Passenger Trains > Albany Rensselaer today

Some views today from a passenger aboard 448.
Being a passenger means poor photo ops, but you do get to see some things not accessible to trackside photographers.Tony

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Top photo is 48/448 (on left) and 68 on the right. Lower photo is 68 Adirondack, both headed to NYC (Penn Station) The front part of 48, actually is the straight diesel engines, baggage car, cafe car, sleeper and a couple coaches that go to Boston. That part from Albany to Boston is train 448. The rear half of 48 gets a diesel-electric (that is, a loco that can get straight electric power from the third rail) and goes to NY City Penn Station. I provide that explanation for the fans from west of the Alleghenys that don't know about the details of this trains separation. That includes me until I rode this.
Tony

A couple private cars, parked in Albany-Rensselaer. First, Pacific Union, a 10-67 sleeper, ex UP of same name. Then, lounge-sleeper-obs Babbling Brook, ex NYC of same name. I'm sure it is happy to be living on it's native railroad.

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and a final comment, from a midwesterner, can you believe how weird the spelling of Rensselaer is ??
Tony

Tony , Thanks for the images .....now residing in Florida I haven't been in Renesielear!?&@/'"!# in over 40 years, a train that me and some friends took up there from NYC went to see the amazing RPI HO scale train layout which believe still exists
Cheers
Alex

Posted from iPhone

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> and a final comment, from a midwesterner, can you
> believe how weird the spelling of Rensselaer is??

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Ironically there is a Rensselaer in the Midwest...in Indiana. It also is served by
Amtrak...daily by the Cardinal and Hoosier State. Its Amtrak city code is REN.

It was named after James Van Rensselaer, of the same family after which Rensselaer,
NY was named. James's business in Utica, NY failed, and he moved to Indiana.

Rensselaer IN was formerly named Newton (for New Town).

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> and a final comment, from a midwesterner, can you
> believe how weird the spelling of Rensselaer is ??

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

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> and a final comment, from a midwesterner, can you
> believe how weird the spelling of Rensselaer is
> ??
> Tony

All those letters and locals pronounce it with just two syllables - RENS-ler. I don't know about RPI pronunciation, maybe RPI pronounces it with four syllables so it averages out.

RPI does only 3 syllables I believe Rens se leer (according to my father, an RPI alum)s

I'm an RPI alum (around here, we call ourselves "survivors"). MS Geology, 1988

Although you sing the alma mater with three syllables in the word, (hail, hail, oh Ren - suh - leer), many people pronounce it with the middle vowel missing.

Or you can call it RPI or the tute. The surrounding, post-industrial city is easier: it's Troy, as in "Troylet".

And if you think the spelling of Rensselaer is weird, look around in other parts of Dutch America. There are some doozies up and down the Hudson.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/18 18:21 by march_hare.

BTW, if you're a passenger on 48/448 and want pix, your best bet is to go up the stairs, out through the station, and onto the sidewalk of the overpass that goes over the station. Just make sure you get back to the train on time--the station announcements are not audible out on the bridge.