mark1447 Posted May 5, 2012 #1 Posted May 5, 2012 Grand Central Terminal will be filled to the rafters with all things railroad to celebrate Amtrak's National Train Day on Saturday, May 12, from 11 AM to 4 PM. This annual event, which premiered in 2008, is a nationwide celebration of trains and the different ways trains touch the lives of people around the country. And what a day for rail fans, family and friends! The event will feature live entertainment, interactive exhibits, culinary demonstrations, activities for kids, model trains, tours of Amtrak, freight and commuter trains, and private railroad cars. Metro-North will also celebrate the joys and benefits of rail travel with fun for kids, plus a chance to enter to win a Getaway package. We'll also have plenty of information about our Grand Central Centennial celebration next year. Attendees will enjoy the chance to board privately owned, luxury railcars and explore freight and commuter trains. Rail equipment scheduled to be on hand includes (subject to change): Private Cars Hickory Creek Tavern Lounge 43 Cannon Ball Epicurus Birkin Kitchi Gammi Club Ohio River Commuter & Freight Cars Metro-North BL14CG (Brookville Locomotive Works) Amfleet II Doner-Lite Lounge Viewliner Sleeper Amfleet I Club Dinette Track Geometry Car Cat Car and Boom Truck (In case you're curious, Metro-North will have two BL14CG switchers on display; these locomotives are used in Grand Central to move train cars around.) And to give participants a real blast from the past, Amtrak will also have its 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train that will include a locomotive, Bistro car, and renovated baggage cars displaying historic advertising, uniforms, photos, and memorabilia. Like your trains on a smaller scale? There will be an array of miniature train masterpieces on display guaranteed to dazzle. Plus see just how tasty today's train food can be-there will be live cooking demonstrations by Amtrak celebrity chefs and free tastings of regional culinary specialties. And for those curious about the future of rail travel, stop by at the Amtrak High Speed Rail Display which explores the future of high speed rail travel. National Train Day marks the 143rd anniversary of the creation of the nation's first transcontinental railroad. On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the "golden spike" was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, forever transforming America. http://mta.info/mnr/html/natl_train_day.htm For more information, visit http://www.nationalt...events/newyork/
CDTA Posted May 5, 2012 #2 Posted May 5, 2012 Shame I can't be down there for that. Oh well, at least there's the free Amtrak ride between Albany and Schenectady.
CDTA Posted May 5, 2012 #4 Posted May 5, 2012 Where do you see the free ride? Heard it somwehere. Just hoping for the best.
mark1447 Posted May 6, 2012 Author #5 Posted May 6, 2012 Why is there a Free Amtrak ride? You got the BRT 905 up there at a cheap cost for that. And i thought you were from NYC but love CDTA.
KeystoneRegional Posted May 6, 2012 #6 Posted May 6, 2012 I would want a reliable source of information before thinking it is free up there, because rumors doesn't mean it will be true. As of the National Train Day @ GCT, it's because of D.C.'s Union Station being damaged due to last year's Virginia Earthquake, this perhaps will be the only year that National Train Day will be at GCT.
nostalgia Posted May 12, 2012 #8 Posted May 12, 2012 As of the National Train Day @ GCT, it's because of D.C.'s Union Station being damaged due to last year's Virginia Earthquake, this perhaps will be the only year that National Train Day will be at GCT. I'm glad I'm not going. I lived in Washington, DC last year and went to last year's National Train day at Union Station. It was a zoo. It took about forty five minutes before you got to the platform and the first exhibit. Some of the equipment from last year won't be at GCT because of height problems. Union Station can fit the double decked Superliners. Union Station has plenty of space because there are no commuter trains on the weekend, just Amtrak. Here's the roster of equipment: http://www.nationaltrainday.com/events/download/NYC_NTD_RevBro_Final.pdf There's an Acela Express trainset on the roster. Though not positive, I'm sure it's parked right now on Track 2 at New Rochelle. I saw the empty equipment when I got off my 8:40 PM MN train (which blew past the Mount Vernon East station without attempting to stop. Get out the vial.) I expect the equipment is waiting for a tow.
