Amtrak's ADIRONDACK

Adirondack #68 is running nearly 4 hours late into Albany tonight.
Lost over an hour out of Rouses Point and nearly three additional
hours between Rouses Point and Saratoga Springs. No details
that I have found on the web.

Here's the details on timing from Dixieland..
http://www.dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bi ... &selday=30" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, that "herding" was the big advantage of going Montreal from/to Fort Edward when we rode a few years ago. There was a really long line in Montreal, but since we were only going as far as Fort Edward we were seated in one of those rear cars with maybe 10 other people, since that was the only door that opened at those upstate NY stops. The car really didn't fill until we were just about ready to get off. It also helped at the border in both directions since they cleared our car pretty quickly, so the kids could move around and talk at least a little without customs getting too grumpy about it. Not sure if you'd still be seated in the non-NYP section if you went as far as Poughkeepsie, or even as far as Albany, but it sure was nice for above Albany.

Wether you call trains like the Adriondack MD (medium distance), or LD (Long Distance) day trains, it's amazing how this little train gets more play on this and other forums than other MD or LD day trains.

First and foremost this train is paid for by the State of New York, if the state withdrew it's funding it would be gone.
Back in the mid-70's when this train was introduced, the State of NY justified the expense as the train provides an economic boost to the communities north of Albany, connecting them to NYC and Montreal. Given how much rail transport the State of NY pays for (MTA and it's agencies), this train is NOT a priority.
The Adirondack carries less people in a year, than travel Metro-North and the LIRR in a day.

In it's early days it become popular with railfans as it often ran with Delaware and Hudson equipment, before becoming turbortrained, and then "amfletted"

The train is very basic with amfleet coaches, and a cafe car, no quiet car, no business class, no attendants, again the whole point is essential transportation.
This is NOT a train for people who require extra services, or want to be fussed over. North of Albany (AFTER the train leaves the Buffalo line), and South of Montreal the only staffed station is Saratoga, and in the trains Amtrak history the only other ones were Plattsburgh & Glens Falls (other than special event staffing and customs). Plattsburgh and Westport do have waiting rooms available (courtesy of local caretakers), but no station services like a ticket agent.

Amtrak has offered is one of it's last operating dome cars during the fall peak, and again this always causes much discussion that is so not needed. The dome is available to all passengers on a 1st come, 1st served no basis, no reservations, no brochures, no special website, no wine a cheese tasting, etc.

The Adirondack is what it is, take it, or leave it.

Ken

Of course, what this train has going for it is some of the best scenery in the East. Too bad Amtrak and NY can't do more with it. (There was the brief time with the D&H diner and dome.) It would be nice to see a Superliner lounge north of Albany but I suppose there aren't any to be had. I don't imagine they would use that dome for longer than the fall leaf season....

The ex-GN super dome is part of Amtrak's "Biz" car fleet,but seems to get regular use out of Chicago,but in the fall
will be part of #68/69's consist Albany-Montreal.
During the Sandy Recovery nightmare,VIA loaned some cars off the Canadian equipment pool(HEP-I class) with a Park series Dome
that ran Montreal-Albany till the Amfleet cars "moved" to the NEC pool were released back to the "Empire" pool.
Untill a View II lounge car is designed,it would have been nice if some of the ex-CB&Q's CZ domes were converted to HEP,
and used on trains like the Adirondak,Cardinal,and some of the midwest service routes where scenic and clearance would
have allowed the dome to be used.

Backshophoss wrote:The ex-GN super dome is part of Amtrak's "Biz" car fleet,but seems to get regular use out of Chicago,but in the fall
will be part of #68/69's consist Albany-Montreal.
During the Sandy Recovery nightmare,VIA loaned some cars off the Canadian equipment pool(HEP-I class) with a Park series Dome
that ran Montreal-Albany till the Amfleet cars "moved" to the NEC pool were released back to the "Empire" pool.
Untill a View II lounge car is designed,it would have been nice if some of the ex-CB&Q's CZ domes were converted to HEP,
and used on trains like the Adirondak,Cardinal,and some of the midwest service routes where scenic and clearance would
have allowed the dome to be used.

Or Amtrak acquire one of the few remaining other ex-GN super domes.

