TRIP REPORT

Over the weekend of July 19 & 20th I did a quick Amtrak journey from New York to Burlington, Vt.
 and return.  I was looking for a route that would be more than a simple out and back over the same line
and be possible in a single weekend.  The choice of the Vermonter and the Adirondack fit the bill
perfectly.  Throwing in a ferry crossing across Lake Champlain and it looked like a perfect plan.

   Living in central New Jersey, I headed for a local NJ Transit station to reach Penn Station.  Boarding at Hazlet, the train was right on time and the conductor very polite and business-like. The North Jersey Coast Line local stopped at the new EWR Airport station which seemed to be little used.  The same seemed true for the new Secaucus Transfer station.  Perhaps rush hours are different, but off hour service seems to be something that needs more advertising.  Arrival in NYC was on time.  A ten minute wait for my Vermonter ticket went smoothly and I spent about an hour hanging out in front of the station, or should I say Madison Square Garden.  A plastic model of the Statue of Liberty painted up in New York Mets colors seemed to be a big tourist draw and I ended up taking several pictures for passing visitors.

The Vermonter was ready on time at 11:30 and followed the PRR built line through Queens and over the Hell Gate bridge.

  Queens, NY including a subway train.    Manhattan as seen from the top of Hell Gate bridge.

Joining the former New Haven near New Rochelle, NY we entered MetroNorth territory.  There was alot of trackwork in progress and some stations are in the process of being replaced.  At New Haven, the AEM-7 came off and two GE P42 diesels were added. One on each end.  This is due to the change of direction done at Palmer, Mass.  During the roughly 25 minute stop, passengers were allowed on the platform for a break.

  AEM-7 914 comes off at New Haven.     A New York bound Acela stops at New Haven.

After New Haven we headed north toward Springfield, MA.  Amtrak's web site had noted that all local New Haven-Springfield shuttle trains were not running due to trackwork.  They were not running, but I didn't see any signs of active trackwork either.  It was a very slow ride never-the-less.  It took almost three hours to travel from New Haven to Springfield, something very uncompetitive.  This area would seem to be a potential mini-corridor with lots of local business, but the slow timings make that unlikely.  We arrived at Springfield a few minutes late, but had to wait for our southbound counterpart.  The same engineer that runs the train from White River Jct. or Brattleboro(?) turns and brings the northbound back.  A nice quick daytime run that many a railroad worker would envy.

  104 with a shuttle    151 brings the southbound Vermonter into Springfield about 40 minutes late.

We headed east on the old Boston and Albany main of CSX.  Crossed over to the westbound main and stopped east of the switch for the connecting track to the New England Central (former Central Vermont).  While on the main, the engineer changes ends while the conductor throws the hand switches.  Now, here is my thinking on this maneuver.  Would it not be more practical for Amtrak to put one of their former Metroliner cab cars on this run and save fuel by not having two diesels? Another possibility here would be to run a second train out of Boston and have the two join together at Palmer.  You would still have the two diesels, but a new market.  Other than lower Connecticut, most of New England is geared toward their big city, Boston.  I even heard a few passengers on the train comment on the fact that they would use a direct train to Boston.  Makes sense to me.

The track on the New England Central is a mix of welded rail and jointed rail.  The first few miles north of Palmer were slow and it took an hour to reach the town of Amherst, MA.  The railroad and the station are located in the middle of the local college and a good number of passengers got off here.  From Amherst north to White River Jct. the ride was slow with much evidence of trackwork in progress.  I saw a train across the river just below Bellow Falls, but could not get a good look at the engines.  Would this be Guilford or Green Mountain?

  Crossing the diamonds at Bellows Falls, VT.  Note the RDC in the distance.

    A quick stop at White River Jct.  The Green Mountain runs regular tourist excursions from here.  Dartmouth College is located across the river in Lebanon, NH.

After WRJ, the trackwork areas were past and things picked up a bit, but we were almost 45 minutes down.  No one got on or off at Randolph, a true Bob Newhart (Loudon) kind of town.  The stop at Montpelier Jct. was quick and we moved briskly along over all jointed rail toward Burlington.  Arrival there was about 45 minutes late, but I had made arrangements for local taxi to pick me up.  Local buses don't run on Saturday nights and I wasn't certain of getting a ride to my motel.  The driver hit me up for $12.00 for the ten minute ride, but I guess they see us Jersey guys coming a mile away.

