Passenger Trains > AAPRCO Second Annual American Autumn Explorer

AAPRCO is pleased to announce the  Second Annual American Autumn Explorer
All Private Passenger Car Special Train
 
After this long period of pandemic we are delighted to operate our second scenic private car train through the Northeast to relish the fall foliage.  Please make plans to join AAPRCO on this fabulous scenic adventure. We will have covid precautions in place to protect our passengers.
 
AAPRCO, in cooperation with Amtrak and the Vermont Rail System, is proud to announce plans for the second American Autumn Explorer annual special train. We have received approval from Amtrak and the VRS for the American Autumn Explorer II. This train will require use of discreet PV generators for three days due to the absence of HEP on VRS.
 
SCHEDULE INFORMATION
 
For cars departing from Chicago to Albany on regular Amtrak service:
 
- Depart on Amtrak's Lake Shore limited on Friday, September 24th at 9:30 PM.
- Travel overnight through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- In the morning on Saturday, September 25th passengers will be dining on breakfast as they pass the historic Buffalo terminal and proceed east traveling through scenic upstate New York arriving in Albany-Rensselaer, NY in the afternoon. Passengers can explore Albany, the Capitol of the Empire State while our special train is assembled and cars are serviced. We will remain parked overnight.
 
For the 2020 American Autumn Explorer Special Train:
 
- Early Sunday, September 26th, we depart Albany-Rensselaer as an Amtrak special train and travel north along the Hudson River to Whitehall, New York.  We then proceed east into Vermont arriving in Rutland in the morning.  At Rutland we will drop the Amtrak locomotives and operate south on the Vermont Rail System as their special train. Passengers on business cars can enjoy sitting on platforms and everyone can enjoy some fresh Vermont mountain air in open window vestibules. The fall colors should be in full bloom as we travel south all the way to North Bennington, Vermont. A photo run by will take place at the historic Rutland Railroad Depot built in 1880. Our train will then continue south to Hoosick Junction, NY. We will reverse direction and travel back to the scenic community of North Bennington, Vermont, where we will tie down overnight.
 
- On Monday, September 27th, we depart North Bennington mid-morning and travel north through the scenic Vermont countryside passing through Manchester and Rutland.  Passengers in business cars can again enjoy platform riding and open window vestibules as we travel north to Rutland, VT. We have added another route this year. At Rutland the locomotives will run around the train and we will proceed south on the Green Mountain Railroad to Bellows Falls, Vermont where we will tie up for the night.
 
-On Tuesday, September 28th, We depart Bellows Falls and travel north through the scenic Vermont countryside enjoying the fall colors and fresh mountain air. We pass through Rutland, VT arriving at Burlington, VT our convention destination.  We plan to arrive in the afternoon and will park in downtown Burlington within easy walking distance to hotels and restaurants.
 
- On Wednesday, September 29th, the AAPRCO annual convention takes place with meetings and activities covid protocols if necessary will be in place including Social distancing.
 
- On Thursday, September 30th, the AAPRCO convention continues. Attendees are free to explore Burlington and surrounding attractions on their own. We are planning a bon voyage cruise on the Ethan Allen Lake Champlain cruiser.
 
- On Friday, October 1st, we will depart Burlington in the morning.  In Rutland we will pick up the Amtrak locomotives and return to Albany-Rensselaer, New York, where the trip will terminate.  Cars will then depart on regularly scheduled Amtrak trains.
 
Save the dates and check out our website http://WWW.AAPRCO.COM to see which cars are attending and selling space. You must be an AAPRCO associate member or individual guest of a member to ride the special train. Convention registration is required to participate in the convention activities.
 
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/21 07:22 by RWS4449.

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Sounds boring after riding an earlier Vermont trip. Run a train over Starrucca Viaduct and and I will Amtrak it from California just to ride it. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/21 21:13 by RRBaron.

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boring! Run a train over Starrucca Viaduct and and
> I will Amtrak it from California just to ride
> it. 
Please keep in mind that they can only operate where Amtrak and the cooperating railroads allow them to go.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

 Nothing boring about that routing. 

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boring! Run a train over Starrucca Viaduct and and
> I will Amtrak it from California just to ride
> it. 

While you are certainly entitled to your opinion, unless you have put in the actual real effort to make what you want a reality, shut up.

any PV train in  the anderson era is welcome news

Just an FYI, you HAVE to be an AAPRCO member or guest of a member to ride this train.  The general public will not be accommodated. 

90 bucks allows you to join AAPRCO as an associate member.

Posted from Android

jst3751 Wrote:

> While you are certainly entitled to your opinion,
> unless you have put in the actual real effort to
> make what you want a reality, shut up.

