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.
The route of Amtrak’s Empire service is a scenic one and runs from Buffalo to Utica, along the Mohawk river to Schenectady, crossing the Hudson river at Albany, along the Hudson River Valley past the Catskill mountains, lighthouses, Bannerman Castle, and Storm King State Park on its way to Penn Station in 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.
1 EASTBOUND AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280, BUFFALO, DEPEW, AMTRAK STATION, AMTRAK P32AC-DM #711 ON THE POINT2 NEW YORK CENTRAL 0-6-0 TYPE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #6721, UTICA, NY, AS SEEN FROM EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 2803 ADIRONDACK SCENIC RAILROAD F7 #1508, UTICA, NY4 VIEW FROM REAR OF AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280. CROSSING A BRIDGE EAST OF UTICA, NY5 MEET WITH A FREIGHT LED BY SOO SD60 #6246 & A SISTER6 MOHAWK RIVER VALLEY EAST OF UTICA, NY7 MOHAWK RIVER EAST OF UTICA, NY8 SCHENECTADY AMTRAK STATION9 CROSSING THE HUDSON RIVER, ALBANY, NY10 ATHENS-HUDSON LIGHTHOUSE, HUDSON RIVER, HUDSON, NY11 BANNERMAN CASTLE12 BREAKNECK TUNNEL, COLD SPRING, NY13 STORM KING STATE PARK, COLD SPRING, NY14 BARGE, HUDSON RIVER, NY15 METRO NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD P32AC-DM DUAL-MODE DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE #214, CROTON-HARMON, NY16 GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, NEW YORK, NY17 HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS, NEW YORK CITY, NY18 AMTRAK EMPIRE SERVICE TRAIN 280 AFTER ARRIVAL AT PENN STATION, NY19 PENN STATION, NY CONCOURSE20 HERITAGE DINING CAR ON AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, DEPARTING PENN STATION, NY, BOUND FOR MIAMI21 MANHATTAN, NY IN THE DISTANCE22 TRENTON AMTRAK STATION23 CROSSING A RIVER NEAR TRENTON, NJ24 EX-AMTRAK E9A DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE #401, NORTH PHILADELPHIA, PA25 PHILADELPHIA, PA26 AMTRAK #603 PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, WILMINGTON, DE27 ONBOARD AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, HURTLING SOUTHWARDS AT 177KMH (110.6 MPH), IN GRAND DEFIANCE OF AIRLINE & BUS TRAVEL28 AMFLEET LOUNGE CAR29 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 MIAMI30 AMTRAK #603 PULLS FORWARD AFTER BEING UNCOUPLED FROM THE SILVER METEOR31 AMTRAK P42DC DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE #73 & SISTER PULL FORWARD BEFORE BACKING ONTO OUR SILVER METEOR TRAIN32 AMTRAK #73 ON THE POINT OF THE SILVER METEOR, BOUND FOR MIAMI33 CAPITOL BUILDING, WASHINGTON, DC, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR34 WASHINGTON MONUMENT35 DINNER IN THE DINER, NOTHING COULD BE FINER. FRESH TILAPIA36 AMTRAK #73 PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, SAVANNAH, GA37 UPPER BUNK IN ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR38 UPPER & LOWER BUNKS IN ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR39 SWAMPLANDS NEAR SAVANNAH, GA40 JESSUP AMTRAK STATION41 JACKSONVILLE AMTRAK STATION42 CSX MP15AC #1175, JACKSONVILLE, FL43 JACKSONVILLE, FL44 MARINA45 BUSINESS CAR ‘GEORGIA’ ON A SIDING, SOUTH OF JACKSONVILLE, FL46 DELAND AMTRAK STATION47 SUNRAIL MP36PH-3S #100, WINTER PARK, FL48 WINTER PARK, FL49 APPROACHING WINTER PARK AMTRAK STATION50 FOUNTAIN51 WINTER PARK AMTRAK STATION52 WINTER PARK, FL53 CYXX GP30M #2105, WINTER PARK, FL54 ORLANDO, FL55 ORLANDO, FL56 BEDROOM ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR57 ORANGE PLANTATION58 CACTUS59 ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -THE TRAIN MADE FAMOUS IN THE JOHNNY CASH SONG. POSTER IN AMTRAK HERITAGE DINING CAR60 WEST PALM BEACH AMTRAK STATION61 CANALS62 FORT LAUDERDALE AMTRAK STATION63 MIAMI AMTRAK STATION-SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF THE SILVER METEOR64 THE SILVER METEOR, MIAMI, AMTRAK P42DC #73 ON THE POINT65 VIEW OF MIAMI BEACH FROM DAYS INN, MIAMI BEACH, FL66 DAYS INN, MIAMI BEACH, FL67 CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY E9A #9913, MIAMI, FL68 FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY E8A #1594, MIAMI, FL69 MIAMI BEACH, FL70 MANGROVE, FLORIDA KEYS, FL71 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY & ABANDONED FLORIDA OVERSEAS RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY72 VIEW OF BEACH FROM BANANA BAY RESORT, KEY WEST, FL73 HIGGS BEACH KEY WEST, FL74 SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN CONTINENTAL USA, KEY WEST, FL75 ROOSTER76 LIGHTHOUSE, KEY WEST, FL77 ERNEST HEMMINGWAY HOME, KEY WEST, FL78 CONCH TRAIN & FLAGLER STATION, KEY WEST, FL79 HEAVYWEIGHT CAR USED AS VISITOR CENTER, PIGEON KEY, FL80 ROOMETTE ON AMTRAK VIEWLINER SLEEPING CAR BY DAY. ON AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, DEPARTING MIAMI, BOUND FOR NEW YORK81 SAVANNAH AMTRAK STATION, AS SEEN FROM AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR82 BALTIMORE AMTRAK STATION83 TUNNEL, BALTIMORE, MD84 ONBOARD AMTRAK’S SILVER METEOR, HURTLING NORTHWARDS AT 180KMH (112.5 MPH)85 AMTRAK #905 & SISTER PULLING THE SILVER METEOR AROUND A CURVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA86 HUDSON RIVER VALLEY, NY, ABOARD AMTRAK’S LAKESHORE LIMITED87 WATERFALL88 AMTRAK SIGNATURE STEAK89 NEW YORK STYLE CHEESCAKE.90 WESTBOUND AMTRAK LAKESHORE LIMITED AT RENSSELAER, NY, AMTRAK P32AC-DM #716 ON THE POINT