Official "Maple Leaf" Thread

[JimBoylan]

Some years ago, a post here included an aerial photo of a Maple Leaf train that ran off the end of the wye at VIA's Toronto Maintenance Center.

[Jeff Smith]

Bump

[Jeff Smith]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo. Coach was $109; I'm trying the bid-up to Business at $36. Trip report to follow.

[Silverliner II]

Thank you.

Am I correct that this train always runs with Amfleet II coaches? Is there such a thing as Amfleet II business class or would they end up putting an Amfleet I business class on there (which would be a waste of my upgrade money).

There is no Amfleet II business class. The normal consist for the Maple Leaf (as I saw it in August several times in Aldershot and earlier this month at Cold Spring) has actually been six cars lately: 5 Amfleet II coaches, and 1 Amfleet I half-cafe/business class (2x1 seating) car on the rear.

The consist pre-pandemic had been only five cars: 3 Amfleet II coaches, 1 Amfleet I coach, and 1 Amfleet I half-cafe/business class car on the rear.

I wonder about the long-term viability of the Maple Leaf as a through train to Toronto now that GO Transit is extending their service to Niagara Falls: 4 trains a day each way on weekend and holidays until October 12.

It’s only an experiment for now but will GO eventually go daily and VIA exit the market leaving the local service to GO and the Maple Leaf an orphan at the border?

Or will it be an opportunity for Amtrak to serve Toronto as an “Amtrak only” operation (not jointly with VIA) Running non-stop between the Border and Toronto Union where passengers would go through Customs at a pre-clearance facility similar to the Amtrak Cascades in Vancouver?

At the moment, GO weekday service to/from Niagara Falls is only one train inbound to Toronto early in the morning and one train outbound in the afternoon, almost on the schedule of the old VIA train that used to run in that slot. The summer weekend service was running 3 trains a day each way on Saturdays and Sundays when I was up there in August. So the 4th round trip through October 12th is a new one.

Potentially, if they were to run the Maple Leaf nonstop from the border to Toronto, that would also mean no stop at Niagara Falls, Ontario.... it would have to be a straight shot from the US side to Toronto Union. Folks who formerly got off at NFO would have to get off on the US side and make their own way across the border, since the train would have to remain closed on the Canadian side. And then there's the matter of Grimsby station, which GO does not stop at.
I have seen folks traveling to/from the US boarding/alighting from the Maple Leaf at St. Catharines, Aldershot, and Oakville on my trips on the Leaf; Aldershot and Oakville riders would have to backtrack to/from Toronto, if needed, albeit adding up to 90 minutes to their travel time. St. Catharines passengers would either have to make their way to Niagara Falls, NY, or Toronto, as well. Now, just on my observations, those numbers are not huge at all on the grand scale of things, but it's the people destined to Niagara Falls, ON, who have the most to lose in this situation.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo.

CH, as in Harmon?

[Silverliner II]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo. Coach was $109; I'm trying the bid-up to Business at $36. Trip report to follow.

Looking forward to it.... I'm curious to see how long the current 6-car setup remains. They're going to need some of that Amfleet II back from there and the Midwest when they restore the Crescent to daily, and restore the Silver Meteor..

[Jeff Smith]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo.

CH, as in Harmon?

Aye.

[Jeff Smith]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo. Coach was $109; I'm trying the bid-up to Business at $36. Trip report to follow.

Looking forward to it.... I'm curious to see how long the current 6-car setup remains. They're going to need some of that Amfleet II back from there and the Midwest when they restore the Crescent to daily, and restore the Silver Meteor..

SLII, departing at 0802 from Crouton Harmonious; I guess it's not an overnight train. I do hope the cafe is decent. I'll only need lunch as we arrive around 1530.

[Silverliner II]

Taking 63 tomorrow morning from CH to Buffalo. Coach was $109; I'm trying the bid-up to Business at $36. Trip report to follow.

Looking forward to it.... I'm curious to see how long the current 6-car setup remains. They're going to need some of that Amfleet II back from there and the Midwest when they restore the Crescent to daily, and restore the Silver Meteor..

SLII, departing at 0802 from Crouton Harmonious; I guess it's not an overnight train. I do hope the cafe is decent. I'll only need lunch as we arrive around 1530.

*in formal waiter voice, with appropriate gestures*
The Amtrak Angus burger is exceptionally good today; I would recommend it highly.

[STrRedWolf]

*in formal waiter voice, with appropriate gestures*
The Amtrak Angus burger is exceptionally good today; I would recommend it highly.

I missed the Angus burger on my trip up to Pittsburgh. They needed to top off the stock in Harrisburgh.

[videobruce]

Can someone tell me when service to and from Toronto resumed? I never saw any announcements of when.

[Railjunkie]

Can someone tell me when service to and from Toronto resumed? I never saw any announcements of when.

It was somewhere around the end of June. Amtrak now has to be sure to add specially equipped single modes (P42s) to AMT63 in ALB to go into Canada. I do not know the numbers I just know the new camera systems and stickers in the cabs.

[videobruce]

Thanks, the TV media kept it a secret here apparently.

[Silverliner II]

Thanks, the TV media kept it a secret here apparently.

I don't think Amtrak alerted the media at all on that one. I only found out myself from railfan groups where photos were posted of the train on the Canadian side on the first revenue round trip because Amtrak put #108 on as power.

[lstone19]

Can someone tell me when service to and from Toronto resumed? I never saw any announcements of when.

It was somewhere around the end of June. Amtrak now has to be sure to add specially equipped single modes (P42s) to AMT63 in ALB to go into Canada. I do not know the numbers I just know the new camera systems and stickers in the cabs.

Shades of the days (late 70s/early 80s) when only a select few F40s were geared for 103mph and were required for Empire Service and the LSL for the NYS financed 100 (conventional) / 110 (Turbo) mph track west of Schenectady and south of Albany.