The bridge you saw at 6:28 is officially known as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, but everyone calls it the Tappan Zee Bridge since that was the name of the original bridge (the original was built in the 1950s; replaced in 2017 by this one)! I'll always call it the Tappan Zee because Tappan Zee just rolls off the tongue so much better. It's also acknowledging both the indigenous and Dutch heritage. Tappan's the name for the natives who lived in the area, while Zee for sea due to it being a widening (and Henry Hudson thought this widening would lead to the Northwest Passage). And it's just the name of the overall geographic feature, so no matter the name of the bridge, you're still going over the Tappan Zee! Doing this corridor during the Fall with the incredible foliage, on top of the fact you're in the Tavern Lounge....is the perfect way to take it all in! Talk about doing this in style! The Hudson section of the Empire Corridor has done wonders for the communities along the river. I lived the first eight years of my life riding the MNR's Hudson Line, it was the line that got me train-pilled and realize all the possibilities of trains and transit in general, and so I have a personal connection to it! I'm glad you were able to grab tickets for this excursion! They had the Hickory Creek and Tavern Lounge out during the NJT 40th Anniversary event at Hoboken Terminal too, and they let everyone in free of charge, and of course did the red carpet as well!
The Hudson Palisades are absolutely wonderful! The basalt cliffs are the margin of a diabase sill, formed about 200 million years ago at the close of the Triassic period! This was formed by the intrusion of molten magma upward into sandstone. The molten magma then cooled and solidified before reaching the surface. Water erosion of the softer sandstone left behind the columnar structure of harder rock that exists today as the Hudson/NJ Palisades! The Lenape called the cliffs "rocks that look like rows of trees", or Weehawken which would end up becoming the name of the town in Hudson County where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr did their infamous duel! When the English took over Dutch settlements in 1665, they renamed the city Albany in honor of the Duke of Albany, the future James I. Albany in turn refers to the parts of Scotland north of the River Forth. The NY State Capitol is pretty cool! It was built between 1867 and 1899. Three teams of architects worked on the design of the Capitol during the 32 years of its construction which were Thomas Fuller (from 1867 to 1875), Leopold Eidlitz and Henry Hobson Richardson (1875 to 1883), and Isaac G. Perry (1883 to 1899). Thomas Fuller designed the buildings of Parliament Hill in Ottawa! As the result of the different architects, the state capitol is in different styles throughout including Romanesque and French Renaissance.
I've been marveling at your pure plain American pronunciation. I never hear a Dutch accent. But your Dutch background surfaced in your bit at the Albany-Rensselaer station. You pronounced it "rensselahr", which I suppose is the Dutch pronunciation. New Yorkers say "rensseleer", rhymes with "ear".
@@Thom-TRAI suppose if Italians I met in the Paris Metro could talk about Parigi while asking me what does "mind the gap" mean, we can excuse you. On the other hand, regional pronunciation differs among similarly spelled places. E.g. Newark NJ (noo-erk) and DE (noo-ark) Houston TX (Hyoos-tun) and Houston St NY (House-tun) DeKalb County GA (De-Cab) vs DeKalb Ave Brooklyn (De-Calb) So too here, while the original 15th century farm near Putten from which the van Rensselaer family took its name may have been Rensselahr, the town near Albany is Rensseleer.
I grew up just south of Rensselaer, and the local. pronunciation actually is worse. Many residents of Rensselaer County will understand you if you say Rentler. And they will nod at the jibe contained there-in. If you want see great bird life, take the early morning train from Albany to NYC. Lots of Great Blue Herons, Egrets, and Eagles feeding in the marshes along the tracks. If the morning is foggy, it can be magical.
Thanks for a great memory. I went to pharmacy school in Toledo, Ohio in the 1950's, and I would take the train to and from Toledo and Cleveland. I recall riding the Empire State, but it's fuzzy if I ever road the 20th Century. Of course, these were the end days of passenger service and the trains were in bad shape. But it was handy and cheap at the time. Then in my last year I got a car and that was that. So, my wife and I enjoyed taking Via Canadian Pacific the last time they ran through from Toronto to Vancouver, and then the Amtrak Auto Train several times to and from Florida in the 2010. I recently took the NE from Norfolk to Rhode Island. Long trip, but I enjoyed the pace. Thanks for this video. I still have a place in my heart for a train, but today we are always in such a hurry. Keep up the good work!
"Almost two years ago, in this very cafe...I bought a key chain." LOL Love your videos, Thom. Cool tour of the Hickory Creek car. Nice appreciation of the staff.
I have friends that live in Poughkeepsie, New York, and routinely use the Metro-North railroad to travel to New York City It is really cool seeing these vintage railroad cars, fully restored to their original glory
Awesome video! I took the same trip in 2022 on the first train of the season, and had an absolute blast in the Hickory Creek car. Only main difference in experience other than the car itself is a fully cooked, gourmet meal, which unsurprisingly blows Amtrak’s catering way out of the water. Speaking of catering, URHS seems to love using Costco for many of their onboard food items, so I’m willing to bet you got some of Costco’s finest deli sandwiches onboard 😅 Also for next time, use the bus that stops right in front of the station to go into town. Costs less than $1 and runs very frequently
Finally got some time to view this wonderful day out you and Lindsey had on a classic train journey. Five months to the day in fact! Glad you were able to enjoy it and thanks for sharing the experience. Cheers from Michael downunder in Melbourne, Australia.🙂🙂🙂
In 2021, I did a PV rail journey on three Amtrak routes. The cars were ‘Pacific Union’[ex UP sleeper]. ‘Cimarron River’[ex MP sleeper] and ‘Vista Dome 549’[ex NP]. The Amtrak routes were the following: ‘Texas Eagle’. Chicago to San Antonio ‘Sunset Limited’. San Antonio to LA ‘Southwest Chief’. LA to Chicago
nice video. I have taken the Empire Service to Buffalo quite a few times. When you are leaving NYC the telephone poles are the same ones in the North by Northwest movie.
