In February of 1982, I took a train to Montreal. This one left from Grand Central Terminal, took the water route to Albany, and then to Schenectady, where it turned North. It continued north through Rouses Point, where it ended in Central Station in Montreal. I don't remember if it was called the Montrealer, or something else. It was a great trip.
Never forget that instead of giving that $5 million for track improvements to the Boston & Maine the Government took the nuclear option and seized their property and then "selling" it to the Central Vermont. Years later there were still derailments and deferred maintenance under CV ownership. All of this drama over 2 trains a day. In 2024 there is far more cooperation between Amtrak, the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the 2 freight railroads (Pan Am Southern and New England Central). Despite all that, Amtrak still doesn't operate to Montreal anymore.
You can thank a consulting firm for this train being discontinued because Amtrak was divided into 3 Strategic Business Units and the one that this train was in was the only one stupid enough to listen to any of the consulting firm’s recommendations. This firm didn’t know its ass from a hole in the ground.
Was the Adirondack. Originally it ran from Grand Central in NYC to Windsor Station in Montreal. In Canada, it made intermediate stops at Westmount and Montreal-West until 1983 when Vendome station opened (Amtrak just stopped serving all intermediate stations in Canada) On the 15th or 16th of January, 1986, an Amtrak train left Windsor for the last time. That evening, the Adirondack arrived at Central Station. Made sense to have it share with the Montrealer. Also heard during this time Customs and Immigration from both countries would ride the train between the border and St. Lambert, to streamline and speed up clearance, since those going up on one train would come the other way on its "sister" (they shared the route between Montreal and Cantic/Lacolle at the border) In 1991, the Adirondack was rerouted from Grand Central to Penn Station, which is where it goes to to this day.
during a period in the 80's...the train ran as a overnight operation and I rode round trip from New York twice....had what were called roomettes(a fold down bed in a quite small compartment)....great memories though....service was frequently late as the track route north from Springfield Ma...... had the train running at around 20-25 mph for sections....
I rode it 1986. I had a "Slumber Coach", which was an economy sleeper. The rooms were tiny, but they offered a real bed for not much more $$ than Coach. These cars also operated on the Broadway Limited, the Lake Shore Limited, and at least one of the Florida trains. I miss these cars and I think there's still a market for economy sleepers
@@paulj6756 These were 24 Roomette 8 Double Bedroom Sleepers that were mostly of Baltimore & Ohio origin and were used on the B&O's Capital Limited, until the B&O sold them in 1964 to Northern Pacific. From NP, these became Burlington Northern cars before being conveyed to Amtrak. These Slumber Coaches were built by Budd in the late 1950's. Amtrak also had a number of ex New York Central sleeper cars built originally as a 24-8 and NYC had the Budd Company reconfigure these cars as 16-10? sleepers in the early 1960's. (There was a distinctive "weld line" beneath some of the windows on both sides of these cars) These were used a lot on the Lake Shore Limited in the 1990's, until they and the 10-6 "Heritage Fleet" sleepers and the Slumber Coaches were displaced by the Viewliner I order around 1996. (When these Heritage Cars were modified for Head End Power operation, they retained their original direct dump toilets and were never given retention toilets) Amtrak still has at least three 10-6 sleepers of Union Pacific origin, but are used mainly for OCS Trains and aren't used in revenue service to the traveling public.
Amtrak's Pacific International between Seattle and Vancouver BC was first, on July 17, 1972. As for the Montrealer being America's first international train, I seriously doubt that. There were trains crossing the border dating back to the 1880s.
To call the Montrealer "America's First International Train" is false. 65 years ago (when I was a lot younger) my brother and I would walk down to Westmount station to watch the trains. One of those was the D&H train between New York and Montreal; it was powered by the D&H Alcos #16 & #18. Also back then CN and CP ran pool trains from Montreal to Detroit/Chicago. I remember the CN engines in the green & yellow livery. Those were the days.
There wasn't a "Capital Beltway" station in the 1920s tho. It was built in 1970. Pronounce the O in Montreal like the O in Monday, Monkey, Month etc. Not like Mongrel or Monger.
In February of 1982, I took a train to Montreal. This one left from Grand Central Terminal, took the water route to Albany, and then to Schenectady, where it turned North. It continued north through Rouses Point, where it ended in Central Station in Montreal. I don't remember if it was called the Montrealer, or something else. It was a great trip.
