your first ride on amtrak

[Joeker]

It was the first saturday of September 1971 and I just finished a 3 month stint with the Forest Service in Montana. I boarded the train home from Billings MT to Minneapolis where I visited a friend for a day. I remember the old Great Northern Station in MSP which was still used at the time. The next day I continued on to Chicago and then to Newark, NJ.

The train was the 3 day a week # 32-26 on the old NP routing. I guess the NP called it the "North Coast Limited". I had a slumbercoach.

The MSP to Chicago train was the Empire Builder, which combined with #26 in MSP. The cars wrer a mixture of BN Sky Blue and some stainless steel NP coaches and sleepers with a full dome coach which I sat in for many miles watching the signals go from green to red.

From Chicago I took the The Broadway Limited which at that time was train #48 via Fort Wayne, Lima, Canton, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg. I also had a slumbercoach. This was still in the old pre amtrak PRR Tucan Red livery of the time.

From my notes of the trip I remarked about the beauty of the Rockies in MT and the imagined the pioneers following the Yellowstone River in MT.

I also noted how pristine WI looked but noted that railbed was extremely rough.

Finally I stood in awe in at the the window in the vestibule as we rounded Horsehoe Curve in PA for my very first time and I saw the Locomotive in front rounding the bend.

Also we switched engines in Harrisburg for a beutifyul GG1 pulling a 14 car train. How good can that get!

Finally I reached "home turf" in PHL as we sped north passing the commuters on my way to Newark. from there it was a short commuter trip on the Raritan line train to raritan and a reunion with the family.2533 miles.!

Not a bad trip for a 21 year old back then! and one that I was glad I took when I did considering what has happened to these same routes today!!

 

[Blackwolf]

My first Amtrak ride? 1994, round-trip aboard the Coast Starlight from San Jose to Seattle. Me, my mother, brother and grandfather all traveled in Coach to Seattle for a small vacation. Our trains were pulled by two brand new Pepsi-Can painted Dash-8 locomotives and contained a mix of Superliner cars and old Sante-Fe Hi-Liner cars. I absolutely loved the trip, as did my brother. My mother and grandfather swore to never take the train again anywhere!

Been traveling by train at every chance since!

 

[Texan Eagle]

The best part about this thread- now I more or less know everybody's age..including the ladies who would not reveal otherwise.

 

[nolatron]

My first ride was shortly after Katrina in 2005. I needed to return to New Orleans by myself for a few days from Houston so I took the opportunity to take a roomette on the Sunset Limited home (and the return the trip too).

My first "trip" was in 2010 when I took the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington D.C, then the Capital Limited to Chicago, and the City of New Orleans, back home. I arrived early morning at each city and spent the day at each city visiting the sites. In the evening I boarded the train to the next destination, making the train my "hotel" for the night. Was great trip and I hope to do something similar in the west coast eventually.

 

[jayt]

My first train ride was in June 1962 on L&N's Pan American from Nashville to New Orleans. Still have L&N's timetable from that trip. I was very young and only remember going to the dining car for supper and watching the tracks go by when using the toilet. I took the Hummingbird in July 1968 by myself (9 yrs old, my dad got me a roomette), again from Nashville to New Orleans for a three week summer vacation. Remember my dad tipping the attendant when getting on and my cousin tipping again when I got off in New Orleans. I also remember the sleeping car attendant having arranged for me to have breakfast with a priest in the dining car. I seem to remember the dining cars. I doubt many parents would let their child do this today - even if allowed. Sadly, how times have changed. My first Amtrak trip was the Floridian from Nashville to Orlando and back in August 1972 with my mom to see the new Magic Kingdom park. Do have pics of the bedroom and Orlando station. I do remember the observation car and how cold it was. When I was at the Orlando station April 2009, it looked exactly the same. Same outside bench I had my picture taken on was still there. Had another picture taken of me sitting on it in 2009. Boy, have I grown? LOL! In 1974, again, worked all summer, saved my money and took the whole family to the Magic Kingdom from Louisville to Orlando on the Auto-Train. Drove up from Nashville the day before and spent the night. We had two bedrooms on the train and my grandmother wanted to sit in coach. My dad arranged for us to have a brand new Mercury Marquis to take. Had to take my aunt to help my mom drive back to Nashville as I was still too young to drive. Still have a lot of memorabilia from that trip and a rock I got from the Auto Train station in Sanford that I still have sitting out. These trips are still very happy memories to myself and my mom and hopefully will never be forgotten - especially the Auto Train trip.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

My first and only pre-Amtrak was when we moved from GA to DE in 1967. All I remember is when my mom & I were in the diner, the conductor came and told her that our dog had gotten loose while my sisters were "walking him" during a stop and if she didn't catch him very soon, the train would leave without him. Luckily my mom was able to get him before the train left. Oh, and I vaguely remember during the night cars being added/removed from the consist, I think. Or maybe switching engines? Just remember the "bumping".

