Model Railroading > Amtrak Horizon cars on the NEC

I lived in Richmond, Va. when Amtrak started NEC service (2 coaches pulled by an F40), but I can’t remember if they were Horizon cars.

The new Rapido Horizon cars are tempting, but I wish I could remember if they were used on Richmond’s NE Corridor trains, like the Virginian.

Posted from iPhone

I believe the only NEC usage they saw was during the holiday season, they were used on the Vermonter. This only lasted a few years and ended because the cars do not have automatic doors. While not a problem in Vermont, this was a MAJOR issue on the corridor. 

Floridarailfan Wrote:
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> I lived in Richmond, Va. when Amtrak started NEC
> service (2 coaches pulled by an F40), but I
> can’t remember if they were Horizon cars.
>
> The new Rapido Horizon cars are tempting, but I
> wish I could remember if they were used on
> Richmond’s NE Corridor trains, like the
> Virginian.
>
> Posted from iPhone

The two car train you remember in Richmond was likely the Hilltopper.  It ran 1977-1979 with Amfleet cars.  (Horizon cars arrived in the late 1980s, and have rarely been used in the east).  The Hilltopper ran from Washington to Petersburg, then west along the N&W to Cattletsburg, KY.  

Other early Amtrak services in Richmond, in addition to the Florida trains, were the Charlottesville - Newport News section of George Washington/James Whitcomb Riley, and its 1976 successor, the Colonial, which featured about a half dozen Amfleet cars running as an extension of a Boston - Washington train.

Dave

ST214 Wrote:
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> I believe the only NEC usage they saw was during
> the holiday season, they were used on the
> Vermonter. This only lasted a few years and ended
> because the cars do not have automatic doors.
> While not a problem in Vermont, this was a MAJOR
> issue on the corridor. 

The Vermonter assignment was a single coach during the winter season.  This was to address problems crews were having with snow build up inhibiting operation of the Amfleet cars’ folding steps.  The Boston Lake Shore also carried an Horizon food service car for a few years in the early 2010s.

Dave

About 10 years ago, the Carolinian had a Horizon dinette car for food service for a few months. Someone wanted the supply hatch that the Am-1's lack.
There Rivers usually had a Horizon coach in the consist.
About 20 years ago, I saw a 13 car Clocker train that was a mixed bag of Heritage Clocker coaches, Horizon coaches, and Am-1 coaches.  

As others have said, they were never regulars in the northeast.  Comet cars, however, are.
Here's a pinch-hitting Dinette with early stripes on the Cardinal at Trenton.
 

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tmurray Wrote:
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> As others have said, they were never regulars in
> the northeast.  Comet cars, however, are.
> Here's a pinch-hitting Dinette with early stripes
> on the Cardinal at Trenton.
>  

Great photo! Wow!

-Jason