Otto-your point on doing an Internet search is well taken. However, some of us "old hands" need to remember that it's been 31 years since the formation of Conrail-there's a whole generation of young railfans out there to whom the PennCentral is ancient history.
To give the poster a little background-the "Water Level Route" refers to the old New York Central main line between New York and Chicago. The line follows the Hudson River from New York to Albany, then swings west and passes through Schenectady, Utica, Rome, Syracuse and Rochester at roughly the level of Lake Ontario.
Further west the line parallels Lake Erie through Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland and Toledo before making its way west across the flatlands of western Ohio, Indiana and finally into Chicago.
The "Water Level Route" designation came from the days when the NYC and Pennsylvania Railroads were the prime competitors for New York-Chicago passenger traffic. (The Erie and the Lackawanna/Nickel Plate were lesser players in this.) New York Central executives advertised the Water Level Route as a much smoother ride for Pullman passengers than that of the PRR who had to cross the Alleghenies.
I've been wrong before, but I thought the connection in Buffalo was with the Canadian Pacific. (In the old days, via the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo.)
Last September I made a journey from New Carrollton, MD to Erie, PA following this route as far as Buffalo.
You can find radio frequencies in the Radio forum. Use the thread titled "Looking for a railroad radio frequency? Check this first!"
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15908
For the timetable, simply go to the Amtrak website:
http://www.amtrak.com
I had enough information to keep my BC60XLT active the entire trip.
