Amtrak 'Montrealer' Inspection Train - July 18

Amtrak ran an inspection train on July 18 from St. Albans to Montreal on the former 'Montrealer' route. Aboard were rail and government officials.

Good photo here....crossing the Richelieu River in Quebec just before the Inspection train reaches Cantic where it meets the Adirondack route

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/07/18-amtrak-montrealer

I pretty much just skimmed the article and was like "Oh my! I've worked that cafe car before!" Lol

Very glad to hear they've taken the steps to do an inspection train. Guess there is some hope after all.

Wonderful news! I rode the Vermonter last year all the way to St. Albans. Beautiful scenery.

Video of the inspection train by YouTube user Paul Rude.

Good. This track actually needed inspection. Everyone has said it's in deteriorated condition and will need upgrades. All the trackwork south of the border is done; there's a complete design for the international platform at Montreal and the customs office; we're still waiting on the Canadian preclearance legislation (and it may not pass because the US demanded too much); someone has to fund the international platform and customs office; but as far as I could tell nobody had really looked at the track conditions between Montreal Central and the border.

neroden said:

Good. This track actually needed inspection. Everyone has said it's in deteriorated condition and will need upgrades. All the trackwork south of the border is done;...........but as far as I could tell nobody had really looked at the track conditions between Montreal Central and the border.

Click to expand...

A new 'Montrealer' would follow the same route as the 'Adirondack' does from Gare Centrale to Cantic QC (48 miles)...then about 8 miles of current freight only track from Cantic to the Can/US Border. From there... it's about 18 miles to St. Albans.

This is the condition of the track through Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC

https://goo.gl/maps/iwAnM5yaUUu

(and if you switch back to the aerial-view from street-view....you can see the Adirondack passing the station here!)

https://goo.gl/maps/M79kpmW1R3A2

Yeah. I was just wondering if all the freight trains that operate between St. Albans and Cantic do so with their eyes shut

As a matter of fact, and default setting for the hand thrown switch at Cantic is towards St. Albans, since that is the primary route used by trains coming down CN from Canada. The Adirondack crew has to set the route for themselves and after passing the switch reset it towards St. Albans.

Here’s the old ‘diamond crossing’ (no longer in use) at Cantic. Zoom in and you can see the tail-end of the Adirondack just crossing Hwy 223. The Adirondacks route runs from the top of page to bottom....the Montrealer would swing off to the bottom right.

https://goo.gl/maps/e9iGrTToZPn

I think the track from Cantic to the border will need upgrades. And that switch should be automated.

This is a pretty low-usage freight route. I wouldn't expect a heck of a lot of information from the trundling slowpoke freights, which can run on truly decrepit track.

Are you paying attention Pennsylvania and Ohio?