Is the Adirondack worth it?

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norfolkwesternhenry

norfolkwesternhenry

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Minneapolis, MN
Is taking the Airodonack with the GN dome car (that should be where it belongs, in front of the transition sleeper on the Empire Builder, where it started out life) worth going to the east coast and back? I live in MSP, and have parents (I am 13, and a HUGE railfan), but my parents are saying "the train takes too long, I live train travel, and because it takes a while, I will take a stupid plane, and sit kn an airport for two hours, then a plane for five hours, then a cab for an hour trying to get into manhattan. Also, what are some details about the dome car, and when is the best time to ride, I know it only runs on certain trains, but when should I take it, and from where to where? I REALLY want to get more dome car experience, even with my upcoming Via Rail Canadian trip from VAC-Winnipeg. I want to experience the golden age of train travel, but I haven't had the chance to, because I am only 13 y/o
 
Ocean View only runs from ALB to MTR, due to height restrictions at NYP. It is added to/removed from the Adirondack during the engine change at ALB. Also in past years, it only operated on alternating days (IIRC Th, Sa and Mo northbound and Fr, Su and Tu southbound). If you booked the other days, you would not get the dome.
 
The Great Dome, as Amtrak calls it, only runs on limited days (see above), during the Fall Foliage Season.

Last season (2015) it was reported that the car did not run on all days when it was expected, and despite all the hype reports

from the road indicated that it is not heavily used.

You can't book space int he dome, it is available for use by all Adirondack passengers, first come, first served.

Other than that, the Adirondack is a basic, no frills, state funded train, the one feature is cafe car.

Ken
 
You have one thing on your side - your age :D There will be dome cars around for many years to come, and maybe one closer to home.

I am a long time fan of the Adirondack (it was what brought me onto this forum, when I first moved from the UK > Canada more than ten years ago) and in spite of its slow speed and unreliable timekeeping, it was always my preferred route from Montreal to NYC.

As you'd be coming from / going to the midwest, and as (when it's in service) the Dome Car doesn't run south of Albany, you could build a trip that experiences it for the more scenic northern end of the route. Southbound Adirondack #68 connects in Schenectady with westbound Lake Shore Limited #49, with about a two hour layover. The connection is not possible in the opposite direction. So I would suggest planning a trip that involves flying to Montreal, and then returning by train, #68 > #49 > #7, which would take about 36 hours if you don't overnight in Chicago.

To answer your original question - is it worth it? Well upstate New York is beautiful. Not as drop dead gorgeous as some parts of the country, but the added interest of crossing the border on one of the few US / Canada services makes it an must-do for me.

PS. Oh... and Montreal is amazing. A great family destination, with great museums, parks, activities, etc. Plus the many ethnic cultures and cuisines. If you are forced to wait a few more years until you are old enough to travel solo internationally, it's also a great town for the lone traveller. Great festivals, great music, great food, etc.
 
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jamesontheroad said:
You have one thing on your side - your age :D There will be dome cars around for many years to come, and maybe one closer to home.

I am a long time fan of the Adirondack (it was what brought me onto this forum, when I first moved from the UK > Canada more than ten years ago) and in spite of its slow speed and unreliable timekeeping, it was always my preferred route from Montreal to NYC.

As you'd be coming from / going to the midwest, and as (when it's in service) the Dome Car doesn't run south of Albany, you could build a trip that experiences it for the more scenic northern end of the route. Southbound Adirondack #68 connects in Schenectady with westbound Lake Shore Limited #49, with about a two hour layover. The connection is not possible in the opposite direction. So I would suggest planning a trip that involves flying to Montreal, and then returning by train, #68 > #49 > #7, which would take about 36 hours if you don't overnight in Chicago.

To answer your original question - is it worth it? Well upstate New York is beautiful. Not as drop dead gorgeous as some parts of the country, but the added interest of crossing the border on one of the few US / Canada services makes it an must-do for me.

PS. Oh... and Montreal is amazing. A great family destination, with great museums, parks, activities, etc. Plus the many ethnic cultures and cuisines. If you are forced to wait a few more years until you are old enough to travel solo internationally, it's also a great town for the lone traveller. Great festivals, great music, great food, etc.
Click to expand...
thanks, already been to Montreal, would like to go back, and with time and budget restraints, (my parents take me on a lot if trips already), could I catch a southbound Acela/NER and make the Capital limited?
 
I have to admit that I prefer short domes to long domes - being able to see out the front and back is the highlight for me. That said, I do like the scenery on the Adirondack, even from an Amfleet II, and as pointed out above Montreal is worth a visit in and of itself. Take your trip on the Canadian; that will help you decide if it's worth pestering your folks about the Adirondack.
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
jamesontheroad said:
You have one thing on your side - your age :D There will be dome cars around for many years to come, and maybe one closer to home.

I am a long time fan of the Adirondack (it was what brought me onto this forum, when I first moved from the UK > Canada more than ten years ago) and in spite of its slow speed and unreliable timekeeping, it was always my preferred route from Montreal to NYC.

As you'd be coming from / going to the midwest, and as (when it's in service) the Dome Car doesn't run south of Albany, you could build a trip that experiences it for the more scenic northern end of the route. Southbound Adirondack #68 connects in Schenectady with westbound Lake Shore Limited #49, with about a two hour layover. The connection is not possible in the opposite direction. So I would suggest planning a trip that involves flying to Montreal, and then returning by train, #68 > #49 > #7, which would take about 36 hours if you don't overnight in Chicago.

To answer your original question - is it worth it? Well upstate New York is beautiful. Not as drop dead gorgeous as some parts of the country, but the added interest of crossing the border on one of the few US / Canada services makes it an must-do for me.

PS. Oh... and Montreal is amazing. A great family destination, with great museums, parks, activities, etc. Plus the many ethnic cultures and cuisines. If you are forced to wait a few more years until you are old enough to travel solo internationally, it's also a great town for the lone traveller. Great festivals, great music, great food, etc.
Click to expand...
thanks, already been to Montreal, would like to go back, and with time and budget restraints, (my parents take me on a lot if trips already), could I catch a southbound Acela/NER and make the Capital limited?
Click to expand...
I can't do overnight coach in Amfleet or Horizon, no little lower level 12 person are with more legroom. This is a budget trip, as well as there is no viewing/"long distance" lounge car, as an Amfleet cafe car doesn't have big enough windows, or outward facing seats, and I can deal with this in sleeper, but not for a long time in coach
 
The Adirondack southbound does not easily connect to the CL westbound.

If you depart NYP shortly after you arrive (if you're OT), you get to WAS at 12 midnight or 1 am. Or you could depart NYP at 3 am and get to WAS at 7 am. (Of course you could stay overnight, and take any of the more than hourly trains - but there goes the budget!) The CL does not depart until 4 pm.
 
Well, if it's just about getting into a dome, you could try 261.com, as they are local to Minneapolis and they are the people that have a fleet of passenger cars to go with their steam locomotive.
 
North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth is now running an ex-NP dome on their Duluth Zephyr excursion (90 minute trip up to the Lester River crossing in East Duluth). The ex-NP dome is leased while NSSR works on an ex-CB&Q dome that was donated to them in the last year or so. The Duluth Zephyr runs twice daily (with a third departure on Fridays and Saturdays) through Labor Day, then weekends until mid-October.

Here is a link: www.northshorescenicrailroad.org
 
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