Great video. Back in the dark ages, I used to work after school across the street from the main Penn Station and one of my jobs was taking sacks of mail to the post office that is now Moynihan Train Hall (part of the building is still a post office). Unfortunately, the building I worked in, built in the 1800s, has been torn down.
I rode the 20th Century Limited in 1967 as it was about to be shut down, but only from Dayton(?) Ohio to Chicago. Sic transit gloria mundi. It was pulled by a nasty purple Pennsy engine, and the Pullman car was well past it sprime. I actually got off at Wrigley Field because it was closer to my home, and I had to bribe the porter to retrieve my bicycle. I'm glad you got toexperience a bit of the gloria retroube.
Be still, heart! No one needs your passionate suffrage to select this glory, this is our lordly Hudson hardly flowing under the green-grown cliffs. -- Paul Goodman A lovely video. Thank you for it.
Man that had to be a nice excursion! I’ve seen that Hickory Creek rail car on the Joliet Rocket led by Nickel Plate Road 765 steam locomotive in New Lenox 6 years ago. I went out earlier this afternoon and saw the last steam excursion train coming from Summerville, GA and was heading back to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It’s the last one of the season and I plan on doing that excursion maybe sometime in June or July. It should be back in April along with the Chickamauga Turn diesel train excursion.
Great video, and what a nice time for you and your lovely bride. Living in the area, I've taken both Amtrak and, to a lesser extent, Metro North Hudson line frequently and never tire of the view of what NY Central called the water level route. If you're ever up this way again, you have to check out: 1. Tarrytown: especially fun in October due to its connection to author Washington Irving and the Legend of the Headless Horseman. 2. Bannermans Castle, that you can access by water shuttle from the Metro North Beacon station, and that has occasional music performances and film/plays. 3. Walkway Over the Hudson, a former D&H railroad bridge, now a state park, via Poughkeepsie station, serviced by both Amtrak and Metro North (and a great train hall still bearing the NY Central name above). 4. Rhinebeck via Rhinecliff Amtral station, our favorite Hudson Valley town and foodie paradise, plus nearby historic Hyde Park (FDR home/presidential library) and Vanderbilt Mansion (of NY Central fame). I'd be happy to host you both if you're ever up this way again. Your best advice on this video: NEVER walk from Rensselaer to Albany😂
Thank you, Thom, for taking us along on this adventure. Brought back memories of when i took the 20th Century Limited from Chicago to New York City in the early 1960's. Red carpet and all! Because that day the train was a little late getting into NYC we were treated to a free breakfast in the dining car. t was a wonderful overall experience!!!
That was one heck of a nice ride along that beautiful river. Your personal approach is admirable. I crossed the Huson once back in '83 driving in my brother's Ford pick-up truck. I got very lost on the way home to Ancramdale NY, but somehow found the way. My last train ride was on KTX ttain set no. 21 from Seoul to Daegu i S Korea. Many reports have been made, but you could beat them all hands down!
@@Thom-TRA you are very welcome... or the Netherlands because I'm very often in the Netherlands, take a daily network ticket from the NS and surf across the country... I'm a big VIRM trainset fan
What an awesome experience on an awesome train!!! I’m glad you got tickets and were able to see the other part as well. It’s nice to see people so interested in preservation and sharing this amazing train with others!!! Awesome!!!
What a great ride. It’s definitely on my to do list. I was an engineer for Metro North and had many chances to run trains on the Hudson Line. It is by far Metro North’s most scenic route. Thanks for sharing this wonderful adventure with us.
I’m pretty sure that that’s not an original toilet. Original toilets opened up and dumped right onto the ballast and ties. There were signs that said something to the effect of, “Do Not Flush Toilets While Train is in Station.” I remember as a kid in the early 60s, when riding the trains, flushing the toilet and actually seeing the ballast rushing by under the train. It was cool looking. I never gave much thought back then to the environmental side-effects of that stuff on the tracks. Thanks for the ride along!
Old Boomer here. I learned my lesson about non-retention toilets in the 1960s when I put a coin on the tracks for a steam excursion right where someone on the train chose to flush. Needless to say I didn't bother going back to look for my coin. Hickory Creek has come back a long-way from where it was 50 years ago. After the end of the 20th Century Ltd. and a lot of NYC/PC service, the car was sold to Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus as the traveling manager's private car at the end of their train. When I photographed it in downtown Akron, Ohio in a siding where the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad now runs while the Circus was in the area, it looked pretty run down, but the tail sign, somewhat broken, was still on the rear. Fortunately, it survived it's time with the circus and has been restored to it's former glory.
Thank you so much for this video. You may be the youngest people there, but judging by the excitement and anticipation of the others, everyone was your age in there head. I'm guessing that all wish they could have done this at your age...I know I do!
Great video...Beautiful scenic accents of the Hudson and Albany is a very picturesque area. It would be great if the Railroad Society could extend the trip to Chicago by adding slumber services
The LIRR is part of the MTA. The third rail on Amtrak' GE Genesis dual-modes are compatible with THAT particular MTA third rail. Metro-North's New York Central-spec third rails are underhanded, so the Amtrak third rail shoes have to retract in order to avoid smashing into them. Metro-North's dual-modes don't need to retract their shoes, but still switch to diesel mode as soon as they leave the Park Ave Tunnel. Amtrak is planning on replacing the Genesises with Siemens Chargers with a battery car. They'll run on battery power in Penn Station and adjoining tunnels, and diesel once out of the tunnels.