pjbr40 Posted May 13, 2012 #9 Posted May 13, 2012 it was fun day to go see those cars. the only side thing that kind of tick you off is seeing the line but they do move good pace tho. i went on all four tracks of train (around track 37). Acela Express the whole set. The M-8 from (New Heaven). It still got that fresh smell being new. The sleeper car and few exhibit car. Then they got a car from Nashville made by Pullmans, New york Central, and Cannon Ball, I forgot the rest but it was nice to see some of the cars i never seen them run on the east coast area.They give away paper conductor hat that have some puzzle for kids to do. T shirt was little pricey for me ($15). Little model railroad that had three track in big circlr. Two of them has Amtrak and one Army look. They are in N scale( the mouse size model) The Annex Gallery stare was busy. It was worth the trip for me.
nostalgia Posted May 13, 2012 #10 Posted May 13, 2012 it was fun day to go see those cars. the only side thing that kind of tick you off is seeing the line but they do move good pace tho. i went on all four tracks of train (around track 37). Acela Express the whole set. The M-8 from (New Heaven). It still got that fresh smell being new. The sleeper car and few exhibit car. Then they got a car from Nashville made by Pullmans, New york Central, and Cannon Ball, I forgot the rest but it was nice to see some of the cars i never seen them run on the east coast area.They give away paper conductor hat that have some puzzle for kids to do. T shirt was little pricey for me ($15). Little model railroad that had three track in big circlr. Two of them has Amtrak and one Army look. They are in N scale( the mouse size model) The Annex Gallery stare was busy. It was worth the trip for me. I saw some of the equipment without going to Grand Central. About 11:45 PM, I heard a diesel engine ringing its bell and looked out the window. It looked like some of the National Train Day equipment. I went down to the New Rochelle platform. MN Diesel 111 pulled the Hickory Creek, Epicurus, Ohio River and some other equipment to Track #2, cut off, went through CP 217 and then made a reverse move to somewhere. Amtrak AEM7 #919 came right up to track #2 and tried to couple up. The crew couldn't release the knuckle on the Hickory Creek so they opened the knuckle on the 919, coupled up, and left for, presumably, Sunnyside. I couldn't believe how many employees were used to make this move.
Grand Concourse Posted May 13, 2012 #11 Posted May 13, 2012 I would want a reliable source of information before thinking it is free up there, because rumors doesn't mean it will be true. As of the National Train Day @ GCT, it's because of D.C.'s Union Station being damaged due to last year's Virginia Earthquake, this perhaps will be the only year that National Train Day will be at GCT. Aw, I was kinda hoping this would be an annual thing.
mark1447 Posted May 13, 2012 Author #12 Posted May 13, 2012 Aw, I was kinda hoping this would be an annual thing. I'm actually glad it was only this year. I'd rather head to D.C. then doing it GCT.
Truckie Posted May 13, 2012 #13 Posted May 13, 2012 I couldn't believe how many employees were used to make this move. How many were there? There should have been a minimum of an engineer and conductor, possibly a brakeman from each railroad. There is a chance that there could have been a flager there but I doubt it.
nostalgia Posted May 13, 2012 #14 Posted May 13, 2012 How many were there? There should have been a minimum of an engineer and conductor, possibly a brakeman from each railroad. There is a chance that there could have been a flager there but I doubt it. When I got down to the platform, the MN diesel already uncoupled from the train. I didn't take a census but there were at least six men wearing MN reflective vests plus somebody who wasn't. This man without a vest gave instructions to the Amtrak crew how to open the knuckle on the obser lounge, which never opened. At least three employees came out of the AEM7: engineer, conductor and assistant conductor. One of them went to the other end to release hand brakes.
Neil Feldman Posted May 14, 2012 #15 Posted May 14, 2012 This is my YouTube video of the events from the day!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.