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Amtrak Runs Its First Solo Fan Trips
AMTRAK RAN TWO FALL FOLIAGE CIRCLE TRIPS from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station to Harrisburg, Penn., and return on November 2 and 3, 2013. The Autumn Express trains were the first ex- cursions Amtrak has operated under its own flag. In the past, such trips were run on behalf of railroad clubs and other organizations; the New River Train, many steam trips, and the Reno Fun Train are examples. The trains headed south on the Northeast Corridor to Perryville, Md., where they turned on to Norfolk Southern’s freight-only Columbia &
Amtrak
ST. PAUL DEPOT AGREEMENT: The Ramsey County (Minn.) Board of Commis- sioners has approved a 20-year lease which will see Amtrak’s Empire Builder calling at St. Paul Union Depot beginning early next year. Amtrak has never used the station; the railroad’s current Twin Cities stop is at Mid- way station on the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, which will be closed after operations are moved to
St.Paul. Amtrak will use 3800 square feet of the recently-refurbished struc- ture, which opened in 2012 for ticketing, bag- gage handling, lounge and waiting room space, and office space. The lease will cost $140,000-150,000 a year. In late October the depot’s platform tracks were connected to the adjacent freight main lines, but trains will not be able to reach the depot until signal work has been completed. The new power switches and signals will be controlled by BNSF Rail- way dispatchers. The depot opened last year and is currently served by both local and in- tercity buses. Next year, not only will Amtrak serve the building, but the new Central Corri- dor light rail line to downtown Minneapolis is expected to be completed, making Union Depot a true multi-modal facility.
Port Deposit branch (the Port Road) along the Susquehanna River to Shocks Mills, Penn., where they crossed to the river’s west bank and con- tinued through the NS Enola freight yard. At Marysville, they crossed the river again on the Rockville stone arch bridge to Harrisburg and ran over the Keystone Line to Middletown (above, crossing Swatara Creek). From CP Roy the train ran over the NS Royalton Branch to CP Shocks, the NS Port Road to Columbia, and the NS Columbia Branch to the Am- trak Keystone Line at Lancaster for a fast return to Philadelphia.
Two Veterans Units Visit Meridian RailFest
THE AMTRAK 40TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT TRAIN and Norfolk Southern SD60E No. 6920 were put on display at the Meridian, Miss., Multi-Modal Transportation Center as part of Meridian RailFest on November 2, 2013. The event was sponsored by the Meridian Railroad Mu- seum, which is housed in the former Railway Express building. The exhibit train was headed by specially painted Amtrak P42DC No. 42 in the “Amtrak Salutes our Veterans” scheme, while NS 6920 was decked out in its special “Honoring Our Veterans” scheme. Amtrak No. 42 was subbing for the anniversary train’s usual power, P40DC No. 822, which was working the Autumn Express with No. 145 (photo at top). The exhibit train and No. 6920 had been on display at Altoona, Penn., earlier and they moved together to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal before dead- heading to Meridian. The special equipment move followed the northbound Crescent out of New Orleans on November 1 and was just beyond the Meridian yard limits above.
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MICK NUSSBAUM
MICHAEL T. BURKHART
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