Thom... for another unique and picturesque Amtrak jaunt, try the Ethan Allen Express to Burlington VT. The train changes direction 3 times traveling Southbound, including the wye you mentioned near Rensselaer so the diesel-electric locomotive is out front going into NY Penn where diesel is prohibited. Fun, and Burlington VT is a super cool town where you and Lindsey would fit right in!
being based in florida now I am looking to do some excursion lines. hoping I find some videos for Florida to say texas or florida to DC. or something like that
The P32AC-DMs can run on that third rail, but they use diesel because acceleration and top speed is faster than in third rail mode. They switch to diesel as soon as they leave Penn Station.
No, they cannot. The Metro North third rail is under-running, the shoe for the P32AC-DMs is over-running. In order to be compatible, the shoe needs to be manually adjusted in a workshop. So no, it is not compatible.
@@Thom-TRA They were modified a few years ago during an Amtrak rebuild project of Penn Station that rerouted them into Grand Central Station for the entire summer of I believe 2018 so that now they carry both the overriding shoes of the LIRR and the under riding shoes of Metro North! As part of the modification to access Grand Central their noses were also fitted with an escape door and dual number boards similar to Metro North P32s! It was a great review and having done the same journey from the Amtrak Station to downtown Albany, I agree it is an exhausting but interesting walk! Of course could have also opted for the CDTA buses that only take about ten minutes for the same journey
@@troybellamy4615 yeah, that video shows them deploying the shoe. As in, it wasn’t sticking out, now it is. The top position is retracted, not over-running. It needs to be modified in order to allow for over-running.
I very highly recommend traveling farther upstate via the Adirondack at some point, at least to Plattsburgh, if not all the way to Montreal. The scenery north of Albany along Lake Champlain is absolutely stunning. Also, from Plattsburgh Burlington, VT is a short ferry ride away, so you could take the adirondack up, and then the Vermonter or Ethan Allen Express back...
Such a great video and I’m glad you really enjoyed it! That’s a beautiful route which I used to often take on Amtrak before the pandemic, between NYC and Montreal. But this was obviously special.
Great video!! Glad you both had fun! I'm a huge fan of your content! If you're ever back in the Albany area again and need transportation, let me know! Walking over the Dunn Memorial Bridge is scary!!
At 13:41, the building behind you looks just like Cambridge City Hall in Massachusetts. I wonder if the same person designed it. (also great video, I really need to ride along the Hudson some day)
It would be possible to expand the route (or abbreviate it, actually) so it goes direct to Albany, with the now pretty-much-vacant Albany Union Station as a a big passenger draw. It's an expensive project that no one wants to bother with, particularly the cabal of railroad engineers and freight carrier administrators fused at the hip with the FRA who had it shut down in 1968 - and who more recently brought us the first leg of California High Speed Rail coming in 2028, being six miles longer than the parallel 105-mile route laid out by the Southern Pacific in the 1870s, with it's luxurious stations, as against the new line's serpentine and circuitous elevated configuration - far less suited for high speed than than the old one - and it's remote, elevated stations. And Texas Central by the wrong route, though it's ten miles longer than the correct one, yet has about another ten miles to go so it can reach a proper terminal in downtown Houston. THAT (and CAHSR) were designed almost wholly by the FRA and their allied engineers: they're always introducing "exigencies" cleverly designed to achieve extreme waste, expense and lack of utility. But by making it impossible to provide service to the numerous big towns along the way in Texas, where a huge waiting market exists, the Texas Central line will always fail to cover its construction cost, and operate permanently at a loss. The big US engineering firms have now broadened their scope abroad to include HS2, which won't be going to the intended terminal in Central London either (in criminal law that's called "a pattern") stopping about six miles short of it, although they spent the past ten years demolishing things and digging it up to get it there. But why would you have it at Euston when HS1 terminates at St. Pancras? (Might be a scheme to benefit taxi cabs?) That's what happens when these people take advantage of a deluded public and trusting politicians, and now it's happening in England too, EVEN England, where railroads were practically invented. Coming generations will see the decadent-age planning machinations etched in stone and steel of practical permanence, and wish it could have been stopped. An Albany Union Station revival would eventually pay for itself given the pleasant morning walk to the government buildings it would afford, and the greatly increased convenience and time saving involved in reaching Albany from NYC. I think it would rate a one-seat connection to Long Island too at Ronkonkoma. Getting the line back through Albany is sort of a necessary precedent to having anything viable going west, with the 'Water Level Route' being the easier option to implement first as a 'western gateway' - especially since it can be made to serve passengers bound for Toronto. While the NYC requires a lot of heroic and expensive abbreviations and such to bring it up to 21st Century standards, it's easier than trying to build a whole new PRR right away. A tunnel route from Grand Central with an underground station at 125th Street, then direct through to the Hudson Line, seems to suggest itself very strongly - though I don't know to who other than me.
Communal showers are not high on my priority list when visiting a station. For people using Chicago’s metropolitan lounge, most will either be at their destination the same day, or have a shower in their sleeper car.
Great trip. I have done that route as far as Cold Spring, which was ironic given how hot it was, on Metro North and the entire route on the LSL on route to Chicago. I have taken numerous main line heritage trips in the UK from steam trains to Deltics. I love having meals on board and relaxing watching the scenery pass by. Defiantly beats regular travel for comfort. I hope to travel on The Northern Belle next year which uses Pullman coaches. I look forward to your next Amtrak pass video you both look to be having a great time.
Did you see The Avengers compound from the train? It should be there, on the Hudson River! No, wait. You wouldn't see it. Because it got destroyed in Endgame. 😂
What a truly fabulous day out ! The run up the Hudson river valley is one of my all time favourite runs, and to travel in the 20th Century Limited cars is amazing. Whilst I have looked around the tavern car Hickory Creek, I have not yet ridden it. This must be corrected in 2024 ! I must say Albany is a delightful City, and as the State Capitol of New York State is really splendid. I must confess I have not crossed the river bridge by foot into Rensselaer ! Many thanks indeed.
