BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

......as President-Elect Joe Biden* is a long-established "AM" ("Amtrak Man"/"Amtrak Joe"), it will be quite interesting, to say the least, to see what is in store for AMTRAK, now poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

(Mr. Biden, on Inauguration Day, is said to be traveling from Wilmington to DC aboard a private heavyweight car, one used during former President Obama's campaign, years back)

Through the years, AMTRAK has tottered between trying to project a "glitzy" image for long-haul rail travel, while, on the other hand, there have been a number of abandonments, cutbacks, service reductions, and the like.

So, starting in January, 2021, what possibly could be in AMTRAK's future?

As of late, the only "positive" news I've heard concerns the arrival of the second-generation of ACELA trainsets (where have the years gone?)

I've also heard talk of possibly establishing AMTRAK service to Scranton (Mr. Biden's hometown) from New York (had plans gone through, NJT was to have been involved with service to Scranton From Hoboken, which should have started up a decade or more ago (recall, ERIE-LACKAWANNA passenger service through Scranton ended in 1970)

Hopefully, the current COVID-19 will begin to disappear, in the not-too-distant future, and, perhaps, AMTRAK will see better times coming.

At present, we can only wait and see.......

"NYO"

*As a senator, Biden traveled to and from Wilmington, via AMTRAK (2,100,000 miles) so much, that the train station was named after him.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The ACELA....at present, the closest thing we have to the extensive high-speed rail networks overseas.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acela

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"AVELIA LIBERTY", the "new generation", if you will, of ACELA trainsets.

I find it quite refreshing that these new trains have a resemblence to the original TGV's of a few decades ago, instead of following the contours of most modern high-speed European and Asian trains, that more resemble giant mutated duck-billed, fat-lipped platypuses or oversized hypodermic syringes.....(!!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avelia_Liberty

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "Corridor", AMTRAK's "main event"..........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Corridor

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Remember when so many of us thought that the now-vanished "Turboliner" was indeed the future for intercity rail travel........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboliner

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Recall, also, the once-futuristic, bulbous-nosed, UAC "TurboTrain".......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAC_TurboTrain

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Your's Truly was only 12 at the time, but I still cleary remember all the hoopla surrounding the debut of the Penn-Central's high-speed MU "METROLINERS" (sadly, a number of factors kept these unique MU's from being the all-out successes they were supposed to be)

Nevertheless, these trains made enough of an impact, early on, that battery-operated toy versions of these trains were being sold, not to mention other now-collectible items, such as paperweights.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Metroliner *

*(very interesting page!)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In thinking along the lines of Amtrak's future, it will be indeed interesting to see what becomes of services beyond the NEC.

With AMTRAK's service cuts throughout the years, coupled with the fact that TRAILWAYS has long since vanished, and GREYHOUND is now but a mere shadow of what it once was, several decades back, you cannot help but wonder what the future holds for non-NEC services?

Too, NS and CSX are not all that happy with passenger trains (no matter how infrequently) on their rails; unlike the glory days of railroading, the freights now take priority over the "varnish".

During this devastating pandemic, not only has AMTRAK suffered, but also, air travel (which has really taken quite a few "sucker punches" this past year)

Again, on so many levels, only time will tell, and, at present, we can only speculate at what the future may hold.....

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "AEM-7" has always been my favorite (built for AMTAK) electric; the firt time I rode behind one was when I went on vacation to DC for a week, riding down from Newark's Penn Station.

I always liked these engines; to me, they added a distinct "continental" touch to AMTRAK consists on the NEC........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_AEM-7

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also worthy of mention......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SJ_Rc

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

AMTRAK's distintive "AMFLEET" coaches have been commonplace sights since th late 1970's; these distinctive, tubular cars are as much an AMTRAK "icon" as the old "Stillwell" coaches were to the ERIE, many decades ago......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The oft-forgotten "E60" had the distinction of being the first new electric locomotives purchased by AMTRAK; in later years, I rode behind them many times, after they were sold to NJT and were hauling North Jersey Coast line trains between Long Branch and New York.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_E60

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Without a doubt, the iconic, legendary, GG-1's were the most famous and most distinctive of any electric to ever haul an AMTRAK train.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad_class_GG1

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

AMTRAK "power"........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Amtrak_locomotives

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.....and rolling stock......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amtrak_rolling_stock