen here. But way up north, it takes 5 hours to go the last 120 miles to Montreal! That's ridiculous! Check out the timetable, which includes mile markers:
http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct08/P68.pdf
When I took the Adirondack to Montreal, there was plenty of 10 mph crawling, stopping to let other trains pass, and a nice 1.5 hour stop at customs. We ended up getting into Montreal 2 hours late, which is terrible considering how ridiculously long the trip is even if the train runs on time!
Matt Johnson wrote:Be warned, that train is painfully slow! Prepare to spend 9 hours crawling to cover a distance that a modern high speed train could cover in 2 hours once you get past Schenectady!
Matt Johnson wrote:What are you talking about? He asked about getting a seat, and you bring up some nonsense about high speed rail. Don't hijack threads, it's not nice.shadyjay wrote: Track speed on the D&H is IIRC 59 mph so it isn't necessarily a "crawl" north of ALB, unless you're used to nothing but the electrified NEC.True, it's 59 mph for a while, as seen here. But way up north, it takes 5 hours to go the last 120 miles to Montreal! That's ridiculous!
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I was talking about how slow the Adirondack is. Sorry, I didn't think I was too far off topic. Please go ahead and delete my posts if you see fit.
In answer to the original question, I don't recall me and my brother having any trouble finding a seat. There were a couple of larger groups that also managed to find seats together. If you sit on the left side of the train, you'll get a good view of the Hudson up to Albany. However, the right side will give you a good view of Lake Champlain up north.
In answer to the original question, I don't recall me and my brother having any trouble finding a seat. There were a couple of larger groups that also managed to find seats together. If you sit on the left side of the train, you'll get a good view of the Hudson up to Albany. However, the right side will give you a good view of Lake Champlain up north.
hi55us wrote:Thanks for answering . The reason I asked was to find out if the Amtrak crew operates the Adirondack train all the way to Montreal. Since it is Canada I thought maybe a VIA crew would take over for the final two stops in Canada.Dedheda wrote:Hey! I may be going up to Montreal next weekend. Does anyone know if any crew changes would occur. I'll be departing from NYP. Would it be in Alb or Rsp? Thanks.At least 1 (if not 2) crew changes will occure, I don't think that they change crews @ rouses point, why do you ask?
Dedheda wrote:Adirondack is entirely an Amtrak operation and hence Amtrak crew goes all the way to Montreal. Similarly the Vancouver Cascade is entirely an Amtrak operation and Amtrak crew goes all the way to Vancouver BC.hi55us wrote:Thanks for answering . The reason I asked was to find out if the Amtrak crew operates the Adirondack train all the way to Montreal. Since it is Canada I thought maybe a VIA crew would take over for the final two stops in Canada.Dedheda wrote:Hey! I may be going up to Montreal next weekend. Does anyone know if any crew changes would occur. I'll be departing from NYP. Would it be in Alb or Rsp? Thanks.At least 1 (if not 2) crew changes will occure, I don't think that they change crews @ rouses point, why do you ask?
On the other hand, on the Maple Leaf enroute from New York to Toronto, the crew changes from Amtrak to VIA at Niagara Falls. The VIA cafe crew loads up VIA supplies in the cafe car. In Canada it is a VIA train with a different train number, That is why you get two separate tickets when traveling on it from New York to Toronto, one from New York to the Canadian Border (CBN) and the other from the Canadian Border to Toronto.
Last edited by Jishnu on Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.