I used to be a daily Hudson line MNR rider and yes the views are breathtaking! I never rode the line higher than Peekskill so I can't speak to the upper part of the journey. The ride looked lovely and I didn't realize that the Albany Amtrak station was in Rensselaer!
Such a well planned video! Love how your teaching us on the history of trains! Kevin did a great job, which made the video more interactive with you as you can focus on the views !
I gave you a shoutout on the form to join the waiting list for 2024. Looks like they are doing something new for valentines day. :D They could also do the same for sweetest day.
What a great ride and a wonderful video! Last year, in October 2022, we were in Moynihan’s Metropolitan Lounge waiting for Amtrak’s Vermonter when we noticed several people in 1940s period clothing. Thanks to your video we now know what they were doing, and again thanks to this video, we’re thinking about a ride on this excursion next year. We missed seeing you in the Metropolitan Lounge this October by a week. We rode the Cardinal, Acela, and Downeaster from Ashland (AKY) to Brunswick, Maine 18-19 October 2023 with an overnight in NYC. We’re looking forward to seeing more of your adventures! Thanks for all you do.
A nice trip to travel to Big Band music 🎵 too!Glenn Miller I think who's body is probably at the bottom of the English Channel unless he faked his own death like Elvis!
I've done it on the normal Amtrak in business class, this actually seems to be cheaper than the normal Amtrak. (I was going to Niagara Falls, didn't get to actually be in business past Rochester because I broke my journey there to see a friend, so the last bit was in what Americans insist on calling "coach".)
What a lovely trip! I've taken MetroNorth and the Empire Service and Lake Shore Limited up the Hudson, but your trip does add a real first class experience to the beautiful river views. I'd love to do this at some point myself.
Hey, while you were taking this excursion, I was taking a similar excursion given by the Friends of the 261 on a Superdome Milwaukee Road car pulled to Chicago from St Paul by the Amtrak Empire Builder. Most of the way was along the Mississippi so the scenery was also awesome. I enjoyed it alot.
That train experience looked so cool! From the tickets to the decor, narration, postcards, and tour, that was a really special train excursion. Thank you for sharing!
The bridge you saw at 6:28 is officially known as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, but everyone calls it the Tappan Zee Bridge since that was the name of the original bridge (the original was built in the 1950s; replaced in 2017 by this one)! I'll always call it the Tappan Zee because Tappan Zee just rolls off the tongue so much better. It's also acknowledging both the indigenous and Dutch heritage. Tappan's the name for the natives who lived in the area, while Zee for sea due to it being a widening (and Henry Hudson thought this widening would lead to the Northwest Passage). And it's just the name of the overall geographic feature, so no matter the name of the bridge, you're still going over the Tappan Zee!
Doing this corridor during the Fall with the incredible foliage, on top of the fact you're in the Tavern Lounge....is the perfect way to take it all in! Talk about doing this in style! The Hudson section of the Empire Corridor has done wonders for the communities along the river. I lived the first eight years of my life riding the MNR's Hudson Line, it was the line that got me train-pilled and realize all the possibilities of trains and transit in general, and so I have a personal connection to it! I'm glad you were able to grab tickets for this excursion! They had the Hickory Creek and Tavern Lounge out during the NJT 40th Anniversary event at Hoboken Terminal too, and they let everyone in free of charge, and of course did the red carpet as well!
Also Cuomo sort of fell from grace as well.
Just be careful when you give out of town people directions, because it doesn't matter what you choose to call it.
The Hudson Palisades are absolutely wonderful! The basalt cliffs are the margin of a diabase sill, formed about 200 million years ago at the close of the Triassic period! This was formed by the intrusion of molten magma upward into sandstone. The molten magma then cooled and solidified before reaching the surface. Water erosion of the softer sandstone left behind the columnar structure of harder rock that exists today as the Hudson/NJ Palisades! The Lenape called the cliffs "rocks that look like rows of trees", or Weehawken which would end up becoming the name of the town in Hudson County where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr did their infamous duel!
When the English took over Dutch settlements in 1665, they renamed the city Albany in honor of the Duke of Albany, the future James I. Albany in turn refers to the parts of Scotland north of the River Forth. The NY State Capitol is pretty cool! It was built between 1867 and 1899. Three teams of architects worked on the design of the Capitol during the 32 years of its construction which were Thomas Fuller (from 1867 to 1875), Leopold Eidlitz and Henry Hobson Richardson (1875 to 1883), and Isaac G. Perry (1883 to 1899). Thomas Fuller designed the buildings of Parliament Hill in Ottawa! As the result of the different architects, the state capitol is in different styles throughout including Romanesque and French Renaissance.
Awesome that you took a classic train trip.
Petition to bring back the name Beverwijck
my son lives in Riverside overlooking the Palisades. Very nice.
The Golden Age of American Rail Travel. May it Rest in Peace for it shall never be again.
I've been marveling at your pure plain American pronunciation. I never hear a Dutch accent. But your Dutch background surfaced in your bit at the Albany-Rensselaer station. You pronounced it "rensselahr", which I suppose is the Dutch pronunciation. New Yorkers say "rensseleer", rhymes with "ear".
I’m gonna tell New Yorkers what they don’t like to hear: you’re pronouncing it wrong!
@@Thom-TRAI suppose if Italians I met in the Paris Metro could talk about Parigi while asking me what does "mind the gap" mean, we can excuse you.
On the other hand, regional pronunciation differs among similarly spelled places.
E.g.
Newark NJ (noo-erk) and DE (noo-ark)
Houston TX (Hyoos-tun) and Houston St NY (House-tun)
DeKalb County GA (De-Cab) vs DeKalb Ave Brooklyn (De-Calb)
So too here, while the original 15th century farm near Putten from which the van Rensselaer family took its name may have been Rensselahr, the town near Albany is Rensseleer.
