A visit to New England to view the autumn leaves was
our first planned trip taking advantage of my wife’s recent
retirement. The northbound Silver Meteor pulled into
Jacksonville, FL about 15 minutes late on September 30, 2018 and we
climbed aboard filled with anticipation. We were grateful that
the rail line had reopened few days earlier after flooding in the
Carolinas caused by Hurricane Florence subsided. Sleeping car
62043, originally named “Sunset View” was rechristened “New River” a
couple years earlier and stood out with retro striping on its exterior.
Sleeper “New River” on the Silver Meteor at Jacksonville on September 30, 2018
Our experience with the Jacksonville station was anything but smooth, a
disappointment as it formerly was a well-run operation. In recent
years all of the veteran employees retired and the new generation,
though pleasant, was far from organized. It started when I
attempted to check our luggage through to Albany, NY using the Lake
Shore Limited from New York to Albany. The baggage man did not
want to do this since we were booked on an earlier train. He
stated that the luggage would likely take an extra day or two which was
hogwash since there is a four hour gap between trains in New
York. Rather than argue, we piled the suitcases into our bedroom,
displeased by this employee’s personal policy (note: we have checked
baggage between the Silver Meteor and Lake Shore Limited multiple times
in the past.) The next snafu came when an automated announcement
came on the PA system advising passengers to board the train.
Normal practice in Jacksonville is for passengers to present tickets at
a check-in stand inside the station. The resulting flood of
boarding passengers created a chaotic scene and added work for the
conductor.
Our 5:24pm departure was 17 minutes late and by the
time we rolled through Callahan 15 minutes later, we were seated in the
dining car for dinner. This was our first meal in a new Viewliner
II diner and car 68002 “Atlanta” was bright and airy with its double
row of windows and sparkling art deco appearance. A few minutes
later we crossed the St. Marys River and entered Georgia then zipped
past the railfan pavilion in Folkston. The steak dinner, baked
potato, and vegetable medley was delicious and we both savored our
meals, glad that they weren’t the downgraded meals offered on Amtrak
routes linking the east with Chicago. We shared our table with a
young man named Dan who was knowledgeable about train travel and
unenthusiastic about flying.
Viewliner II diner “Atlanta” in Jacksonville
The stop in Savannah was long enough to make a quick trip to the head
end to photograph the two heritage style engines (# 184 and 822)
bearing retro paint schemes. The southbound Palmetto roared past
at 8:21pm near Ridgeland, SC then we made station stops in Yemassee and
Charleston before we turned in for the night. Overnight we lost 1
1/2 hours between Florence and Fayetteville due to signal trouble
but we
were only about 25 minutes late when we woke up in Alexandria, VA.
P42 engine # 184 wearing a retro livery during the stop in Savannah
P40 # 822 displays a heritage paint scheme in Savannah
Private car
“Dearing” stationed in Savannah rather than its prior home in Orange
Park, FL due to recently adopted rules for private car switching
During the half hour stop in Washington there was time to watch the
switch to ACS64 electric engine # 648 and observe # 642 painted in the
Veterans livery on an adjacent track. As we resumed our journey
we went to the dining car for a hearty breakfast of pancakes and
sausage patties as the Washington/Baltimore suburbs flashed by.
The Northeast Corridor was busy with Monday morning Amtrak and commuter
trains as the Silver Meteor sailed northward. Arrival at Penn
Station in New York was 35 minutes late at 11:35am. Our redcap
“Bill” was friendly as he took all of our luggage upstairs to Club
Acela, the first class waiting area.
Engines 184 and 822 are switched out of train # 98 at Washington
ACS64 electric engine # 648 is added to the head end of the Silver Meteor in Washington
ACS64 # 642, seen in Washington, wears the Salute Our Veterans paint scheme
Breakfast time inside Viewliner II dining car “Atlanta”
As promised, Bill returned to pick up our luggage
and escort us to our business class car on Train # 283 to
Albany-Rennselaer. Car 48182 was the rear car on our five car
train. We selected single seats on the left hand side of the
train which would give us excellent views of the Hudson River that
would be followed most of the trip. My luck continued as train #
283 was led by dual mode engine # 700 wearing Amtrak’s belt stripe
retro paint scheme, the fourth specially painted engine seen on our
trip.
