amtrack or amtrak?

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

speller in chief

Guest
once and for all is it amtrack or amtrak? i've seen both version written. i thought they used it without the c but other times i see it with it. somebody else said there used to be a c but then management got rid or it to try to "streamline" the marketing, whatever that means....i'm a stickler for perfection so i would like to really know--officially--not through rumors or fear mongering--how do you spell amtrack/amtrak? or is it optional?
 
Pretty sure it is always Amtrak. At least in the current era, anytime you see Amtrack, you can assume it is a (somewhat understandable) mistake.
 
Amtrak. Always. No exceptions.

amtrak-logo.jpg


The logo in 1971:

amtrak-logo-amtrak-19048963-380-133.jpg
 
It's Amtrak and has been that since 1971.

Originally it was known as "Railpax" but according to "Amtrak Chronology" in the book "Journey To Amtrak"......on April 19, 1971 and just days before it launched on May 1, 1971 "Railpax changes its name to Amtrak, derived from the words America, travel and track"

Thats what I've heard/read over the years but from the Amtrak Web Page:

"The name "Amtrak" is the blending of the words "America" and "track." It is properly used in documents with only the first letter capitalized. The railroad is also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I once saw "Amtrack" in the title block of a set of drawings Amtrak sent me to review. When I called my Amtrak colleague to needle him about that, he laughed and said that one was already corrected.
 
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.
 
Brenda said:
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.
Click to expand...
Just because it was misspelled 500 times does not make it right. And what the heck do you mean about the c being included if it refers to the tracks?
 
Brenda said:
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.
Click to expand...
"Amtrak" is the marketing name chosen by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. It can and is spelled the way they want it to, since it is their very own made up word.

You are correct in the way "track" is spelled, congratulations. Amtrack does not refer to tracks themselves, those are "tracks".

And the word "amtrack" actually has nothing to do either the National Railroad Passenger Corporation or railroad tracks. It is an amphibious military vehicle:

am·trac also am·track (
abreve.gif
m
prime.gif
tr
abreve.gif
k
lprime.gif
)

n.
A small, flatbottom amphibious vehicle that moves by means of finned tracks and is used to carry troops from ship toshore.

[am(phibious) + trac(tor).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published byHoughton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Last edited by a moderator:
Brenda said:
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.
Click to expand...
Spelling is not a matter of context, and it has nothing to do with relativity. Spelling is concrete. Just because some people spell a word wrong, that does not mean it's okay to spell a word that way.

The name of the corporation is Amtrak; the correct spelling is Amtrak. End of story.

If a few people spelled your name "Brehnda" instead of "Brenda", would you be okay with them using "Brehnda"? Of course you wouldn't.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
And Qantas is an acronym for "Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services"
 
However, Jhonny Peralta of the St. Louis Cardinals is NOT "Johnny" Peralta.

Makes no difference, since: The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!
 
Brenda said:
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.A
Click to expand...
Amtrak is the registered trademark of the National Passenger Railroad Corporation and is spelled without the "C." Amtrack is a misspelling and is not a word. Ed doesn't know what he is talking about.
 
SarahZ said:
Brenda said:
Despite what these self-posessed "experts" have to say, spelling is largely a matter of context. There are in excessive of over 500 results for "amtrack" on this site alone, which in itself lends credibility to the theory of "relativity" at least in terms of spelling (we're not talking Einstein, folks!). A little research reveals that in some cases it is in fact spelled with the "ck" namely when you are referring specifically to the tracks themselves of the rail network. However, when discussing the government-run agency in itself then the "c" is "removed." This at least is my understanding. Source: My former neighbor Ed used to work for the rails.
Click to expand...
Spelling is not a matter of context, and it has nothing to do with relativity. Spelling is concrete. Just because some people spell a word wrong, that does not mean it's okay to spell a word that way.

The name of the corporation is Amtrak; the correct spelling is Amtrak. End of story.

If a few people spelled your name "Brehnda" instead of "Brenda", would you be okay with them using "Brehnda"? Of course you wouldn't.
Click to expand...
Nobody has ever spelled my name Brendha, because is not a name so far as I know. Please don't write that.

My name is Brenda.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top