I grew up just south of Rensselaer, and the local. pronunciation actually is worse. Many residents of Rensselaer County will understand you if you say Rentler. And they will nod at the jibe contained there-in. If you want see great bird life, take the early morning train from Albany to NYC. Lots of Great Blue Herons, Egrets, and Eagles feeding in the marshes along the tracks. If the morning is foggy, it can be magical.
Nice video, harking back to a time when travel was humane and rather elegant. The trip itself was part of the destination.
I’m hopeful we’ll enter another such era soon
@@Thom-TRA Have you ridden Maine's Downeaster from Boston to Portland? Let me know, and I'll be your guide! Keep up the good work.
@@robertklose2140 I have! You can find the video on my channel
@@Thom-TRA I'm subscribed, and I'll look for it.
Thanks for a great memory. I went to pharmacy school in Toledo, Ohio in the 1950's, and I would take the train to and from Toledo and Cleveland. I recall riding the Empire State, but it's fuzzy if I ever road the 20th Century. Of course, these were the end days of passenger service and the trains were in bad shape. But it was handy and cheap at the time. Then in my last year I got a car and that was that. So, my wife and I enjoyed taking Via Canadian Pacific the last time they ran through from Toronto to Vancouver, and then the Amtrak Auto Train several times to and from Florida in the 2010. I recently took the NE from Norfolk to Rhode Island. Long trip, but I enjoyed the pace. Thanks for this video. I still have a place in my heart for a train, but today we are always in such a hurry. Keep up the good work!
Taking a slow train like this is the best kind of vacation!
Looking forward
"Almost two years ago, in this very cafe...I bought a key chain." LOL Love your videos, Thom. Cool tour of the Hickory Creek car. Nice appreciation of the staff.
I still have the key chain too! That’s a fun fact I forgot to mention
I was on the train in front of yours. I was looking at the fall foliage and I took the Lake Shore. Sad to say, no food!
The water level route of the 20 th Century Limited.
Classy! So much history on this line.
I just rode it again the other day, caught the river at sunset again
@@Thom-TRA I've only ridden as far north as Poughkeepsee. Would love to ride one of the heritage cars.
i like that the vintage coaches are still in service
Great Video! Love to see the history of the New York Central Preserved!
Same
I have friends that live in Poughkeepsie, New York, and routinely use the Metro-North railroad to travel to New York City
It is really cool seeing these vintage railroad cars, fully restored to their original glory
I'm from NYC and our summer camp was near Albany. We took the train from Grand Central on that Hudson River route each year
What a fun way to start camp
Tra, you make the best videos!
Thanks!
Awesome video! I took the same trip in 2022 on the first train of the season, and had an absolute blast in the Hickory Creek car. Only main difference in experience other than the car itself is a fully cooked, gourmet meal, which unsurprisingly blows Amtrak’s catering way out of the water. Speaking of catering, URHS seems to love using Costco for many of their onboard food items, so I’m willing to bet you got some of Costco’s finest deli sandwiches onboard 😅
Also for next time, use the bus that stops right in front of the station to go into town. Costs less than $1 and runs very frequently
13:42 There has been talks about them building a gondola across the Hudson from the station to Albany but that hasn’t happened yet.
That would be epic
Great excursion to enjoy.🎉
Finally got some time to view this wonderful day out you and Lindsey had on a classic train journey. Five months to the day in fact! Glad you were able to enjoy it and thanks for sharing the experience. Cheers from Michael downunder in Melbourne, Australia.🙂🙂🙂
In 2021, I did a PV rail journey on three Amtrak routes. The cars were ‘Pacific Union’[ex UP sleeper]. ‘Cimarron River’[ex MP sleeper] and ‘Vista Dome 549’[ex NP]. The Amtrak routes were the following:
‘Texas Eagle’. Chicago to San Antonio
‘Sunset Limited’. San Antonio to LA
‘Southwest Chief’. LA to Chicago
Sounds spectacular!
It was:). Did you see my contact info?
@@charmersify sorry, what do you mean with contact info?
Excellent video. Great views along the Hudson River. Thanks.
I’m 23 so will I be the youngest probably on the train 😂😂😂 tomorrow is the ride hope it’s fun! Haha
Have fun! Let me know how it goes
nice video. I have taken the Empire Service to Buffalo quite a few times. When you are leaving NYC the telephone poles are the same ones in the North by Northwest movie.
A Friday the 13th no less😊
Best day to do it
I watched the premiere and live stream!
Great video. Back in the dark ages, I used to work after school across the street from the main Penn Station and one of my jobs was taking sacks of mail to the post office that is now Moynihan Train Hall (part of the building is still a post office). Unfortunately, the building I worked in, built in the 1800s, has been torn down.
I rode the 20th Century Limited in 1967 as it was about to be shut down, but only from Dayton(?) Ohio to Chicago. Sic transit gloria mundi. It was pulled by a nasty purple Pennsy engine, and the Pullman car was well past it sprime. I actually got off at Wrigley Field because it was closer to my home, and I had to bribe the porter to retrieve my bicycle. I'm glad you got toexperience a bit of the gloria retroube.
Be still, heart! No one needs
your passionate suffrage to select this glory,
this is our lordly Hudson hardly flowing
under the green-grown cliffs.
-- Paul Goodman
A lovely video. Thank you for it.
You’re welcome! Good luck with that song stuck in your head
Should have mentioned -- It's from Paul Goodman's poem, "The Lordly Hudson," written in 1937 on his return to NYC from Europe.
Man that had to be a nice excursion! I’ve seen that Hickory Creek rail car on the Joliet Rocket led by Nickel Plate Road 765 steam locomotive in New Lenox 6 years ago. I went out earlier this afternoon and saw the last steam excursion train coming from Summerville, GA and was heading back to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It’s the last one of the season and I plan on doing that excursion maybe sometime in June or July. It should be back in April along with the Chickamauga Turn diesel train excursion.
