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VoI. 5, No. 3 March 1978 Gets Equipment, ____------, I Refurbished Electric Sleepers

Amtrak's Montrealer, which with the inauguration of the new "Soup, etc." This includes a large connects Washington, and equipment. bowl of soup, a loaf of hot French with overnight service via Dinner entrees include breast of bread with butter, a wedge of cheese , has begun operating with Cornish hen with wild rice and filet and an apple. new Amfleet coach es and refurbished mignon with Parisienne potatoes. Wines, beers and ales and distilled electric sleeping cars. Both include vegetables, salad and spirits are also available. The first newly-equipped ran desert. The Montrealer traditionally is a northbound on Monday, February Lighter fare is also available, in­ train with a multi-faceted personality. 27, with the first southbound trip for cluding hot sandwiches and quiche A large number of its passengers the new equipment the next evening. Lorraine. One special light food travel only on the segment between For the train's passen gers the choice on the train is an item called (Continued on page 7) conversion from the older steam­ heated rail cars to 's newest Amfleet equipment means obvious improvements in comfort, reliability Sixth Begins Service and decor. Coach passengers now travel in A sixth train in each direction has 8:20 a.m. It leaves , new 60-seat, long-distance Am­ been added to the Los Angeles-San Sunday through Friday, at 4:30 p.m., coaches with wide, reclining seats Diego corridor beginning February with arrival in at 7:04 p.m. equipped with leg rests, and in­ 14, affording passengers a wide The San Diegan that had dividual tray tables and reading variety of departure times. previously departed at 4:30 p.m. has lights. The new service is a 403(b) been moved to a 5:30 p.m. departure. Sieeping car passengers now have co operative venture with the County The new train was inaugurated reupholstered and recarpeted roomet­ of Los Angeles and the State of with a special run on February 14, tes and bedrooms available in the Department of Tran­ although the county and Atlantic renovated conventional cars in which sportation. Richfield Corporation, with Am­ the old steam heated equipment has The new train leaves San Diego, trak's cooperation, operated a VIP been replaced by modern electric Monday through Saturday, at 5:45 pre-inaugural special the day before. heating and systems. a.m., with arrival at Los Angeles at On that day the refurbished cars The "new" Montrealer features at least one first. This is the Amlounge, a new configuration for an Amfleet train with one end of the car fur­ nished with chairs and small tables. The other end features facing groups of conventional seats with a beverage and snack counter in the center of the car. Another innovation for the train is the dining service in the Amdinette. First tested some weeks aga on the the new service , § offers checkered table cloths, ..., "2 napkins, metal flatware, flowers and c3 .2 waiter service. l2 o A new bi-lingual French-English cl; menu has been developed to coincide Governor Jerry Brown /auds Amtrak's San Diegan service after arrival in Los Angeles. operated to San Diego as regular train California Governor Edmund G. 772, with 220 invited business leaders "Jerry" Brown boarded at San Juan Train Politics of riding to San Capistrano and rode to Los Angeles Amtrak's California train Juan Capistrano. There they where a short program was held. service is attracting a lot of at­ detrained to enjoy an Arco-sponsored Gianturco christened the train with a tention, including that of the luncheon at The Depot, a rail­ bottle of California champagne, politicians. oriented restaurant operated in the while Governor Brown lauded When San Diego Mayor Pete former Santa Fe station there. The Amtrak and praised rail service as an Wilson decided to run for guests returned to Los Angeles on effective alternate to the automobile. governor on the Republican regular train 775, affording them a Despite the early departure from ticket, he chartered an Amdinette chance to ride and inspect Amfleet San Diego, 402 riders made the trip, for hirnself, the press and sup­ equipment. including members of the press. porters and rode train 773 on The new train's cars were on display The new train, informally dubbed February 9 to Los Angeles. in Los Angeles station on February 9- the EI Camino but in reality another When the train arrived and was 10 and in San Diego on February 13 San Diegan, does not feature the parked next to the EI Camino after arrival there. Amfleet equipment normally used on equipment on display, he held a On February 14, at 5:15 a.m., the route. The cars are owned by Los press conference where he an­ ceremonies were held in San Diego Angeles County and consist of five nounced his candidacy. station. Presiding was James H. ex- Central coaches from the Mills, California state senator and former City oj , two ex­ Florida. Former Amtrak employee Amtrak board of directors nominee. buffet-coaches Mike Weinman was in charge of the Speakers included Baxter Ward, from the and refurbishing. supervisor of Los Angeles county an ex-Western Pacific Calijornia The San Diego-Los Angeles service who is conceded to be the father of Zephyr vistadome . has been a spectacular success with the idea to establish the new train. He The car's sleeping compartments dramatic ridership increases as service was presented a Gold Spike ~ward have been removed and lounge seats was expanded and new equipment by Key magazine for his dedication to installed. made available. rail passenger service. Total seating capacity on the new now leave Los Angeles for Other speakers included Adriana train is 473. San Diego at 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., Gianturco, director of California's After purchase by the county, from and 1 :30,4:30 (except Saturday), 5:30 Department of Transportation; the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern and 8:30 p.m. Departures from San Ralph Clark, Orange County railroad at Cottage Grove, Oregon, Diego are at 5:45 (except Sunday), 7 supervisor; and Neal Owen, Amtrak's the cars were completely refurbished and 9:30 a.m. and 1, 4:30 and 7:30 Western :egion vice president. by Hoover Industries, at Miami, p.m.

