Amtra ~

A Newsletter for Employees

VOLUME 2-ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 15,1973

Photo. by R. Daly rail/bike touring in lIIontreal photos page 1

Left top: another way to see , in Ltd . on Sherbrooke Street, are hard to success of rail / bike touring in Mon­ horsedrawn carriages for rent b y the hour. unearth and may require sizeable de­ treal. Top right: th e solitude of lie Sainte-Helene site of Expo '67 and currently hosting " Man posits of non-residents.) All the more Although no special arrangements and His World," annual international exhibits. reason to take advantage of the con­ are needed to transport a bicycle in Bottom left: Duncan Haimerl (left) of Canad­ ian National Railways, and Barbara Morris venience of Amtrak's Montrealer/ the Montrealer/ Washingtonian's (center) and Sue Stevens of Amtrak take to Washingtonian where bicycles, con­ Baggage Car, it is recommended that their bikes. Bottom right: Street, an sidered one piece of luggage, are car­ travelers notify their hotel or motel in entertai nmentl shoppi ng center. ried for a $2 handling charge in the advance to make provisions for bike Baggage Car. Non-owners can avail storage. Most establishments are ex­ This summer a new kind of touring themselves of this opportunity by tremely accommodating about the came into its own-the combination renting a bike at their point of origin addition of a bicycle to their guest's rail / bike trip. And the most popular in the U.S. Rates are usually as low as entourage. destination was Montreal, , $5 .00 for a weekend. Arrival at Canadian National Rail- just an overnight ride from Besides the convenience of Ba - 's st ation in M ontreal puts travel- Washington, D.C., and gage Car bike storage, there is an­ on Amtrak's Montre­ other reason why the Montrealer / aler / Washingtonian. Washingtonian has attracted bikers Montreal, a delight for its own sake this year. The trip itself is fun an d a and also the perfect "we can't make nice contrast to the rigors of biking. Europe this year" alternative, is well " Le Pub," the lounge/ entertainment suited to rail / bike touring. Besides car added to the train last December having the usual big city parking and 15 for the duration of the ski season , airport-on-the-outskirts problems, has remained in the consist and Montreal is laid out in a compact, continues to provide its occupants organized fashion that invites a more with the atmosphere of a traveling independent, hassle-free form of ex­ Georgetown bar. A piano player joins ploration. "Le Pub" at New York and his music Surprisingly, the advantages of bik­ rarely lacks vocal accompaniment. ing have only recently begun to be Add to the pleasure of the trip its in­ discovered by native and tourist expensive cost (particularly Amtrak's alike. And renting a bike within the unreserved-seat coach, one of the city can be a problem particularly for most economical of all means of non-residents. (Bike-renting estab­ transportation to Montreal) and it is lishments, like Peel Cycle Center, easy to understand the origin and

ers w ithin eas..y_ biking distance of_ . _-_. _ many of the city's finest hotels- three of the most luxurious are less than two blocks away (Bonaventure, Le Chateau Champlain and Queen Elizabeth). And hotels like Sheraton Mont-Royal on Ste. Catherine com- bine proximity with inexpensive prices. The city's prime biking season is long, from May to October. Montreal may actually afford a better climate for that activity than many U.S. cities because of its mild summer weather. Mid-August biking in Montreal usually means temperatures in the mid-70's, a pleasant alternative to the heat of Washington, D.C. where walking can be an over exertion.

(Continued on Page 3, Col. Two) Amtrak's Dome Pub Car above was one of three newly refurbished was converted from a dome/ lounge/observatory and put in service cars on display in Chicago for Amtrak's May 1 anniversary celebra­ between Chicago and Minneapolis. It is scheduled to go into service tion. Formerly Burlington Northern Railroad's " Silver View," the car soon on the .