Great video, and what a nice time for you and your lovely bride. Living in the area, I've taken both Amtrak and, to a lesser extent, Metro North Hudson line frequently and never tire of the view of what NY Central called the water level route.
If you're ever up this way again, you have to check out:
1. Tarrytown: especially fun in October due to its connection to author Washington Irving and the Legend of the Headless Horseman.
2. Bannermans Castle, that you can access by water shuttle from the Metro North Beacon station, and that has occasional music performances and film/plays.
3. Walkway Over the Hudson, a former D&H railroad bridge, now a state park, via Poughkeepsie station, serviced by both Amtrak and Metro North (and a great train hall still bearing the NY Central name above).
4. Rhinebeck via Rhinecliff Amtral station, our favorite Hudson Valley town and foodie paradise, plus nearby historic Hyde Park (FDR home/presidential library) and Vanderbilt Mansion (of NY Central fame).
I'd be happy to host you both if you're ever up this way again.
Your best advice on this video: NEVER walk from Rensselaer to Albany😂
I love Lindsey's green eye shadow too!
That was really fun for me to virtually ride along with you! Glad you were able to get these tickets since I know how quick they sell out.
We got lucky!
Thank you, Thom, for taking us along on this adventure. Brought back memories of when i took the 20th Century Limited from Chicago to New York City in the early 1960's. Red carpet and all! Because that day the train was a little late getting into NYC we were treated to a free breakfast in the dining car. t was a wonderful overall experience!!!
How cool you got to ride the train yourself!
Crazy Amtrak tags newer cars to the two tour cars cause they need to make profits still 😂😂😂
That was one heck of a nice ride along that beautiful river. Your personal approach is admirable. I crossed the Huson once back in '83 driving in my brother's Ford pick-up truck. I got very lost on the way home to Ancramdale NY, but somehow found the way. My last train ride was on KTX ttain set no. 21 from Seoul to Daegu i S Korea. Many reports have been made, but you could beat them all hands down!
Thank you!!
Thanks and go on with your great job here! Thomas (from Germany)
Danke schön!!! I hope to come back to Germany soon
@@Thom-TRA you are very welcome... or the Netherlands because I'm very often in the Netherlands, take a daily network ticket from the NS and surf across the country... I'm a big VIRM trainset fan
@@bobo-san I’m a Koploper (ICM) guy myself but I’ll definitely be in the Netherlands next year
@@Thom-TRA NS verkoopt KOPLOPER stukje voor stukje | NS Weekly
Great video.
Thanks!
Thank you for your stop in Albany! Yes my French Huguenot ancestors arrived there from the Netherlands
Some of my ancestors were Huguenots too!
@@Thom-TRA Nice! We’re still here
@@dianethulin1700 Yes We are.
18:37 wow travelling back in the 1940s was fantastic time compared to today’s train travel
I love filming these cars
What an awesome experience on an awesome train!!! I’m glad you got tickets and were able to see the other part as well. It’s nice to see people so interested in preservation and sharing this amazing train with others!!! Awesome!!!
I’d love to do this from NY to Chicago like back in the old days!
What a great ride. It’s definitely on my to do list. I was an engineer for Metro North and had many chances to run trains on the Hudson Line. It is by far Metro North’s most scenic route.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful adventure with us.
I’m pretty sure that that’s not an original toilet. Original toilets opened up and dumped right onto the ballast and ties. There were signs that said something to the effect of, “Do Not Flush Toilets While Train is in Station.” I remember as a kid in the early 60s, when riding the trains, flushing the toilet and actually seeing the ballast rushing by under the train. It was cool looking. I never gave much thought back then to the environmental side-effects of that stuff on the tracks.
Thanks for the ride along!
In Europe there are track dumping toilets on trains built as late as the early 2000s
Old Boomer here. I learned my lesson about non-retention toilets in the 1960s when I put a coin on the tracks for a steam excursion right where someone on the train chose to flush. Needless to say I didn't bother going back to look for my coin. Hickory Creek has come back a long-way from where it was 50 years ago. After the end of the 20th Century Ltd. and a lot of NYC/PC service, the car was sold to Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus as the traveling manager's private car at the end of their train. When I photographed it in downtown Akron, Ohio in a siding where the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad now runs while the Circus was in the area, it looked pretty run down, but the tail sign, somewhat broken, was still on the rear. Fortunately, it survived it's time with the circus and has been restored to it's former glory.
@@paulw.woodring7304 that’s a funny story!
. That may have been my mom flushing if it was Strasburg PA.
@@SteveInNEPA1 No, Ohio.
This is amazing!
It was so great
Very interesting, thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for this video. You may be the youngest people there, but judging by the excitement and anticipation of the others, everyone was your age in there head. I'm guessing that all wish they could have done this at your age...I know I do!
What a fun day!
It was the best
Brilliant video sir!
Hi Thom,
Thank you for sharing a wonderful trip. So glad you and Lindsay had a great day.
Best Wishes from New South Wales, Australia.
Rob
Thank you!
Great video...Beautiful scenic accents of the Hudson and Albany is a very picturesque area. It would be great if the Railroad Society could extend the trip to Chicago by adding slumber services
They went to Chicago for a 75th anniversary trip recently
For 2024, they just announced a 2 trips from NYC to Chicago in July
Sorry to see that you missed commenting about West Point.
Sorry, just really not into that kind of stuff
The LIRR is part of the MTA. The third rail on Amtrak' GE Genesis dual-modes are compatible with THAT particular MTA third rail. Metro-North's New York Central-spec third rails are underhanded, so the Amtrak third rail shoes have to retract in order to avoid smashing into them.
Metro-North's dual-modes don't need to retract their shoes, but still switch to diesel mode as soon as they leave the Park Ave Tunnel.
Amtrak is planning on replacing the Genesises with Siemens Chargers with a battery car. They'll run on battery power in Penn Station and adjoining tunnels, and diesel once out of the tunnels.
