To The Northeast in '73

[NS VIA FAN]

Came across some photos and consists I recorded way back in 1973 that brought back memories of my first Amtrak trip and venture into the US Northeast.

I left Halifax NS on CN's Scotian......the running mate of the Ocean Limited and with a summer consist heavy on coaches and sleepers. About 3 hours out of Halifax as we slowed to a stop at Oxford Jct. I noted an RS-18 sitting on the wye ready to place two C&O Business Cars on the rear of our train.....C&O Chairman, Cyrus Eaton was returning to Cleveland from his home in Nova Scotia. The next morning I walked back for a photo during a servicing stop at Riviere-du-Loup.

Then it was onto Montreal for a mid-afternoon arrival just in time to head out to Val Royal to watch the evening rush on CN’s electric line to Deux Montagnes.

The next morning it was over to Central Station to scout out a location to see the arrival of Amtrak’s Montrealer....my first Amtrak train and the one I would be boarding later that evening. Then another day of touring Montreal including wandering around CP’s Glen Yard taking photos......the things you could do back then and not be challenged.

I was back at Central for the 8:30 pm departure of The Washingtonian.

Amtrak #61 THE WASHINGTONIAN

Montreal to New York, July 6, 1973

915 GG-1*

257 E-8A*

263 E-8A*

1591 Baggage Dorm

2776 ALACHUA COUNTY Sleeper

2619 PACIFIC MEADOW Sleeper

8301 Diner Lounge Observation

7003 Coach

3301 LE PUB Lounge

5000 Coach

2958 Coach

5606 Coach

*E-8s off & GG-1 on at New Haven

I was finally riding Amtrak and I didn't get much sleep that night. I got off for pictures at White River Jct and I remember how we crawled for miles along the bankrupt B&M. At daybreak the condition of the track was quite evident with abandoned rails and signal masts disappearing into the weeds and underbrush. By the time we reached Springfield we were over 2 hours late then it was on to New Haven and my first encounter with a GG-1. I walked forward for pictures as it replaced our E8s for the run into Penn Station. While we were stopped a Turbo came in on the adjacent track from Boston.

 

[Ryan]

This is an absolutely glorious picture. Love it!

 

[NS VIA FAN]

We finally reached New York in the early afternoon and after a look around Penn Station it was over to Grand Central and a ride up the Hudson and back on a Penn Central MU.

The Erie Lackawanna was a favourite railroad so the next morning I headed for Hoboken and spent some time riding the old electric MUs.

Arriving back at Broad Street, I made my way over Newark Penn Station and a ride on the CNJ to Dunellan.

Back to Manhattan on PATH for some Subway riding then over to Staten Island and the SIRT to Tottenville.

 

[NS VIA FAN]

I now had the evening to wait for my next Amtrak train so out to Port Washington on the LIRR. Some more subway (& El) riding then it was time to get back to Penn Station for the 3am departure of the Night Owl.

Amtrak #66 NIGHT OWL

@ Providence RI, July 9, 1973

289 E-8A

293 E-8A

3506 Baggage

3204 SWIFT STREAM Buffet Sleeper

1576 Coach Lounge

5467 Coach

Not a busy train and I had a double seat to myself. I don't remember much of the ride except the view of New York as we heading up over Hells Gate Bridge then on to Providence and Boston.

I now had a couple of days in Boston to ride another favourite railroad, the B&M and covered just about every line out of North Station along with most of the MBTA trolley and subway lines.

It was now time to head for home. If it had been a few years earlier I could have taken the “Gull” a joint B&M, MEC, CP, CN operation all the way from North Station to Halifax. Or Air Canada could have me home that evening in a little over an hour. But I was riding Amtrak and my next train was the Bay State at 5pm from South Station.

Amtrak #149 BAY STATE

Boston to Springfield July 10, 1973

141 Coach/Cab (modified Budd RDC)

140 Coach/Cab (modified Budd RDC)

An interesting train! It was composed of the xNew Haven Railroad's "Roger Williams" trainset that had modified Budd RDCs with a cab like front.

I rode as far as Springfield where I would connect with the Montrealer. I had over a four hour wait and I couldn't believe the condition of the station.....even the plaster ceiling was falling in. The agent suggested I wait over at the bus terminal a couple of blocks away!

The Montrealer rolled in at 11:30pm and it was packed! I found a seat in the “Le Pub” lounge car. (For some reason I didn't record the consist......maybe scared I'd lose my seat!) I spent the next couple of hours sitting up before the coaches thinned out a bit in Vermont and found a seat to get some sleep before the border and Montreal. The next evening I returned home on CN's Scotian.