It just took this one trip to give me the desire to someday take a long-distance train ride again. Unfortunately it took over 40 years before I could.

 

[SarahZ]

My first trip was in 2005, shortly after I moved to Ann Arbor from Kalamazoo. I was going to visit friends in Chicago and decided to take a train since it was cheaper (plus, I'd always wanted to). I'm not sure why I never took one when I lived in Kalamazoo, but oh well.

I gave the station attendant the strangest look when I asked him where to line up for security to check my bags and he said, "We don't have security." Hehe. :giggle: That was so weird to me. Now I'm used to it (and LOVE it).

When we left Ann Arbor, we went through the dense trees near the station and ended up along the Huron River. It was so beautiful, and it was so lovely being able to see things I couldn't see from a road, that I actually teared up a bit. I loved passing through towns that were so familiar to me and seeing them from the tracks instead of from the road as usual. Then I found out there was a snack car with drinks and such, and that settled it. I was never flying again if I could help it.

My first LD trip was the SWC in August 2010. I had always flown to see my boyfriend in ABQ, but I had some extra vacation time and decided to take the train instead. Now that he lives here with me, we take the train for all LD trips (he refuses to fly unless it's a family emergency).

 

[zephyr17]

My first Amtrak ride was on May 1, 1971 from LA to Fullerton. It was just like the AT&SF San Diegan the day before, except they had pointless arrow placards on the cars. Those didn't last, probably a "first day" thing.

My first long distance train ride was from LA to San Jose on the Coast Daylight in 1958. I was 3 years old and the Chatsworth tunnel scared me.

 

[TimePeace]

I rode commuter rails (New York Central and New Haven Railroads) often with my dad in the 50's and 60's - but my first LD train trip was on Amtrak in around 1992, my son (4) and daughter (13) and I took Amtrak from Boston to Rocky Mount, NC, to visit my parents. Both kids loved it, and both have since taken the CZ and lots of other Amtrak trains. My son and I took the LSL/CZ Westbound BOS-EMY a couple of years ago when he was 17 and it was one of our best father-son expeditions ever (so far).

 

[JayPea]

My first ever Amtrak trip took place on June 28th, 1990, a round trip between Champaign and Chicago on the City of New Orleans. I had flown to my grandparents' home in Central Illinois with my mom and dad, and my uncle took me to a Cubs game in Chicago on that date. I had taken a couple of long-distance trips in the far past prior to that: Round trip between Spokane and Chicago on the North Coast Limited in 1963, when I was three, and again in 1965, this time on the Empire Builder. I had also taken a short run on the City of Hinkle (round trip) in April, 1970, between Spokane and Hinkle, OR. But that trip in 1990 was my first one on Amtrak. I don't remember anything about that trip, other than, short though it was, it gave me the "bug" for more Amtrak travel, which I'm happy to say hasn't been cured yet! My first long-distance Amtrak trip was in 2004, on the CZ from Chicago to Reno. I again had flown to Illinois to my uncle's (my grandparents by that time had long since passed on) and we first went to Chicago on the CONO from Champaign, then rode the CZ to Reno, where we both flew back to our respective homes.

Oh, and I can't honestly say I remembered the exact date of my first Amtrak trip in 1990: I looked up that particular Cubs game on Retrosheet, which is a godsend for those like me, avid baseball geeks with glasses that look like the bottoms of Coke bottles. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[gdj]

Over Thanksgiving 1976 I rode the Coast Starlight from Salinas to Oakland. I don't remember much about the coach, but the ride was rough. My wife and I tried to get dinner reservations, but couldn't. We wound up eating is a type of cafe car which was arranged like a lunch counter with stools. They had spaghetti and meat balls on the menu which I ordered. Much to my chagrin the attendent opened up a can of Franco American, heated it up and served it on a plate

 

[benjibear]

My first Amtrak trip was in the beginning of 2000 when I was almost 25. I exhausted almost everything I wanted to do in the previous year and a half because I just moved to the area. I decided to broden my horizon and took Amtrak from LNC to PHL for a day trip and to check out the historic sites. I think I booked online but needed to pick tickets up first. At the time I was not all familiar with Lancaster, PA and it was before GPS so I got lost going to the station. I parked, picked up my tickets, and the train was just pulling in as I walked down the stairs to the platform. Got on and even before I was seated we were moving out of Lancaster. Not a minute to spare!

