Buffalo To The NY State Fair-Syracuse On Amtrak's Maple Leaf

For my 56th trip on Amtrak, my plan was to head to the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse to attend the Amtrak Train Days event! The original plan was to have the Amtrak Exhibit Train on display along with the Amtrak Train Days displays at the fair. Due to logistical issues beyond Amtrak's control, the Exhibit Train didn't make the trip to Syracuse but the Amtrak Train Days display did, and what an excellent display it is! This travelogue will cover the two trains I rode for this day-long trip to see this excellent display as well as seeing some great historic railroad equipment on display at the fair as well...
I arrived at Buffalo-Depew Station around 1:00pm so as to ride Amtrak Train #64 - The Maple Leaf which originated early this morning in Toronto, Ontario Canada. This train runs daily to New York's Penn Station and while in Canada is operated as a VIA Rail Canada train. After a quick chat with one of the ticket agents, I headed outside to the platform to a decent-sized crowd who would be boarding the train today. At 1:19pm, Train #64 arrived. The consist for today's train is shown below:



120	P42DC	Power
25105	Amfleet II Coach	Coach
25079	Amfleet II Coach	Coach
25120	Amfleet I Coach	Coach
82512	Amfleet I Coach	Coach (My Car - Seat 17 Window)
43351	Amfleet I Cafe Car	Cafe Car - All Tables
25026	Amfleet I Coach	Coach (Entire Car For Business Class)

We had a slightly extended stop at Buffalo-Depew Station as a passenger in a wheelchair was boarding the train. I would find out from the assistant conductor that I was the only passenger getting off the train at the State Fair today! I almost felt "royal", they're stopping this whole train just for me!!! OK, not exactly as at least one passenger was set to board there for points east but oh well! At 1:26pm, we departed Buffalo-Depew Station running 7 minutes late. I was seated in the lone Amfleet I Coach #82512, as the rest of the coaches were Amfleet II. If it were a longer ride though, I would have liked to have sat in one of those Amfleet II Coaches. I would spend some time just checking out the scenery and briefly chatting with the crew as this was scheduled to just be about a two hour ride. The Cafe Car opened about halfway through the run between Buffalo-Depew and Rochester and today's train featured an all-table Amfleet I Cafe Car which is normally used on train that run on the Northeast Corridor. On this train, as well as regular Empire Service trains, the Cafe Car normally has tables on one end and Business Class 2-and-1 leather seating on the other. Business Class passengers on today's train were seated in an Amfleet II Coach located behind the Cafe Car so it was the last car of the train.
We would arrive at the next station stop of Rochester, NY at 2:15pm. A decent crowd of passengers boarded here so I got a few quick pictures. Rochester is in the process of getting a brand-new station located across the tracks from the current station which was built in 1978. It will feature two dedicated station tracks with an elevated platform. The current station will be demolished while the new one is under construction and a temporary station building will eventually be placed near the old station building to be used while the new one is built. We departed Rochester at 2:21pm, running 8 minutes late, no big deal! I would head to the Cafe Car and get a Diet Pepsi and a bag of Peanut M&M's and would hang out with the crew as the next stop was gonna be my stop at the New York State Fair. As we got closer to CP-296, the CSX NF Dispatcher called the train and advised us to go onto the siding there which is where a small platform is set up with Gate #11 at the New York State Fair. At 3:30pm, running 15 minutes late, Train #64 arrived at the Syracuse-New York State Fair station. An Amtrak conductor was there to help facilitate the spotting of the train on the very small platform there. Once I got off the train, I bought a ticket to enter the State Fair so as to go see the display as well as the historic railroad equipment on display from the Central NY Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Included below are a few photos taken on the ride to the Fair, enjoy...

Amtrak Train #64 arriving at Buffalo-Depew Station with GE P42DC #120 for power. From New York-Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer
this train normally operates with a 700-series GE P32AC-DM for power and a P42DC the rest of the way to Toronto.

Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, NY is Kodak Park, which is the world headquarters of Eastman Kodak Company, makers of some of the
finest photographic and movie film ever made. Up until going digital in 2008, I exclusively used Kodak print and slide films for all of my photography!
The building in the foreground is Frontier Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings AAA Professional Baseball team.

Crossing over the mighty Genesee River at an area known as the High Falls (they're just to the front of the bridge we're going over, out of view), we pass
by the Platt Street Bridge (the blue bridge) which is now a foot bridge over this impressive river. I've railfanned there many times over the years myself.
To the far right is the Genesee Brewing Company, makers of Genesee Beer & Ale, as Homer Simpson would say "This is a very good beer!"

Now at the very-heavily under construction station stop at Rochester, NY.

The Rochester Amtrak Station, built in 1978, will soon be demolished to make way for a new station.

Now having just arrived at the Syracuse-New York State Fair station stop, here is Train #64, heading to New York.
Everyday except Sunday, this is the last train to New York leaving Albany.

Later on, Amtrak Train #63 - The Maple Leaf, this time, bound for Toronto, passes by the State Fair with GE P42DC #205 for power.

Of course, there's no shortage of freight trains on the former New York Central Water Level Route!!! Here we have an eastbound CSX autorack
train lead by GE C40-8W #7387 which was a former Conrail unit.

And later on, Amtrak Empire Service Train #283 would pass by, both Trains #63 and 281 would make stops at the State Fair.
Now let's head over to the Amtrak Train Days display!