For the record, I am a former AAPRCO member and they are a great group of enthusiasts and providers of wonderful rail excursions open to the well-heeled fan.  Moreover, I have worked numerous private car trips, when I could get time off from my real railroad job. I was on the first Vermont trip and it was wonderful, but another one along much of the same territory leaves me very uninspired to pay the considerable fee. In fact, it leads me to yawning. However, a really different itinerary, like over Starruca Viaduct, which was one of the routes talked about as the "next" Amtrak Fall Excursion, would really get my wheels turning! It was thought that routing over the commuter agencies to Port Jarvis would not be an big issue since they and Amtrak already had working relationships. As for the line from PJ to Lanesboro and the bridge, via the Susie Q(?), well it might have been open to the trip, given its past history. That said, it's my opinion that the writer above quoted, who would surprise me if he/she is a real working railroader, is also entitled to his/her opinion, but not entitled to be abusive. However, if he/she insists, he/she is welcome to kiss my caboose!   
 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/21 07:54 by RRBaron.

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> However, a really
> different itinerary, like over Starruca Viaduct,
> which was one of the routes talked about as the
> "next" Amtrak Fall Excursion, would really get my
> wheels turning! It was thought that routing over
> the commuter agencies to Port Jarvis would not be
> an big issue since they and Amtrak already had
> working relationships. As for the line from PJ to
> Lanesboro and the bridge, via the Susie Q(?), well
> it might have been open to the trip, given its
> past history. That said, it's my opinion that the
> writer above quoted, who would surprise me if
> he/she is a real working railroader, is also
> entitled to his/her opinion, but not entitled to
> be abusive. But, if he/she insists, he/she is
> welcome to eat my caboose!   

I also would love to see a trip over the former Erie Delaware Division.  Aside from everything else, perhaps this is not the year to do the "once in a lifetime" trip as I suspect people are still hesitant to travel.  With that being said, I could see an AAPRCO special leaving CSX at Syracuse and going down the NYS&W to Binghamton then over the Erie Delaware Division to Port Jervis, then on to Hoboken - either continuing on the NYS&W to Hawthorne Jct. or NJT all the way.  The Hoboken AAPRCO convention 25+ years ago was a great location and event.  There are now good hotel choices within walking distance of Hoboken Terminal.  The only issue would be that NS would have to allow a passenger train to operate over their leased line (Binghamton-Port Jervis), and for NJT to cooperate.  If NS agreed, you could get on the Erie at Buffalo and also ride over the new Portage Viaduct and through the Canisteo Valley on  the way to Binghamton.  But just not this year - make it when everyone wants to travel.

njmidland Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RRBaron Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > However, a really
> > different itinerary, like over Starruca
> Viaduct,
> > which was one of the routes talked about as the
> > "next" Amtrak Fall Excursion, would really get
> my
> > wheels turning! It was thought that routing
> over
> > the commuter agencies to Port Jarvis would not
> be
> > an big issue since they and Amtrak already had
> > working relationships. As for the line from PJ
> to
> > Lanesboro and the bridge, via the Susie Q(?),
> well
> > it might have been open to the trip, given its
> > past history. That said, it's my opinion that
> the
> > writer above quoted, who would surprise me if
> > he/she is a real working railroader, is also
> > entitled to his/her opinion, but not entitled
> to
> > be abusive. But, if he/she insists, he/she is
> > welcome to eat my caboose!   
>
> I also would love to see a trip over the former
> Erie Delaware Division.  Aside from everything
> else, perhaps this is not the year to do the "once
> in a lifetime" trip as I suspect people are still
> hesitant to travel.  With that being said, I
> could see an AAPRCO special leaving CSX at
> Syracuse and going down the NYS&W to Binghamton
> then over the Erie Delaware Division to Port
> Jervis, then on to Hoboken - either continuing on
> the NYS&W to Hawthorne Jct. or NJT all the way. 
> The Hoboken AAPRCO convention 25+ years ago was a
> great location and event.  There are now good
> hotel choices within walking distance of Hoboken
> Terminal.  The only issue would be that NS would
> have to allow a passenger train to operate over
> their leased line (Binghamton-Port Jervis), and
> for NJT to cooperate.  If NS agreed, you could
> get on the Erie at Buffalo and also ride over the
> new Portage Viaduct and through the Canisteo
> Valley on  the way to Binghamton.  But just not
> this year - make it when everyone wants to travel.

Sounds like a plan!

Thank you for your suggestion.

We would love to do this route again as we traveled on this route over the Starucca Viaduct in 2006 for our Scranton convention.

Prior to 2018 we traveled on many non Amtrak lines as an Amtrak special

The current Amtrak rules governing special trains went into effect in 2018 and we can only operate a special train on on regular Amtrak routes as an Amtrak special. 

The Vermont Rail System has been a gracious host welcoming us on their system and the connection with Amtrak allows us to operate on their system.

We are exploring additional opportunities for special trains, but as Ross Rowland says loose lips sink ships. When we have final approvals for other trips we will post them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/21 19:43 by RWS4449.