The first long distance trip was BAL to Charlotte, NC in about 2008 on the Crescent. I took the train because I hate flying and never really did it since I was an adult. It sounds like so much hassle and scary about the seat sizes. I took it for bussiness. The train was about 30 minutes late and we probably pulled out of WAS about an hour late but got to my destination almost on time. I arrived and left in the middle of the night but it was fun. The people I had a meeting with were all like "You took the train?" One guy that lived in Charlotte stated that he didn't even know you can take a train there.

 

[Ocala Mike]

Much to my chagrin the attendent opened up a can of Franco American, heated it up and served it on a plate

Be thankful he heated it up for you and gave you a plate instead of just throwing it at you. Those were the "bad old days" (see how far Amtrak's come?). Hope you left a substantial tip.

Ocala Mike

 

[Paul Dow]

In the late 70's I'd take the train between college in Bridgeport and home in Windsor or Windsor Locks. I believe one of them was called The Bankers . Other trips were Metro North to New Haven, and then whatever they called the Shuttle back then. They ran the self-propelled Budd cars then. Nice concept, but smelly with the stack running through the center of the car. Today's seats are much more comfortable on that line too.

My first long distance trip was only a little over two years ago. A friend and I had some business to do in Wisconsin. He found a good air fare and schedule out of Boston instead of Bradley. Driving to the airport, he told me that he couldn't print my boarding pass since he wasn't the one who made my reservation. Huh?!? I thought he was getting the tickets for both of us. Well, going out, the walk-up price wasn't bad, but coming back Sunday night would have been almost $600. I have a friend who used to work for an airline, so I asked if he could arrange one of those standby passes from Chicago to somewhere back east. I got to the airport, and the security line looked like the line for a ride at DisneyWorld on opening day. When I finally got through, I see that I'm number 53 on the standby list on an A320 to Boston. I found out later that I could have made a flight that left about 1/2 hour earlier if I wasn't stuck in the line. The next flight to Hartford put me number 7 on the standby list, and there were 7 first class seats open. Looks pretty good! Then they started asking for volunteers to be bumped, not just for the next flight in the morning, but to the second flight. OK, that's not going to work. Next flight to Boston had me number 62 on standby.

So options are - sleep in the terminal and try again in the morning, find a hotel room and try again in the morning, or get on something heading east. Since the first flights the next day were booked solid too, I figured my best option was the train. Fortunately I remembered the LSL left at 9:30, and it was a little before 8:00. I called Julie to make a reservation, and found the van to take me downtown. I learned later that the Blue Line went from the terminal I was in to only 3 blocks away from Union Station.

Got to the platform with about 10 minutes to spare, and was able to sleep most of the night. Had a couple nice meals in the Diner Lite back then. I gave my luggage to my friend to take back my air, so I only had my toiletries and phone. I was able to browse the internet for a good part of the trip. Once you get in the mindset of how long the trip will take, the time works out well. Nice scenery between Albany and Springfield, MA.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

My first Amtrak trip was with my father. We use to take the Metroliner from what was then called the Capital Beltway Station (Today's New Carrollton) to NYP once or twice a year when I was a kid. Shamefully :blush: I don't specifically remember the first trip we took after things switched from Penn Central to Amtrak. This might be because things didn't really change all that much. Also, I was always very preoccupied with standing at the window in the door at the back of the engineer's booth and watching wide eyed. :wub:

 

[TraneMan]

My first trip was spring of 1990 on the Empire Builder, and then on Lincoln Service (I think that it was?) to travel from MSP to STL with my classmates. At our school, our senior class takes "Sneak Trips" so we are allowed to leave campus for a couple of days. So we raised money for the trip down!

We had to be up bright and early to head up to Minneapolis to get to the Amatrak station to board the train.. When the train arrived, we were told we could not board for another half hour or so. If I recalled, someone has passed on and had to wait till the body was removed. It was an exciting time for us all to be together on the train and the freedom to move around.

We arrived at CHI on time, and we had time to head outside and peek at the Sears tower and walk around for a bit around the block.. Otherwise, we hung out in the grand hall admiring the beauty of the old building.

It was time for board the train to St. Louis, and we got a few miles out of the station, and the engine had trouble, and we could not move.. We had to wait for a while for the replacement come and off we go.

We arrived some what late into St Louis,

We spent Easter Weekend in St Louis and had a blast with my classmates as we wrap up our year at the school.

We took the train back home and all went well on our return trip.

