(Scroll down for images)
Routes shown:
Amtrak Empire Service (Buffalo, NY – New York, NY) -1st leg of trip
The Silver Meteor (New York, NY – Miami, FL) -2nd leg of trip
The Silver Meteor (Miami, FL – New York, NY) -3nd leg of trip
The Lakeshore Limited (New York, NY – Buffalo, NY) -4th leg of trip
Amtrak Empire Service (Buffalo, NY – New York, NY):
Amtrak’s Empire Service trains connect Buffalo (Depew), NY with New York City. The trains operate on the route of the former New York Central railroad, which originally inaugurated the Empire Service on December 3, 1967.
Under Amtrak, modern equipment consists of Amfleet coaches & snack cars. Motive power consists of General Electric 4,250 horsepower P32ACDM dual-mode diesel-electric locomotives which operate on diesel power to Croton-Harmon, NY, then switch to third-rail electric mode for the run into New York City.
The route of Amtrak’s Empire service is a very scenic one and runs from Buffalo to Utica, then along the Mohawk river to Schenectady, crossing the Hudson river at Albany, along the beautiful Hudson River Valley past the Catskill mountains, lighthouses, Bannerman Castle, and Storm King State Park on its way to Penn Station in the Big Apple- New York City.
Great views, spacious & comfortable seats, free wifi, and cafeteria style food service with tasty meals & snacks are sure to delight on Amtrak’s Empire Service.
The Silver Meteor (New York, NY – Miami, FL):
The ‘Silver Meteor‘ is Amtrak’s overnight train connecting New York City with Miami, FL. The train is Amtrak’s modern-day replacement for the famous coach train of the same name inaugurated by the Seaboard Air Line on February 2, 1939.
Modern equipment consists of Amfleet coaches & lounges, Heritage diners & Viewliner sleepers with bedrooms & roomette accommodations. Motive power consists of Siemens 6,700 horsepower ACS64 or Electro-Motive 7,000 horsepower AEM-7 electric locomotives, or General Electric 4,250 horsepower P42DC diesel locomotives.
Highlights of the trip include a 180 km/h run on Amtrak’s electrified Northeast Corridor through the metropolises of Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington D.C. with views of the Washington Monument & Capitol building, following an engine change from electric to diesel motive power. The train then runs overnight through the American South with morning finding the train passing through Savannah, Georgia, past wetlands, palm trees, orange groves & canals on it’s way to the Florida cities of Jacksonville, Winter Park, Orlando, Sebring, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale before arriving in Beautiful Miami, Florida.
Beautiful scenery, fine dining, superb accommodations & top-notch service are sure to delight on Amtrak’s Silver Meteor.
In Miami there are bus & car rental connections to Miami Beach & the Florida Keys. Accommodations may be found at the Lexington Hotel on Miami Beach and the Banana Bay Resort in Key West where one may take the Scenic Conch Tour Train.
The Lakeshore Limited (New York, NY – Buffalo, NY):
The ‘Lakeshore Limited‘ is Amtrak’s overnight train connecting New York City with Buffalo (Depew), NY. The train actually runs all the way from New York City to Chicago via Buffalo & Cleveland. The train is Amtrak’s modern-day replacement for the famous all-pullman ‘Twentieth Century Limited’ inaugurated by the New York Central on June 15, 1902.
Modern equipment consists of Amfleet coaches & lounges and Viewliner diners & sleepers with bedrooms & roomette accommodations. Motive power consists of General Electric 4,250 horsepower P42DC diesel locomotives.
Highlights of the trip are the same as the Amtrak Empire Service described above as both trains run on the same route between New York City & Buffalo.
If you enjoy fine dining & comfortable accommodations on memorable a trip, then you’ll enjoy a ride on Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited.
