Passenger Trains > Amtrak Silver Star's in better days!

Amtrak 81/91 and 82/92 in 1994

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Nice video! 7 coaches on the Star. This was before the real explosion in low cost NEC to Florida air service. Speaking of, I don't remember F40s sounding like DC80s!

Posted from Android

Where was the second train photographed

Posted from Android

Where was 82 photographed from?

Posted from Android

Erierail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where was 82 photographed from?
>
> Posted from Android

Same location. "RO" in Arlington, Va.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

I wonder what happened to 82? Looks like it only ran with the Miami section. Not long after this video, possibly sometime in January 1995, the longstanding operating practice of running the combined Florida trains and splitting them in either Jacksonville, or Auburndale, FL ended. The Silver Meteor ran to Miami via the old ACL line through Orlando, and I believe the Silver Star still ran with a reduced Miami/Tampa train, splitting in Jacksonville for a couple of years, until 1996 or 1997. Amtrak then ran 3 trains to Florida, discontinuing the Palmetto, and instead adding the Silver Palm(pretty much running on the Palmetto's schedule) Traveling down the ACL until Jacksonville, then using the old SAL from Baldwin,FL to Lakeland, FL, then doing what the Star does today, backing into Tampa and continuing to Miami. The Meteor and Star ran as one train via Orlando to Miami. I believe THAT version lasted for a few years until the Silver Palm was dropped and the Palmetto returned. I'm not 100% sure of all the dates and operations, but it's at least somewhat close...   

Something is definitely off with the 2nd train.  It sort of fits the Cardinal consist a little better, but on the end is an Amfleet II Lounge, 10-6 Sleeper, and a heritage Lounge.  

Second train appears to be 90. There was a brief period of time when Amtrak did away with the Tampa section of the Meteor and extended the Palmetto to Tampa. The October 1994 timetable (timetables.org is a fantastic resource) shows 81/91 and 90 scheduled to meet just south of Alexandria, just down the road from RO. It also lists only a lounge offering snacks and tray meals for food service, thus the lack of a dining car. The heritage lounge on the rear is likely a deadhead. It’s interesting to look back on how many changes were made to service in Florida from 1993-2005. For a short time in 1996-97, stations in South Florida saw 8 Amtrak trains on the days the Sunset ran!

Second train was 82. Not sure why consist was different, but the engineer was clearly calling signals that day.

Posted from iPhone

2904 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Second train appears to be 90. There was a brief
> period of time when Amtrak did away with the Tampa
> section of the Meteor and extended the Palmetto to
> Tampa. The October 1994 timetable (timetables.org
> is a fantastic resource) shows 81/91 and 90
> scheduled to meet just south of Alexandria, just
> down the road from RO. It also lists only a lounge
> offering snacks and tray meals for food service,
> thus the lack of a dining car. The heritage lounge
> on the rear is likely a deadhead. It’s
> interesting to look back on how many changes were
> made to service in Florida from 1993-2005. For a
> short time in 1996-97, stations in South Florida
> saw 8 Amtrak trains on the days the Sunset ran!

Yes, that's right. The Palmetto briefly ran all the way to Tampa, the Meteor as one train via Orlando to Miami, and the Star splitting in Jacksonville. That only lasted a year or two. I remember being at Newark Penn station with a friend, just watching trains on a bitterly cold late November day and the Palmetto had 2 sleepers, several coaches, a baggage car, and just a lounge car, no diner. I believe that was November of 1994. Have to ask my friend who was with me, he would remember.. 

The Florida Service seemed to carry more passengers and operationally, more stations with better frequency and onboard services (lounge, diner, sleeper) prior to 1996. The split in Jacksonville made this happen - Silver Star and Silver Meteor each had "sections" that went to Tampa and Miami. The Palmetto turned Silver Palm was an added bonus. Tampa basically lost out the most after the Silver Palm was cutback to Savannah in its last round around 2003. That left only ONE train - the Silver Star - serving Tampa - while most other stations in Florida at least saw two trains a day. Moreover, the splitting at Jacksonville still established some better frequency/options for Floridians, as opposed to having the Silver Meteor and Silver Star nearly follow each other through Florida. I don't think the Viewliner Sleepers were ever involved with the "split" at Jacksonville. They were just coming online when the Jacksonville split was phased out. By the time the Silver Palm and Viewliners were fully deployed, it was the "Silver Service" with just one train, no splitting NYC to Tampa/Miami or NYC to Miami. 

When just the Meteor and Star during the split at Jacksonville, a train would leave morning and early afternoon from Miami or New York City, without having to be burdened with allowing for passenger friendly times out of Tampa. Even with the Silver Palm came online, it offered more options and frequency choices as a train would leave Miami or NYC morning, mid-day, or evening. 

Was it the cost factor of having to split and combine the trains at Jacksonville that led to Amtrak "dumbing down" service operations, and eliminating the split/combination? Florida operations seemed to have gotten weaker with service and patronage.  

 

I miss how Amtrak was back then, cool video and 92 only 10 cars compared to 91 with 17? Somethin' ain't right with this picture!

Posted from Android