Dual mode engine # 700 shows off a retro paint scheme on the head end of train # 283 at New York Penn Station
An Empire Service decal on the flank of P32 # 700
Business class/cafe car 48182 on train # 283 at New York
Our business class car offered single seats on the left-hand side
Business class seating was at the rear of the car
beyond the cafe counter while lounge tables occupied the forward
end. Free soft drinks were included in our upgrade fare and I
also found it convenient to occasionally look out the car’s rear door
as the tracks followed the Hudson. About 45 minutes into our
journey we crossed the Spuyten Duyvil swing bridge over the Harlem
River near the junction with the rail line to Grand Central
Terminal. A couple minutes later several Metro North commuter
cars waited in the yard adjacent to our stop in Croton-Harmon. As
# 283 continued north, we passed beneath several towering highway
bridges spanning the Hudson River and noted a southbound CSX freight
train snaking along the opposite shore of the Hudson. A quick
glimpse of the West Point campus across the river and Bannerman’s
Castle on an island in the middle of the river grabbed our attention as
did a few barges plying the Hudson.
Metro North equipment at Croton-Harmon
This route skirted several small harbors snuggled
next to villages along the rail line and the number of river barges
increased the farther north we travelled. Beyond Poughkeepsie the
view from the rear window was especially interesting as the rail line
curved along the Hudson. After departing Rhinecliff a number of
railroad signal bridges stood watch over the double track railway as we
continued our unimpeded trek toward the state capitol region.
Arrival at the Albany-Rennselaer station came at 4:00pm while the
eastbound Lake Shore Limited was boarding across the platform. A
few minutes later an Amtrak baggageman offered assistance upstairs into
the station where we completed paperwork for our Enterprise rental
van. The convenience of this on-site rental agency cannot be
overstated as it saved a great deal of time and effort. Within
about 45 minutes we were settled into the Hilton Garden Inn beside the
Albany Medical Center.
The Hudson River was visible most of the trip from New York to Albany-Rennselaer
Running along the Hudson River north of Croton-Harmon
One of many highway bridges spanning the railway and the Hudson
Barge traffic is often seen along the Hudson River
The view from the rear window is outstanding
The rear view reveals how closely the rails follow the river
Passing through a commuter station on train # 283
Another highway bridge recedes behind our train
The following day we began our exploration of northern New York and New
England. The drive along Lake George was beautiful despite a
steady drizzle as we made our way to Ticonderoga, NY. Our
intended visit to Fort Ticonderoga was cancelled when we discovered it
is not part of the national park system and has a rather steep
admission fee. However, this allowed us to see the Amtrak
station, an attractive small brick edifice close to the fort
entrance. This brought to mind the time perhaps 25 years earlier
when I rode an Amtrak Turboliner (the Adirondack) from Montreal to
Ticonderoga, waited about 45 minutes then caught the northbound train
back to Montreal. The Ticonderoga stop at that time was simply an
uncovered platform separated from Lake Champlain by a few bushes.
It was a lonely spot and in a subsequent story for Rail Travel News I
noted that I half expected “Larry, Darryl, and Darryl” from the
“Newhart” television series to step out of the woods any minute.
Indeed the new stop is better though still fairly remote.
Our drive then headed northwest until we reached Lake Placid, home of
the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The village was charming and
many venues remain from the winter games including the cauldron that
housed the Olympic flame, the bobsled and luge runs, the ski jumps, and
the arena where the Miracle on Ice hockey game, the figure skating
championships, and speed skating events took place. Also worth
mention was the Winter Olympics Museum attached to Herb Brooks Arena as
it contained a variety of noteworthy items from various winter
games.
The autumn leaves were approaching peak in the area
which added to the charm of the area. The Hampton Inn proved to
be an excellent lodging choice as it overlooked beautiful Mirror Lake
located on the edge of town. Before leaving the area the next day
we made the short drive to nearby Saranac Lake which offered a scenic
view with mountain scenes set behind its shores. Along the way we
crossed the Adirondack Scenic Railroad which used to operate excursions
between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Unfortunately, service was
suspended at some point in the past and litigation over proposals to
convert the right-of-way to a bike trail has tied it up for some
time. One can only hope it will operate again as this would be a
great reason to return to this lovely area.
Autumn leaves at the Winter Olympics sliding center
The bobsled and luge run at Lake Placid
Herb Brooks Arena, home of Olympic ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating competitions at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Team USA attire from various Winter Olympics
A gold medal displayed at the Winter Olympics Museum
Mirror Lake at dusk
Hampton Inn, Lake Placid in the evening
The cauldron housing the Olympic flame at the 1980 Winter Olympics
The Lake Placid area can be easily accessed from the Amtrak stop in
Plattsburgh, NY, however, the Adirondack departs New York and Albany
before most connecting trains from the south and west arrive. An
overnight in either city allows the best option to reach Lake Placid
and vicinity either by rental car or a train/rental car
combination. Thruway bus connections with the Adirondack are
available at Westport, NY.
In our next report, we begin our New England exploration and visit some outstanding tourist railroads.