Probably called the Adirondack today.
Never forget that instead of giving that $5 million for track improvements to the Boston & Maine the Government took the nuclear option and seized their property and then "selling" it to the Central Vermont. Years later there were still derailments and deferred maintenance under CV ownership. All of this drama over 2 trains a day.
In 2024 there is far more cooperation between Amtrak, the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the 2 freight railroads (Pan Am Southern and New England Central). Despite all that, Amtrak still doesn't operate to Montreal anymore.
You can thank a consulting firm for this train being discontinued because Amtrak was divided into 3 Strategic Business Units and the one that this train was in was the only one stupid enough to listen to any of the consulting firm’s recommendations. This firm didn’t know its ass from a hole in the ground.
@@jfturner73Amtrak absolutely does operate to Montreal. They simply use a different route and the train is called the Adirondack.
Was the Adirondack. Originally it ran from Grand Central in NYC to Windsor Station in Montreal. In Canada, it made intermediate stops at Westmount and Montreal-West until 1983 when Vendome station opened (Amtrak just stopped serving all intermediate stations in Canada) On the 15th or 16th of January, 1986, an Amtrak train left Windsor for the last time. That evening, the Adirondack arrived at Central Station. Made sense to have it share with the Montrealer. Also heard during this time Customs and Immigration from both countries would ride the train between the border and St. Lambert, to streamline and speed up clearance, since those going up on one train would come the other way on its "sister" (they shared the route between Montreal and Cantic/Lacolle at the border)
In 1991, the Adirondack was rerouted from Grand Central to Penn Station, which is where it goes to to this day.
Good story lads, well done! Thanks for posting!
during a period in the 80's...the train ran as a overnight operation and I rode round trip from New York twice....had what were called roomettes(a fold down bed in a quite small compartment)....great memories though....service was frequently late as the track route north from Springfield Ma...... had the train running at around 20-25 mph for sections....
I rode it 1986. I had a "Slumber Coach", which was an economy sleeper. The rooms were tiny, but they offered a real bed for not much more $$ than Coach. These cars also operated on the Broadway Limited, the Lake Shore Limited, and at least one of the Florida trains. I miss these cars and I think there's still a market for economy sleepers
@@paulj6756 These were 24 Roomette 8 Double Bedroom Sleepers that were mostly of Baltimore & Ohio origin and were used on the B&O's Capital Limited, until the B&O sold them in 1964 to Northern Pacific. From NP, these became Burlington Northern cars before being conveyed to Amtrak. These Slumber Coaches were built by Budd in the late 1950's. Amtrak also had a number of ex New York Central sleeper cars built originally as a 24-8 and NYC had the Budd Company reconfigure these cars as 16-10? sleepers in the early 1960's. (There was a distinctive "weld line" beneath some of the windows on both sides of these cars) These were used a lot on the Lake Shore Limited in the 1990's, until they and the 10-6 "Heritage Fleet" sleepers and the Slumber Coaches were displaced by the Viewliner I order around 1996. (When these Heritage Cars were modified for Head End Power operation, they retained their original direct dump toilets and were never given retention toilets) Amtrak still has at least three 10-6 sleepers of Union Pacific origin, but are used mainly for OCS Trains and aren't used in revenue service to the traveling public.
Surprisingly that international trains NYC to Toronto didn’t come first. Shorter route, same Canadian liquor.
Amtrak's Pacific International between Seattle and Vancouver BC was first, on July 17, 1972. As for the Montrealer being America's first international train, I seriously doubt that. There were trains crossing the border dating back to the 1880s.
Yaaaaay
To call the Montrealer "America's First International Train" is false. 65 years ago (when I was a lot younger) my brother and I would walk down to Westmount station to watch the trains. One of those was the D&H train between New York and Montreal; it was powered by the D&H Alcos #16 & #18. Also back then CN and CP ran pool trains from Montreal to Detroit/Chicago. I remember the CN engines in the green & yellow livery. Those were the days.
There wasn't a "Capital Beltway" station in the 1920s tho. It was built in 1970. Pronounce the O in Montreal like the O in Monday, Monkey, Month etc. Not like Mongrel or Monger.
Are you from quebec?