 

[amtkstn]

Me and my mom made our first trip in June of 1986 of out my now home station of Newton Kansas on the SWC. We rode to LA and spend a couple days with a aunt. Then we took the CS to San Franscisco in a sleeper. That day was my 10th birthday. Afrer spending a few days in Modesto with another uncle, we boarded the CS and did the full trip to Chicago. Then we rode the Hiawatha service to visit another uncle. A few days later a short trip back to Chicago to a connect with the SWC. It was about a three week trip.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

My first ride on Amtrak was in July 1973 on the “Washingtonian” from Montreal to New York. I was in coach and didn’t get much sleep that night. I remember getting off at White River Jct in the wee hours of the morning while the train was serviced. By the time we reached Springfield we were over 3 hours late after crawling for miles along the bankrupt B&M. I was fascinated by all the old abandoned railroad infrastructure I was seeing. Then it was on to New Haven and my first encounter with a GG-1. I walked forward for pictures while it replaced our E8s for the run into Penn Station........ which we finally reached in early afternoon.

 

Amtrak #61 THE WASHINGTONIAN

Montreal to New York, July 6, 1973

915 GG-1*

257 E-8A*

263 E-8A*

1591 Baggage Dorm

2776 ALACHUA COUNTY Sleeper

2619 PACIFIC MEADOW Sleeper

8301 Diner Lounge Observation

7003 Coach

3301 LE PUB Lounge

5000 Coach

2958 Coach

5606 Coach

*E-8s off & GG-1 on at New Haven

Here’s a shot of the Montrealer arriving Gare Centrale......it would return south that evening as the Washingtonian. Also a shot the next morning of the GG1 replacing the E8s at New Haven just as a Turbo arrived.

 

 

 

 



After a couple of days in New York, I was back at Penn Station for the 3am departure of the “Night Owl” to Boston.

 

Amtrak #66 NIGHT OWL

At Boston July 9, 1973

289 E-8A

293 E-8A

3506 Baggage

3204 SWIFT STREAM Buffet Sleeper

1576 Coach Lounge

5467 Coach

 

 

The train was not busy train and I had a double seat to myself. I remember the night time view looking over New York as we climbed up over Hells Gate Bridge.

 

After a day in Boston it was onto Sprinfield and a connection home.

 

Amtrak #149 BAY STATE

Boston to Springfield July 10, 1973

141 RDC Coach (modified)

140 RDC Coach (modified)

 

 

An interesting train. It was composed of the xNew Haven xPenn Central “Roger Williams” trainset that had modified Budd RDCs with a cab like front. I rode as far as Springfield where I would connect with the “Montrealer”.

 

It was over a four hour wait and I couldn’t believe the condition of the station......even the plaster ceiling was falling in. The agent suggested I wait at the bus terminal a couple of blocks away! The “Montrealer” rolled in at 11:30pm and it was packed. The only seats available were in the “Le Pub” lounge car and I spent the next couple of hours sitting up before the coaches thinned out a bit in Vermont and I found a seat to get some sleep before the border and Montreal.

 

[benjibear]

Wow interesting pictures. Amtrak has come along way.

 

[Big Iron]

My first ride on Amtrak was in July 1973 on the “Washingtonian” from Montreal to New York. I was in coach and didn’t get much sleep that night. I remember getting off at White River Jct in the wee hours of the morning while the train was serviced. By the time we reached Springfield we were over 3 hours late after crawling for miles along the bankrupt B&M. I was fascinated by all the old abandoned railroad infrastructure I was seeing. Then it was on to New Haven and my first encounter with a GG-1. I walked forward for pictures while it replaced our E8s for the run into Penn Station........ which we finally reached in early afternoon.

 

Amtrak #61 THE WASHINGTONIAN

Montreal to New York, July 6, 1973

915 GG-1*

257 E-8A*

263 E-8A*

1591 Baggage Dorm

2776 ALACHUA COUNTY Sleeper

2619 PACIFIC MEADOW Sleeper

8301 Diner Lounge Observation

7003 Coach

3301 LE PUB Lounge

5000 Coach

2958 Coach

5606 Coach

*E-8s off & GG-1 on at New Haven

Here’s a shot of the Montrealer arriving Gare Centrale......it would return south that evening as the Washingtonian. Also a shot the next morning of the GG1 replacing the E8s at New Haven just as a Turbo arrived.

 

 

 

 



After a couple of days in New York, I was back at Penn Station for the 3am departure of the “Night Owl” to Boston.

