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.