 

[greatcats]

I now had the evening to wait for my next Amtrak train so out to Port Washington on the LIRR. Some more subway (& El) riding then it was time to get back to Penn Station for the 3am departure of the Night Owl.

Amtrak #66 NIGHT OWL

@ Providence RI, July 9, 1973

289 E-8A

293 E-8A

3506 Baggage

3204 SWIFT STREAM Buffet Sleeper

1576 Coach Lounge

5467 Coach

Not a busy train and I had a double seat to myself. I don't remember much of the ride except the view of New York as we heading up over Hells Gate Bridge then on to Providence and Boston.

I now had a couple of days in Boston to ride another favourite railroad, the B&M and covered just about every line out of North Station along with most of the MBTA trolley and subway lines.

It was now time to head for home. If it had been a few years earlier I could have taken the “Gull” a joint B&M, MEC, CP, CN operation all the way from North Station to Halifax. Or Air Canada could have me home that evening in a little over an hour. But I was riding Amtrak and my next train was the Bay State at 5pm from South Station.

Amtrak #149 BAY STATE

Boston to Springfield July 10, 1973

141 Coach/Cab (modified Budd RDC)

140 Coach/Cab (modified Budd RDC)

An interesting train! It was composed of the xNew Haven Railroad's "Roger Williams" trainset that had modified Budd RDCs with a cab like front.

I rode as far as Springfield where I would connect with the Montrealer. I had over a four hour wait and I couldn't believe the condition of the station.....even the plaster ceiling was falling in. The agent suggested I wait over at the bus terminal a couple of blocks away!

The Montrealer rolled in at 11:30pm and it was packed! I found a seat in the “Le Pub” lounge car. (For some reason I didn't record the consist......maybe scared I'd lose my seat!) I spent the next couple of hours sitting up before the coaches thinned out a bit in Vermont and found a seat to get some sleep before the border and Montreal. The next evening I returned home on CN's Scotian.

I am a former Erie Lackawanna employee and was aboard the last MU under its own power to Gladstone in August, 1984. I remember when I was in college aaround 1972 I made a trip to Amherst, Massachusetts to visit a friend. I remember the train to Springfield from New Haven was one PC locomotive pulling a single coach, which was OK, but then came the arrival at Springfield! Coming down the stairs from the tracks to the waiting room, I thought to myself, " This is worse than Trenton, New Jersey - more like the Black Hole of Calcutta!. Yuck! " I immediately hoofed it down the street to the bus station to reach Amherst. Returning. I remember it was a loco pulling thee cars,which ran directly to New York, one of which was sort of an observation lounge, which was a nice ride, except people were still allowed to smoke at will on trains, a thing which is now fortunately history! ( A new station was built at Springfield some time after this. )

 

[cpamtfan]

I live on LI and those cars you rode are mostly history now! Great trip report with a blast from the past :lol: !

 

[Steve4031]

I enjoyed it too. Thanks.

 

[greatcats]

My thanks also for your nice report and pictures. Upon looking closer, I see that the EL MU is at Chatham, New Jersey. I was the ticket agent there from 1995 to 1998, one of my favorite jobs. The idots part timed that job when I left, which made me furious, among other stupid things NJT has done.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wonderful pics, great trip report! Give me that old time religion for sure! Long gone but not forgotten by we old timers!

It was apparent that some of the lines were already letting the equipment start to run down, something the Penn and UP and SP really specialized in when it came to passenger trains! Really like VIA, I'll be ridin g the Ocean and the Canadian this next summer good lord willing and the creeks dont rise!

 

[Phila 30th St]

Another great report! I love that my old home station of Rye, NY is on the old schedule you posted. Can't wait for your next one.

 

[J-1 3235]

Thank you for sharing another one of your trips from long ago

Mike

 

[Heading North]

Wow, these are fantastic! Although it's amusing to me that while most of the trains look rather dated now, riding the LIRR and the SIRT in the early 2000s didn't look terribly different... what was "modern" in 1973 certainly has shown its age now. (I'm aware that many of the cars are new and/or updated models now, but the basic look isn't too different.)

Out of curiosity, where's the Penn Central MU photo located on the Hudson Line, any idea?

 

[NS VIA FAN]

Out of curiosity, where's the Penn Central MU photo located on the Hudson Line, any idea?

I checked the back of the slide and the photo was taken at Glenwood.