 

Amtrak #66 NIGHT OWL

At Boston July 9, 1973

289 E-8A

293 E-8A

3506 Baggage

3204 SWIFT STREAM Buffet Sleeper

1576 Coach Lounge

5467 Coach

 

 

The train was not busy train and I had a double seat to myself. I remember the night time view looking over New York as we climbed up over Hells Gate Bridge.

 

After a day in Boston it was onto Sprinfield and a connection home.

 

Amtrak #149 BAY STATE

Boston to Springfield July 10, 1973

141 RDC Coach (modified)

140 RDC Coach (modified)

 

 

An interesting train. It was composed of the xNew Haven xPenn Central “Roger Williams” trainset that had modified Budd RDCs with a cab like front. I rode as far as Springfield where I would connect with the “Montrealer”.

 

It was over a four hour wait and I couldn’t believe the condition of the station......even the plaster ceiling was falling in. The agent suggested I wait at the bus terminal a couple of blocks away! The “Montrealer” rolled in at 11:30pm and it was packed. The only seats available were in the “Le Pub” lounge car and I spent the next couple of hours sitting up before the coaches thinned out a bit in Vermont and I found a seat to get some sleep before the border and Montreal.

Man.......great post. I loved riding the Montrealer and Night Owl.

My first Amtrak trip was on the Capitol Limited shortly after Amtrak took over, as far as one coule tell it was a B & O train with the crew wearing their original B & O uniforms.

A memorable trip was in the late 70's on the James Whitcomb Riley. Rode coach from RVR to CHI. We were bussed from Staples Mill station to an abandond station in Ellerson,VA on the Newport News section of the old George Washington. One E-8 and one coach and one buffet/coach. The train then joined the New York section in Charlottesville and then connected with another train in Cattlesburg, KY which had a dome, The Hilltopper if I recall correctly. Rode is a great 52 seat C&O coach that was separated in the middle so the car was in two smaller sections. The windows were huge. The dome was awesome, the train empty. The memorable part was a disrruptive family that was put off the train in WV, Prince or Thurmond, in the middle of a snow storm.

Link to picture of coach below.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=683519

 

[Ispolkom]

My first ride was in September 1981, taking the Empire Builder from Minot to Chicago on my way to college, in coach, naturally. I remember that my ticket wasn't lifted until St. Paul. The Mississippi was the scenic highlight of the trip, and I definitely remember the wretched track conditions on the Milwaukee Road section between St. Paul and Chicago.

 

[Ocala Mike]

Great photos, NS VIA Fan. Love those decrepit looking PC engines and the "intertwined worms" PC logo (which didn't last very long, did it?). Also the GG-1.

Ocala Mike

 

[stntylr]

My first Amtrak ride was June of 1971, dad took my brother and I on the Lone Star from Houston to Fort Worth and back so he could check out the brand new Amtrak.

 

[railiner]

My first Amtrak trip was unremarkable. I had been travelling every weekend--Friday evening down, and Sunday evening back up between New York and Philadelphia to visit my girlfriend. So the difference between the train operated by the Penn Central for itself, and then by the Penn Central in behalf of Amtrak was nil. A few stickers on the cars, new timetables, and ticket envelopes, etc......nothing really. The same "Congo" (former Congressional) rolling stock pulled by GG-1's. Same PC uniforms for crew.

There was however, an intangible difference. A new, optimistic attitude by some of the crew that had high hopes for promises of improvements in the future. Alas, for the NEC, much was fulfilled, but for long distance travel, well, the 'jury is still out'.....

 

[Anderson]

The first trip that I have a solid memory of would have been up to NYC and back in about 2000 with my parents to see the Today Show. The thing I remember most about it, sadly, is being stuck on a siding (I presume) between Ashland and Richmond.

The first trip I arranged on my own would have been in 2006 down to Florida overnight in coach. I still remember grabbing the french toast at breakfast as I staggered barely awake to the dining car about the time we hit JAX (me being 19 and dressed in a tan linen suit and panama hat my grandmother had suggested I wear...after all, I was taking the train, and that's what she remembered doing when she took the Rock Island into Chicago). On the way back, I grabbed the pasta (my first Amtrak dining mistake), which was slightly undercooked, sitting with another college student on their way back...somewhere...after break, and afterwards managed to sleep most of the way into Richmond (the train was operating on a different schedule at the time, and the arrival was moderately early).

What I remember most interestingly was being seated next to an old railroad guy on my way down who was with SCL once upon a time (or so I can deduce; he mentioned being on a pass on the Meteor, which doesn't leave much to the imagination on that particular front), and him talking about the executives hooking up some private cars and running down to Savannah for a weekend of golf once upon a time.