reporting from #51

[AlanB]

While I cannot say under what authority he did so, I have witnessed in person a conductor performing a marriage on a train. It happened about 10 years ago or so now in the Sightseer Lounge on the Cardinal, back when that train ran with Superliner equipment. They sort of roped off one corner of the lounge and the conductor, bride, & groom stood on one side with the best man & maid of honor on their sides while the conductor performed the ceremony as the train rolled through New River Gorge.

The couple had met on a train, and wanted to get married on the train. So they made special arrangements with Amtrak for this. And the adults in the SSL all got a glass of champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

 

[RRrich]

While I cannot say under what authority he did so, I have witnessed in person a conductor performing a marriage on a train. It happened about 10 years ago or so now in the Sightseer Lounge on the Cardinal, back when that train ran with Superliner equipment. They sort of roped off one corner of the lounge and the conductor, bride, & groom stood on one side with the best man & maid of honor on their sides while the conductor performed the ceremony as the train rolled through New River Gorge.

i

The couple had met on a train, and wanted to get married on the train. So they made special arrangements with Amtrak for this. And the adults in the SSL all got a glass of champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

Lovely story but are you sure the couple didn't have a spare license, signed by an authorized person hidden away somewhere?

 

[George Harris]

While I cannot say under what authority he did so, I have witnessed in person a conductor performing a marriage on a train. It happened about 10 years ago or so now in the Sightseer Lounge on the Cardinal, back when that train ran with Superliner equipment. They sort of roped off one corner of the lounge and the conductor, bride, & groom stood on one side with the best man & maid of honor on their sides while the conductor performed the ceremony as the train rolled through New River Gorge.

The couple had met on a train, and wanted to get married on the train. So they made special arrangements with Amtrak for this. And the adults in the SSL all got a glass of champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

Lovely story but are you sure the couple didn't have a spare license, signed by an authorized person hidden away somewhere? http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/public/style_emoticons/default/wub.gif[/img

Several ways this could have happened. It could have been done for the ceremony and the legal part done elsewhere. It could be that the conductor had the authority to perform the ceremony in whatever jurisdiction the train was running through at the time. It could be that they had a set up so that the conductor would be acting as a proxy for someone who did have the authority.

 

[oldtimer]

If I remember that story correctly the conductor was an ordained minister with the authority to perform a marriage in that geographic territory.

 

[AlanB]

While I cannot say under what authority he did so, I have witnessed in person a conductor performing a marriage on a train. It happened about 10 years ago or so now in the Sightseer Lounge on the Cardinal, back when that train ran with Superliner equipment. They sort of roped off one corner of the lounge and the conductor, bride, & groom stood on one side with the best man & maid of honor on their sides while the conductor performed the ceremony as the train rolled through New River Gorge.

i

The couple had met on a train, and wanted to get married on the train. So they made special arrangements with Amtrak for this. And the adults in the SSL all got a glass of champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

Lovely story but are you sure the couple didn't have a spare license, signed by an authorized person hidden away somewhere?

Again, I don't know the hows & whys & wherefores of things. I do recall the conductor signing some paperwork, but I couldn't tell you what those papers were as I wasn't close enough to see.

I just know that it was quite important to the couple to be married on the train and that they made prior arrangements with Amtrak to pull that off. I do know that the conductor normally worked that route, it wasn't like he was brought in from some place else. The conductor also mentioned to some of us spectators that it wasn't the first time he'd done that on the train.

 

[railiner]

While I cannot say under what authority he did so, I have witnessed in person a conductor performing a marriage on a train. It happened about 10 years ago or so now in the Sightseer Lounge on the Cardinal, back when that train ran with Superliner equipment. They sort of roped off one corner of the lounge and the conductor, bride, & groom stood on one side with the best man & maid of honor on their sides while the conductor performed the ceremony as the train rolled through New River Gorge.

i

The couple had met on a train, and wanted to get married on the train. So they made special arrangements with Amtrak for this. And the adults in the SSL all got a glass of champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

Lovely story but are you sure the couple didn't have a spare license, signed by an authorized person hidden away somewhere?

Again, I don't know the hows & whys & wherefores of things. I do recall the conductor signing some paperwork, but I couldn't tell you what those papers were as I wasn't close enough to see.

I just know that it was quite important to the couple to be married on the train and that they made prior arrangements with Amtrak to pull that off. I do know that the conductor normally worked that route, it wasn't like he was brought in from some place else. The conductor also mentioned to some of us spectators that it wasn't the first time he'd done that on the train.

A nice story.....Hey Amtrak, are you listening? This could be a whole new source of revenue to persue....