Right. Because i was talking about LIRR here. Context matters.
Thom... for another unique and picturesque Amtrak jaunt, try the Ethan Allen Express to Burlington VT. The train changes direction 3 times traveling Southbound, including the wye you mentioned near Rensselaer so the diesel-electric locomotive is out front going into NY Penn where diesel is prohibited. Fun, and Burlington VT is a super cool town where you and Lindsey would fit right in!
Three times, that’s a lot!
@@Thom-TRA That's what I found so unique.
#whoosh
wish one day you can travel to indonesia to try our newly launched hsr
Oh my gosh they’ve found me.
being based in florida now I am looking to do some excursion lines. hoping I find some videos for Florida to say texas or florida to DC. or something like that
What a delightful trip! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a lovely trip report, what a lovely trip. Thanks for sharing it with us!
You’re welcome! I highly recommend it
@@Thom-TRA It's on my list now.
The P32AC-DMs can run on that third rail, but they use diesel because acceleration and top speed is faster than in third rail mode. They switch to diesel as soon as they leave Penn Station.
No, they cannot. The Metro North third rail is under-running, the shoe for the P32AC-DMs is over-running. In order to be compatible, the shoe needs to be manually adjusted in a workshop. So no, it is not compatible.
@@Thom-TRA They were modified a few years ago during an Amtrak rebuild project of Penn Station that rerouted them into Grand Central Station for the entire summer of I believe 2018 so that now they carry both the overriding shoes of the LIRR and the under riding shoes of Metro North! As part of the modification to access Grand Central their noses were also fitted with an escape door and dual number boards similar to Metro North P32s! It was a great review and having done the same journey from the Amtrak Station to downtown Albany, I agree it is an exhausting but interesting walk! Of course could have also opted for the CDTA buses that only take about ten minutes for the same journey
@@troybellamy4615 I’m pretty sure they have either or. Not both at the same time.
@@Thom-TRA th-cam.com/video/53JErussrY0/w-d-xo.html
The above link shows the movable nature of the third rail shoe
@@troybellamy4615 yeah, that video shows them deploying the shoe. As in, it wasn’t sticking out, now it is. The top position is retracted, not over-running. It needs to be modified in order to allow for over-running.
I very highly recommend traveling farther upstate via the Adirondack at some point, at least to Plattsburgh, if not all the way to Montreal. The scenery north of Albany along Lake Champlain is absolutely stunning. Also, from Plattsburgh Burlington, VT is a short ferry ride away, so you could take the adirondack up, and then the Vermonter or Ethan Allen Express back...
Someday!
I enjoy the video👍👍
Such a great video and I’m glad you really enjoyed it! That’s a beautiful route which I used to often take on Amtrak before the pandemic, between NYC and Montreal. But this was obviously special.
Taking Amtrak to Canada is on my ever-growing list of things to do!
Great video!! Glad you both had fun! I'm a huge fan of your content! If you're ever back in the Albany area again and need transportation, let me know! Walking over the Dunn Memorial Bridge is scary!!
I appreciate it! I would rather not walk again lol
Fantastic video Thom, I am from that time when train travel was king. Thanks for the memories.
Any great stories from that time?
At 13:41, the building behind you looks just like Cambridge City Hall in Massachusetts. I wonder if the same person designed it. (also great video, I really need to ride along the Hudson some day)
Looks great the only negative comment is those paper plates bad for the environment, but also not so classy on a classy train trip!
That’s America for you. People will even eat thanksgiving dinner on paper plates.
Can't wait!
It would be possible to expand the route (or abbreviate it, actually) so it goes direct to Albany, with the now pretty-much-vacant Albany Union Station as a a big passenger draw. It's an expensive project that no one wants to bother with, particularly the cabal of railroad engineers and freight carrier administrators fused at the hip with the FRA who had it shut down in 1968 - and who more recently brought us the first leg of California High Speed Rail coming in 2028, being six miles longer than the parallel 105-mile route laid out by the Southern Pacific in the 1870s, with it's luxurious stations, as against the new line's serpentine and circuitous elevated configuration - far less suited for high speed than than the old one - and it's remote, elevated stations.
And Texas Central by the wrong route, though it's ten miles longer than the correct one, yet has about another ten miles to go so it can reach a proper terminal in downtown Houston. THAT (and CAHSR) were designed almost wholly by the FRA and their allied engineers: they're always introducing "exigencies" cleverly designed to achieve extreme waste, expense and lack of utility. But by making it impossible to provide service to the numerous big towns along the way in Texas, where a huge waiting market exists, the Texas Central line will always fail to cover its construction cost, and operate permanently at a loss.
The big US engineering firms have now broadened their scope abroad to include HS2, which won't be going to the intended terminal in Central London either (in criminal law that's called "a pattern") stopping about six miles short of it, although they spent the past ten years demolishing things and digging it up to get it there. But why would you have it at Euston when HS1 terminates at St. Pancras? (Might be a scheme to benefit taxi cabs?) That's what happens when these people take advantage of a deluded public and trusting politicians, and now it's happening in England too, EVEN England, where railroads were practically invented.
Coming generations will see the decadent-age planning machinations etched in stone and steel of practical permanence, and wish it could have been stopped.
An Albany Union Station revival would eventually pay for itself given the pleasant morning walk to the government buildings it would afford, and the greatly increased convenience and time saving involved in reaching Albany from NYC. I think it would rate a one-seat connection to Long Island too at Ronkonkoma. Getting the line back through Albany is sort of a necessary precedent to having anything viable going west, with the 'Water Level Route' being the easier option to implement first as a 'western gateway' - especially since it can be made to serve passengers bound for Toronto. While the NYC requires a lot of heroic and expensive abbreviations and such to bring it up to 21st Century standards, it's easier than trying to build a whole new PRR right away. A tunnel route from Grand Central with an underground station at 125th Street, then direct through to the Hudson Line, seems to suggest itself very strongly - though I don't know to who other than me.