The next morning broke cloudy and the forecast called for rain.  Northern New England has had a cool, wet summer this year.  After that pricey cab ride the night before, I figured a walk to downtown Burlington wouldn't be that bad.  It would be downhill all the way!  It was and was about 5 1/2 miles.  Of course it started to rain just as I hit town.  I noticed quite a few people sleeping on the grass in the small park areas.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, there had been a beer tasting festival the day before and obviously these folks had sampled more than just one brand.

The Vermont Railway yard was quiet and as seen below I got few shots of their engines parked there.  While waiting out of the rain under the canopy by the old station, a train backed out of the yard and stopped for passengers.  This is the local Green Mountain Flyer to Charlotte.  It is geared toward tourists looking to ride a train and do some shopping at a small town in Vermont.  It did make for a classic shot behind the old Burlington Union Station.  I walked back to the yard to await its departure when two former CN units pulled up from the middle of the yard.  Despite the dismal weather conditions, the meet made the day.

             310 at the King Street crossing. 

After that it was time to head to the Lake Champlain Ferry.  I was going to take the 11:45 boat. but it would have been much to close to make the Adirondack at Port Kent, so I elected to use the 10:30 instead.  It turned out to be a good move as the boat was the "Adirondack" built in 1913.

  Unloading at Port Kent, NY.    This was the 11:45 boat heading back to Burlington.  The Adirondack was about 20 minutes late, but I couldn't count on that.  The wait at Port Henry was made pleasant by talking to a fellow traveler from Livingston Manor, NY. 

  The "station" at Port Kent.  It is relatively new and did serve its purpose this day, but I wouldn't want to be there in February.

  Number 91 brings the Adirondack into cosmopolitan Port Kent, NY.  The train consisted of four coaches and a snack car in the middle.  It was the same arrangement as the Vermonter.  The conductors were good guys and the girl at the snack counter was very out-going and friendly.  There were no surly crew members anywhere to be found.  Amtrak made some friends this trip. The train hugged the sheer edge of the rocks above Lake Champlain for several miles.  After drifting somewhat away from the lake, there were numerous wetland areas which I was not aware of previously.  This is the stuff you never see when driving!  I should note that the track along the former D&H was in very good condition.  A good size crowd got on at Saratoga Springs.  Way back in 1974, I had ridden this train from Albany to Saratoga Springs and return.  I had hoped to ride behind the legendary Alco PA's, but the trains had RS32 and RS-3 combinations instead.  Now, who am I to complain about that.  Ironically, you can still ride behind one of those D&H freight RS32's today!  It runs on the Walkill Valley line in Ulster County New York.  The Adirondack today runs by way of Schnectady and we arrived at Albany over 30 minutes early. 

At the new, rather large Albany station our engine was changed to one that has third rail capability.  This allows the train to enter Penn Station. 

  Cutting out the straight diesel.    A very full Buffalo-bound train leaves Albany.

      This is train 449, the Boston section of the Lakeshore Limited.  It was a bit early and they had to wait for the New York section.  The two diesels on this train take the combined train west from here.  What's with all these early trains?

We remained on time all the way into Penn Station and I made my quick connection to the NJ Transit local without any problems.

Overall, it was a very wonderful experience and I heartily recommend it to anyone seeking a similar trip.  The crews were very good and kept everyone informed of delays and announced some point of interest along the way.  While some may not like the pre-packaged food served in the snack car, this is the way of the world today.  The formal dining cars may be acceptable for long distance trains, but the fare was appropriate for these trains.  I had the turkey sandwiches, which were filling and not too bad.  The very slow ride through Connecticut and below White River Jct. made the trip on the Vermonter seem  longer that it should. But, it did allow time for conversation with other passengers, some of whom lived along the way and pointed out things as we rolled along. 

The boat across Lake Champlain is a worthwhile experience.  If you are walking it is $5.50 each way and $ 17.00 per car.  I should note for my trip the fares were $ 45.00 for the Vermonter and $ 66.00 for the Adirondack.  This is very much in line with the cost of driving today.  It would have cost me more to drive the distance and there would have so much missed along the way.  My chance encounter with Virginia from NY and our several hour talk made the trip that much more enjoyable. Thanks!

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