------,I I HAVE YOU MOVED????? I Please let us know so that you can continue to re­ Update is published bi-weekly by Amtrak's Public Re­ ceive UPDATE. ~ lations Dept. It is distributed free of charge to Amtrak Name ______I employees and employees of participating railroads Old Address ______I who are engaged in passenger service. Ci ty ______State ______Z i p _____ I President ROGER LEWIS New Address ______; Ci ty ______Sta te ______Z i p _____ I Vice President, Public Relations Edwin E. Edel Amtrak Employee? _____ Railroad Employee? _____ I Senior Writer Susan Dwyer Ra i I road? ______Editor Ronnie Daly Mail to: Amtrak Public Relations ~ 955 L'Enfant Plaza North, S.w., Wash ., D.C. 20024 I I I montrealer tops expected ridership Amtrak's most popular interna­ tional route-the Montrealer-Wash­ ingtonian-marked its first anniver­ sary September 29 with far higher ridership averages than had been pre­ dicted. An average of 1,000 persons a day have ridden from Washington to Montreal via New York on the Mon­ trealer and the Washingtonian, which traverses the same route southbound, since the train's incep­ tion a year ago. Most of these passengers were car­ ried in the New York-Washington seg­ ment of the route. However, in July, before the extended Canadian Na­ Enthusias m for Amtrak and rail p assenger service ca n be found in so m e unusual places. For tional Railway strike, an average of example, Wa shing to n, D.C. ce/ebritylrestauranteer Duke Zeibert (a bove) recently d ecorated th e bar portion of his 1 722 L Street, N. W. restaurant i n ho nor of Amtrak. 130 persons were aboard each train at White River Junction, . Amtrak officials estimate that the sales blitz hits eleven cities 365,000 passengers on the since their inception a year ago have "ONE WAY, EACH WAY, EVERY Almost 70 per cent more passengers traveled approximately 60 million DA Y" is the theme ch osen to de­ were on board the Zephyr during the passenger miles while paying about scribe the new winter season sched­ first half of this year than during the $3 .3 million in revenues. Original es­ ule for two of Amtrak's western trai ns same period in 1972 . July showed a timates had been for an average of -the San Francisco-Chicago San 93 per cent increase in riders over the about 225 passen gers each day in Francisco Zephyr and the Seattle-Los' corresponding month the previous both directions, or about 113 persons Angeles /Daylight. year. Passenger counts were taken at per train per day. The message of continued daily Klamath Falls, Oregon and Chey­ When Amtrak began service over service by the two trains was carried enne, Wyoming. the route in September 1972, it to 11 western cities in an Amtrak The substantial ridership increases marked the first time in more than sales blitz during the first week in Oc­ prompted Amtrak to continue daily five years that rail passenger service tober. operation of the two trains through had been provided in Vermont and Amtrak sales personnel met w ith the winter season, abandoning previ­ New Hampshire. It also signaled the representatives of the travel industry, ous plans to begin tri-weekly service beginning of overnight service be­ local officials, service clubs and in October. tween Washington and key East other organiz'ations- during the five­ Continuing the daily schedule- for­ Coast cities to the winter and sum­ day campaign . the Starlight/Daylight means that mer resort areas of the Northeast and The sales teams held special semi­ through service is available in both eastern . Special Montreal nars and luncheons and met on a directions each day between Los and Miami cars were added to the one-to-one basis with travel agents Angeles and Seattle via Oakland with train, opening through service be­ along the routes of the two trains. connections to San Diego and tween Canada and Florida in the . Amtrak's success in reversing a 20- Vancouver, British Columbia . winter. year decline in rail passenger travel is During last year's off season, the The State of Vermont and its citi­ clearly evident in the 1973 ridership Denver-San Francisco segment of the zens, working with Amtrak, provided statistics records achieved by the two operated tri­ much of the labor to refurbish sta­ trains. weekly in each direction. By tions, pave parking lots, and erect For the first six months of 1973, the continuing the summer schedule, signs on public highways directing Seattle-Los Angeles trains showed a through service will be available travelers to the stations. Amtrak also jump of almost 150 per cent in rider­ daily in both directions between Chi­ built a new $300,000 station at ship over the first half of the previous cago and San Francisco. Springfield, Mass., which is along the year. The July gain came close to hit­ The cities included in the sales route of the Montrealer/ Washing­ ting the 200 per cent mark in compar­ blitz were Denver, Cheyenne, Salt tonian, and Amtrak and the Boston & ing figures from the year before. Lake City, Ogden, Provo, Reno, Elko, Maine Railroad have spent over Increases on the Denver-San Fran­ Portland, Seattle, Eugene and the San (Continued on Poge 6, Col. One) cisco run have also been impressive . Francisco Bay area. rail/bike touring (Continued from Page 2) Although Montreal is an ideal va­ St. Helen's Island, site of Expo '67 and cation biking spot, with a good map; host to "Man and His World," annual restaurant guide, and a bit of exhibits with "Civilization" this year's advance planning, cyclists can get a theme. Return to the downtown area feel for the city in as little time as a via Pont de la Concorde Bridge. The weekend. One suggestion for a quick entire trip can be made comfortably but varied view of the city is to bike on a three-speed bicycle. (from one of the hotels close to the railroad station) east on Notre Dame After-biking hours are easy to fill in through the heart of Old Montreal. in Montreal. The city has over 5,000 From Old Montreal take Notre Dame restaurants, and the Crescent Street across the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to area swings late and loud.