Next time you go to Albany check out the state capital and state museum. Corning tower is open on weekdays and has fantastic views.
Love your vids; always learn a lot! You look just like my childhood best friend haha
This was wonderful!! Loved the tour, loved the nostalgia the sunset and the snacks!! 😊
I have a question now. Which lounge is better? Chicago or NY. Would you prefer showers or semi-luxurious snacks and seating
I think showers are better but why not both?
chicago has showers but the food is lacking 90% of the time
Communal showers are not high on my priority list when visiting a station. For people using Chicago’s metropolitan lounge, most will either be at their destination the same day, or have a shower in their sleeper car.
That's amazing! Of course I can't wait for the Coast Starlight video, but this train is really special.
Coast starlight video will be in December!
Great trip. I have done that route as far as Cold Spring, which was ironic given how hot it was, on Metro North and the entire route on the LSL on route to Chicago. I have taken numerous main line heritage trips in the UK from steam trains to Deltics. I love having meals on board and relaxing watching the scenery pass by. Defiantly beats regular travel for comfort. I hope to travel on The Northern Belle next year which uses Pullman coaches. I look forward to your next Amtrak pass video you both look to be having a great time.
Did you see The Avengers compound from the train? It should be there, on the Hudson River! No, wait. You wouldn't see it. Because it got destroyed in Endgame. 😂
How about "North by Northwest"?
The famous New York Penn Station and Newly Moynihan Train Hall I love it!❤
Wow! What a very cool experience... Love it! It is all year round trips??
It is from February to November
@@Thom-TRA nice! Thanks, I'll put it in my bucket list for next April.
Glad you had a clear sunny fall day to experience the train.
The weather was so much better than the miserable rain in NY the next day
If you go back to Chicago go to fox lake on the mdn line. There are amazing views along the line
I’ve been up to that part of Chicagoland. Where are the nice views? Is it Forest?
Cool vintage train ride, beautiful scenery, that definitely looks worth it.
It was totally worth it
What a truly fabulous day out ! The run up the Hudson river valley is one of my all time favourite runs, and to travel in the 20th Century Limited cars is amazing. Whilst I have looked around the tavern car Hickory Creek, I have not yet ridden it. This must be corrected in 2024 ! I must say Albany is a delightful City, and as the State Capitol of New York State is really splendid. I must confess I have not crossed the river bridge by foot into Rensselaer ! Many thanks indeed.
Perhaps we’ll meet in the Hickory Creek someday
I used to be a daily Hudson line MNR rider and yes the views are breathtaking! I never rode the line higher than Peekskill so I can't speak to the upper part of the journey. The ride looked lovely and I didn't realize that the Albany Amtrak station was in Rensselaer!
Such a well planned video! Love how your teaching us on the history of trains! Kevin did a great job, which made the video more interactive with you as you can focus on the views !
I gave you a shoutout on the form to join the waiting list for 2024. Looks like they are doing something new for valentines day. :D They could also do the same for sweetest day.
That was awesomely relaxing and how was the meatloaf?
Meatloaf was good! Not something I normally make myself so I enjoyed it
What a great ride and a wonderful video! Last year, in October 2022, we were in Moynihan’s Metropolitan Lounge waiting for Amtrak’s Vermonter when we noticed several people in 1940s period clothing. Thanks to your video we now know what they were doing, and again thanks to this video, we’re thinking about a ride on this excursion next year. We missed seeing you in the Metropolitan Lounge this October by a week. We rode the Cardinal, Acela, and Downeaster from Ashland (AKY) to Brunswick, Maine 18-19 October 2023 with an overnight in NYC. We’re looking forward to seeing more of your adventures! Thanks for all you do.
I would highly encourage you to ride it! We’re strongly considering doing it again
Wunderschön!!
Danke!
Pullman was acquired by Bombardier back in 1987, now Bombardier is Alstom!!
16:42
This look amazing. Definitely going to be adding this to my Wishlist next time I’m in the NYC area
Keep the website on your radar!
A nice trip to travel to Big Band music 🎵 too!Glenn Miller I think who's body is probably at the bottom of the English Channel unless he faked his own death like Elvis!
I've done it on the normal Amtrak in business class, this actually seems to be cheaper than the normal Amtrak. (I was going to Niagara Falls, didn't get to actually be in business past Rochester because I broke my journey there to see a friend, so the last bit was in what Americans insist on calling "coach".)
Amtrak can cost a fortune if the circumstance are bad
So... you had the meatloaf? and the train was going like a bat outta hell?
He's probably too young to get the joke
What a lovely trip! I've taken MetroNorth and the Empire Service and Lake Shore Limited up the Hudson, but your trip does add a real first class experience to the beautiful river views. I'd love to do this at some point myself.
... And the Massachusetts souvenirs are probably for sale because part of the Lake Shore Limited continues eastward from Albany to Boston.
Maybe next year we’ll try to do the Hickory Creek!
great content bud! Love your channel!
Appreciate it!
What an enjoyable video. It must have been wonderful to ride that historic train.
It was one of my favorite memories from this year!
The Hudson River is always amazing (from Ny originally)
Hey, while you were taking this excursion, I was taking a similar excursion given by the Friends of the 261 on a Superdome Milwaukee Road car pulled to Chicago from St Paul by the Amtrak Empire Builder. Most of the way was along the Mississippi so the scenery was also awesome. I enjoyed it alot.
I’d love to ride the Superdome someday
Great video! But honestly, it's not worth the price
Yes it is. This was one of the most fun train experiences I’ve had. And your average northeast regional price is the same for much worse service.
That train experience looked so cool! From the tickets to the decor, narration, postcards, and tour, that was a really special train excursion. Thank you for sharing!
They made it a wonderful experience