People often argue "but they're not revenue cars" and I get that. But I think sometimes in a few places simply having something "for the view" can't hurt.

peconicstation wrote:Wether you call trains like the Adriondack MD (medium distance), or LD (Long Distance) day trains, it's amazing how this little train gets more play on this and other forums than other MD or LD day trains.

First and foremost this train is paid for by the State of New York, if the state withdrew it's funding it would be gone.
Back in the mid-70's when this train was introduced, the State of NY justified the expense as the train provides an economic boost to the communities north of Albany, connecting them to NYC and Montreal. Given how much rail transport the State of NY pays for (MTA and it's agencies), this train is NOT a priority.
The Adirondack carries less people in a year, than travel Metro-North and the LIRR in a day.

In it's early days it become popular with railfans as it often ran with Delaware and Hudson equipment, before becoming turbortrained, and then "amfletted"

The train is very basic with amfleet coaches, and a cafe car, no quiet car, no business class, no attendants, again the whole point is essential transportation.
This is NOT a train for people who require extra services, or want to be fussed over. North of Albany (AFTER the train leaves the Buffalo line), and South of Montreal the only staffed station is Saratoga, and in the trains Amtrak history the only other ones were Plattsburgh & Glens Falls (other than special event staffing and customs). Plattsburgh and Westport do have waiting rooms available (courtesy of local caretakers), but no station services like a ticket agent.

Amtrak has offered is one of it's last operating dome cars during the fall peak, and again this always causes much discussion that is so not needed. The dome is available to all passengers on a 1st come, 1st served no basis, no reservations, no brochures, no special website, no wine a cheese tasting, etc.

The Adirondack is what it is, take it, or leave it.

Ken

The Adirondack might not be important to the people who ride the LIRR or Metro North on a daily basis but it is no less important to the taxpayers in Port Henry, Westport, Rouses Point or any of the other stations that it serves on a daily basis and most have no other public transportation in or out. That is the main reason this train was established in 1974 and in my opinion it does a good job serving these and the other communities that it stops at and at far less cost than Metro North or the Long Island cost per train on a daily basis. All of these rail services are vital and needed. The dome car is added in the fall season to provide an extra for the patrons of this train which is probably the most scenic single US train ride east of the Mississippi. The Adirondack has been mentioned in various books, magazines, newspapers and on television as well and it deserves every mention that it has gotten over the years. May it continue to enjoy a bright future.
Noel Weaver

In my travels when the dome car was attached, I knew of many people who rode the train specifically for the dome, and I don't just mean railfans. The dome car might not technically be a revenue car, but it certainly helps to boost revenue when you are attracting people who wouldn't otherwise take the train. Especially once racing season ends in Saratoga in September, after which the train just doesn't fill up as much.

mvb119 wrote:In my travels when the dome car was attached, I knew of many people who rode the train specifically for the dome, and I don't just mean railfans. The dome car might not technically be a revenue car, but it certainly helps to boost revenue when you are attracting people who wouldn't otherwise take the train. Especially once racing season ends in Saratoga in September, after which the train just doesn't fill up as much.

Yeah, by non-revenue I mean you can't buy seats (AFAIK) specifically in this car. You buy seats in other cars and then can sit in this one.

I've thought about riding it at least once just for the dome car. We'll see.

It could be a revenue car if Amtrak sold its seats as reserve seats. Maybe at a higher price too.

I have ridden the dome on the Adirondack and will do it again this fall if they offer it.
In past trips it seemed that some passengers looked forward to the dome ride but many were unaware of it. In fact I haven't seen it publicized by Amtrak. Last time, I called Amtrak to find its schedule. The agent was unaware of it. When I insisted, she found it under press releases. You would think they could at least put it on the web page when you look up Adirondack.

Once US customs sets up shop in Montreal, we could get some business class seats, but not until then.

I can't see the connection between US Customs and having or not having business class seats. Could you explain?

Rockingham Racer wrote:I can't see the connection between US Customs and having or not having business class seats. Could you explain?

The cafe car gets cleared out and locked up at the border during the customs inspection, so they can't sell any seats in that car.

Lets remember the cafe on the Adirondak is in the middle of the train with tables on both sides there are no revenue seats to be sold.