Railfanning At Amtrak's Albany-Rensselaer Station

Today, I wanted to get some photos in the area around the Albany-Rensselaer Station. This is a very busy Amtrak station that serves all the Empire Service Trains, along with the Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited and Maple Leaf. Included here are some photos taken at this busy station but first, we'll see two photos taken just south of here in Castleton-On-Hudson, NY. Enjoy...

In high-speed-rail territory in Castleton-On-Hudson, we see Amtrak Empire Service Train #281 flying by around the bend. Today's train had
GE P32AC-DM #717 for power. I had to use a 1/1600th-sec shutter speed to freeze this train in this photo!

Next up is Empire Service Train #284 from Niagara Falls on its way to New York's Penn Station with GE P32AC-DM #713 leading.

A view of the Albany-Rensselaer Station complete with Empire Service Train #233 having just arrived at the station. This view taken from Herrick Street.

Over by Broadway, we see the Rensselaer Shops, where the P32AC-DM's (700-series locomotives) are based.

Amtrak Train #448 - The Lake Shore Limited's Boston Section stub-train sits at the Rensselaer shops, awaiting its departure to Boston later today after
Train #48 arrives from Chicago. This train is being run as a separate train with a cross-platform transfer from Train #48 while platform expansion work
is being completed at the Albany-Rensselaer Station Today's train had GE P42DC #45 for power.

P32AC-DM #702 sits while Train #448 with GE P40DC #45 heads out of the shop area towards the station. All those concrete ties in the background
are for trackwork that will eventually add a seriously-needed second track between Schenectady and Albany!

Train #48 - The Lake Shore Limited now arrives in Albany with GE P42DC #41 leading. Passengers heading to Boston will transfer to Train #448
on the platform just south of here when this train arrives. This train will also have an engine change as one P32AC-DM will bring it to New York.

Amtrak Heritage Diner #8504, a 1948-built Budd product that served as the Dining Car on today's Lake Shore. Why the significance of this car? Well, as
you know, I maintain a huge collection of roster photos on this site of Amtrak locomotives and cars and this was the last active Heritage Diner that I still
had not yet photographed!!! So at least as of the time of this travelogue, as far as the active diners go, I got 'em all photographed now, yes!!!

Train #48's power that brought the train here from Chicago.

Finally, Train #48 is now headed for New York with a new engine, seen here departing the Albany-Rensselaer Station. Well, after a fun weekend,
it's time to head back home to Buffalo!