Nina Dougherty of the Environmental Pro­ tection Agency and Bailus Walker, Jr., Direc­ tor, Environmental .Health Administration are enthusiastic about rail/bike commuting. new service facility built for rail passenger cars bike commuters celebrate first anniversary

Bicycle commuters are a hearty lot. It's not only man against the ele­ ments as they climb aboard their two wheel motorless rigs, but survival of the fittest against some rather pre­ carious drivers behind the wheels of Detroit's finest models. Some Washington, D.C. com­ muters have combined their bike rid­ ing with another form of transporta­ tion low in pollution -trains. A group of about 30 Washington workers ride the trains to Union Sta­ Washington Terminal Company re­ vicing center. The new Coach Yard is tion from surburban areas and then cently opened a new, $8 million pas­ located adjacent to Metro's new ser­ bicycle to their offices. senger train maintenance and servic­ vice center and was built by Wash­ The whole affair began a year ago ing facility. It's the first "Coach Yard" ington Metropolitan Area ' Transit when the Washington Union Termi­ built in the since the Authority (WMATA) for the Termi­ nal Company agreed to store the early 1950's. nal Company. bikes overnight in the baggage room Amtrak will be the main benefici­ Its main building will be " home without charge. The group cele­ ary of the new service facility since base" for 300 Terminal Company em­ brated the first anniversary of the 50% of all trains operated out of ployees (cleaning crew, electricians, program with special ceremonies at Union Station and 85% of all passen­ mechanics, and carmen). Approxi­ Union station saluting the terminal ger cars are owned by Amtrak. mately 90% of the $8 million cost of company and baggage room According to C. W . Shaw, Jr., Man­ the Coach Yard is in tracks and utili­ employees. Special guest for the af­ ager of Washington Terminal Com­ ties. fair was Rep. Morris Udall, D-Ari­ pany, "The new Coach Yard is the The new modernized Coach Yard zona, Chairman of the House Envir­ first step in what will be the rail pas­ will mean more efficient repair and onment Subcommittee. Officials of senger industry's most massive con­ maintenance of passenger cars. Utili­ local environmental groups, the U.S. struction undertaking in the last fifty ties (air, steam, water and electricity) Environmental Protection Agency years-rebuilding Washington, D.C.'s are placed every 80 feet throughout and the Washington Area Cyclists Union Station ." the new yard enabling repairs to be Association also participated. Washington Terminal Company's made on every track and platform. In "We're beating the energy short­ former Coach Yard , located at 4th & the old service facility, utilities were age, reducing pollution and our T Streets, N.E. was purchased by the located only in three locations and waistlines," a spokesman for the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority cars had to be switched to the Ivy bikers declared. (Metro) for their car repair and ser- City Car Shop for repairs. montrealer Amtrak profiles (Continued from Page 4) A centuries old musical $400,000 upgrading the B&M line between Springfield and instrument which pro­ White River Junction, Vermont. duces tones by the pluck­ The lure of Vermont's ski areas prompted Amtrak to ing of wire strings with place special ski rack baggage cars on the MontrealerI quills or leather points is Washingtonian last year, and to set the atmosphere the Harpsichord-a favor­ Amtrak placed the first of its new-concept lounge cars in ite of Amtrak's Ruth Hoen service on this line, appropriately named LePub. who works in the Seattle Last winter, another first in the East was established- an Sales Office. all-Amtrak service crew, hired and trained by Amtrak to Ruth worked her way best serve the public. through college as a secre­ Early this summer, toll-free informatio"n and reserva­ tary to earn a music de- J' tions service became available along this route as part of gree. After obtaining that &:T Amtrak's new Northeastern reservations and information degree and teaching music I system, which will become nationwide next year. for several years, Ruth de- l... ."...... During the summer, the Montrealer's schedule was cided to reactivate her secretarial skills and return to her altered to provide better connections with Canadian Na­ first field. She worked for a time with a Department of tional Railways trains for other parts of Canada. With the Labor project in Seattle called New Careers which was a change of timetable at the return to standard time O ctober job t raining program designed primarily for welfare re­ 28, the northbound Montrealer wi ll once again depart ci pients. Washington at 5:05 p.m. to provide later an d more conven­ Ruth, however, had always had an interest in railroads ient morning arrival times at ski areas in Vermont. and when the opportunity presented itself last summer she . Better equipment is also appearing on this line as part of became an Amtrak employee. Her functions incl ude the Amtrak's nationwide refurbishment program. Virtually all office correspondence and maintaining a card f ile of travel passenger cars used north of New York are refurbished, and agents in the states t he Seattle office serves : Montana, renovated diesel locomotives are scheduled for th is serv­ Idaho, Washi ngton, O regon and t he province of British ice. All steam generators have been overhauled-- or re­ Columbia. The office also tries to handle requests from placed, and each locomotive has two steam generators to Alaska since there are no Amtrak sales representatives sta­ provide reliable heating on the coldest of winter nights. tioned there. There has also been a major improvement of on-time Ruth's music specialties include the piano as well as the performance. In June the Montrealer/ Washingtonian com­ harpsichord which is a rather rare arrangement. Ruth, who piled an on-time record of 67.8 per cent under Amtrak's is originally from St. Paul and moved to Seattle about 20 rigid five-minute performance standard, far higher than the years ago, puts her musical talent to work as church average long distance train. organist. Another innovation begun last year and continuing is Ruth couldn't be more pleased with Amtrak and thinks Amtrak's Week of Wheels program, under which Montre­ her job is great fun-to be a part of a new and growing cor­ aler and Washingtonian passengers can get a free rental poration in charge of something as exciting as with unlimited mileage for a week in FI

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