- EASTBOUND AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280, BUFFALO, DEPEW, AMTRAK STATION, AMTRAK P32AC-DM #711 ON THE POINT
- NEW YORK CENTRAL 0-6-0 TYPE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #6721, UTICA, NY, AS SEEN FROM EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280
- ADIRONDACK SCENIC RAILROAD GP9 #6076, UTICA, NY
- ADIRONDACK SCENIC RAILROAD F7 #1508, UTICA, NY
- VIEW FROM REAR OF AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280. CROSSING A BRIDGE EAST OF UTICA, NY
- MEET WITH A FREIGHT LED BY SOO SD60 #6246 & A SISTER
- MOHAWK RIVER VALLEY EAST OF UTICA, NY
- MOHAWK RIVER EAST OF UTICA, NY
- MOHAWK RIVER EAST OF UTICA, NY
- MOHAWK RIVER EAST OF AMSTERDAM, NY
- SCHENECTADY AMTRAK STATION
- CROSSING THE HUDSON RIVER, ALBANY, NY
- AMTRAK P32AC-DM #711 PULLS OUR TRAIN AROUND A CURVE, ALBANY, NY
- ATHENS-HUDSON LIGHTHOUSE, HUDSON RIVER, HUDSON, NY
- BANNERMAN CASTLE
- BREAKNECK TUNNEL, COLD SPRING, NY
- STORM KING STATE PARK, COLD SPRING, NY
- BARGE, HUDSON RIVER, NY
- WEST POINT, NY
- METRO NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD M-7 CAR, CROTON-HARMON, NY
- METRO NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD P32AC-DM DUAL-MODE DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE #214, CROTON-HARMON, NY
- GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, NEW YORK, NY
- ENTERING THE HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS
- HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS
- AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280 AFTER ARRIVAL AT PENN STATION, NY
- PENN STATION, NY CONCOURSE
- HERITAGE DINING CAR ON AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, DEPARTING PENN STATION, NY, BOUND FOR MIAMI
- NEW JERSEY TRANSIT COMMUTER TRAIN LED BY ALP46 #4621, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR
- TRENTON AMTRAK STATION
- CROSSING A RIVER NEAR TRENTON, NJ
- EX-AMTRAK E9A DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE #401, NORTH PHILADELPHIA, PA
- PHILADELPHIA, PA
- AMTRAK #603 PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, WILMINGTON, DE
- ONBOARD AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, HURTLING SOUTHWARDS AT 177KMH (110.6 MPH), IN GRAND DEFIANCE OF AIRLINE & BUS TRAVEL
- AMFLEET LOUNGE CAR
- ENGINE CHANGE IN WASHINGTON, DC. AMTRAK ACS-64 ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE #603 WHICH HAULED OUR SILVER METEOR TRAIN IS UNCOUPLED & REPLACED WITH DIESELS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP TO MIAMI
- AMTRAK #603 PULLS FORWARD AFTER BEING UNCOUPLED FROM THE SILVER METEOR
- AMTRAK P42DC DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE #73 & SISTER PULL FORWARD BEFORE BACKING ONTO OUR SILVER METEOR TRAIN
- AMTRAK #73 ON THE POINT OF THE SILVER METEOR, BOUND FOR MIAMI
- WASHINGTON UNION STATION
- CAPITOL BUILDING, WASHINGTON, DC, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR
- WASHINGTON MONUMENT
- DINNER IN THE DINER, NOTHING COULD BE FINER. FRESH TILAPIA
- AMTRAK #73 PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, SAVANNAH, GA
- UPPER BUNK IN ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR
- UPPER & LOWER BUNKS IN ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR
- SWAMPLANDS NEAR SAVANNAH, GA
- JESSUP AMTRAK STATION
- JACKSONVILLE AMTRAK STATION
- CSX MP15AC #1175, JACKSONVILLE, FL
- JACKSONVILLE, FL
- MARINA
- BUSINESS CAR ‘GEORGIA’ ON A SIDING, SOUTH OF JACKSONVILLE, FL
- DELAND AMTRAK STATION
- SUNRAIL MP36PH-3S #100, WINTER PARK, FL
- CYXX GP30M #2105, WINTER PARK, FL
- WINTER PARK, FL
- APPROACHING WINTER PARK AMTRAK STATION
- FOUNTAIN
- WINTER PARK AMTRAK STATION
- WINTER PARK, FL
- ORLANDO, FL
- ORLANDO, FL
- BEDROOM ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR
- ORANGE PLANTATION
- CACTUS
- ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -THE TRAIN MADE FAMOUS IN THE JOHNNY CASH SONG. POSTER IN AMTRAK HERITAGE DINING CAR
- WEST PALM BEACH AMTRAK STATION
- CANALS
- FORT LAUDERDALE AMTRAK STATION
- MIAMI AMTRAK STATION-SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF THE SILVER METEOR
- THE SILVER METEOR, MIAMI, AMTRAK P42DC #73 ON THE POINT
- VIEW OF MIAMI BEACH FROM DAYS INN, MIAMI BEACH, FL
- DAYS INN, MIAMI BEACH, FL
- ATLANTIC COAST LINE GP7 #1804, MIAMI, FL
- CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY E9A #9913, MIAMI, FL
- FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY E8A #1594, MIAMI, FL
- MIAMI BEACH, FL
- MANGROVE, FLORIDA KEYS, FL
- OVERSEAS HIGHWAY & ABANDONED FLORIDA OVERSEAS RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY
- VIEW OF BEACH FROM BANANA BAY RESORT, KEY WEST, FL
- CONCH TRAIN, KEY WEST, FL
- HIGGS BEACH KEY WEST, FL
- SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN CONTINENTAL USA, KEY WEST, FL
- ROOSTER
- LIGHTHOUSE, KEY WEST, FL
- ERNEST HEMMINGWAY HOME, KEY WEST, FL
- FLAGLER STATION, KEY WEST, FL
- HEAVYWEIGHT CAR USED AS VISITOR CENTER, PIGEON KEY, FL
- ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR BY DAY. ON AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, DEPARTING MIAMI, BOUND FOR NEW YORK
- SAVANNAH AMTRAK STATION, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR
- BALTIMORE AMTRAK STATION
- TUNNEL, BALTIMORE, MD
- AMTRAK #905 & SISTER PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA
- ONBOARD AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, HURTLING NORTHWARDS AT 180KMH (112.5 MPH)
- APPROACHING MANHATTAN
- HUDSON RIVER VALLEY, NY, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S LAKESHORE LIMITED
- HUDSON RIVER VALLEY, NY
- WATERFALL
- AMTRAK SIGNATURE STEAK
- NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE.
- WESTBOUND AMTRAK LAKESHORE LIMITED AT RENSSELAER, NY, AMTRAK P32AC-DM #716 ON THE POINT