Thinking About the Maple Leaf This Summer...

[AlanB]

My family and I had a great experience on a RT to Chicago last summer on the CL and the Pennsylvanian . This summer, we are thinking about going to Toronto for a long weekend, and are seriously considering taking the train. The primary reason for taking the train is to see the scenery in NY along the Hudson River and points west of Albany.

Another routing to consider would be the Adirondack Train from NYP, along the Hudson River and Lake Champlain to Montreal, then take a VIA Rail Corridor Train to Toronto the next day.

This would take an extra day, but if you have time it does add an extra city well worth seeing. Also, the Adirondack Train is considered one of the most scenic runs in all of North America, and is highly recommended.

Really, any particular time of year for the Adirondack Train? B)

The fall is probably the best, but anytime of the year is really nice. You run alongside Lake Champlain for miles.

 

[AlanB]

do the amtrak crew stay on the train and go off duty or do they stay at a canadian hotel and wait for the next train

The Amtrak crew goes off duty, leaves the train, and is shuttled in a van to their hotel. I believe that they are shuttled back across the border too, staying in a NY hotel, not a Canadian hotel.

i would think they would stay in canada cause the via rail employees don't operate the train into the US.

I'm sure that the van that takes them to their hotel in NY is perfectly capable of crossing the border in the other direction as well, so the Amtrak crew can operate the train after the border crossing.

yeah but why the hassle of going back and forth. the Amtrak crew is in Canada wouldn't be easier to put them up in a Canadian hotel instead of spending money shuttling them back and forth.

It's done in part because Amtrak can get a better hotel price in NY than Canada, Amtrak also doesn't have to worry about the exchange rate going up or down and changing the rate, plus I don't think that the Amtrak crew is fully cleared by Canadian Customs which makes things easier. Since they aren't staying in the country for more than a few minutes, they aren't given higher attention.

 

[Mike S.]

And just to nitpick, it's actually 4 Amfleet II' Coaches and 1 Amfleet I Cafe/Business Class Car.

I'd upgrade to Business Class. You're only one of 15 or 18 passengers, the seats are wide, with nice leg room. Also, its quiet, no foot trafic b/c you're at the end of the train.

BTW: I say 15 or 18 seats b/c all of the empire service business class cars have had 15 that I've been on. Then one day I had 18 seats. I though it was strange and it did reduce the leg room, but still better than regular coach. Later on while in the cafe seating end I noticed a Maple Leaf schedule taped to the wall. I think it was an oddball equipment thing. I'd bet a ML train has 18 business class seats.