(Far Left) Calijornia State Senator farnes Mills talks to passenger riders as train leaves San Diego. (Lef!) Pluto greets visitors boarding at Santa Ana. (Below) New train consists of refurbished cars owned by the County of Los ••• Angeles.

Crowds carne out to see the new train despite its early running time. Over 400 riders detrained in Los Angeles. New Servicing, Fueling Facility__ --, I Goes Into Service In

A new, heated building for fueling and servicing Amtrak was dedicated on Thursday, February 9, at Chicago's 16th Street yard. The much-needed facility, which went into service immediately, is part of the first phase of the $38 million program to completely modernize Chicago's maintenance yards by 1981. When Phase One is completed in May, there will also be five new car servicing tracks, each capable of holding 19 cars, with platforms adjacent to the tracks for servicing ~nd supplies. The new building is of concrete block and corrugated metal con­ First locomotive awaits servicing in new Chicago jacility. struction. Rectangular in shape, and some 70 feet wide, 180 feet long and that separates the oil and then directs provements. They've helped make 50 feet high, it contains three tracks it to a recovery tank. this winter's weather a littIe easier to capable of handling nine F40PH The new building is strictIy for take. " locomotives at one time. The building fueling and watering. With the Ted Jordan, Amtrak's resident has six fuel and four watering operation encIosed and under roof, engineer on the yard improvement cabinets, with tracks set into a the building is one of the very few project, predicts, "When this is all concrete floor. such facilities in the country. Loco­ done in 1981, Amtrak will have the Two heating units and a heat motives will also be sanded inside the most modern rail passenger yard in exchanger that recovers 65 per cent of structure although machinery for that the world. " the heat from the locomotives' operation is yet to be installed. Phase Two, a $15 million exhausts are mounted on the roof, Amtrak acquired the Penn Cen­ modernization plan, incIudes con­ Lighting consists of high intensity tral 's badly-deteriorated passenger struction of a car repair building and sodium units. yard in January 1976. This first phase the locomotive shop, as weil as addi­ Three air curtains on the south end of Chicago's yard improvement tional track construction, platforms, of the new building keep out the cold project was approved by Amtrak's inspection pits and an electrical air when the doors are open. board of directors last February. system for the Armfleet and On the north end, the new structure The indoor locomotive servicing cars. is attached to the present engine will save immeasurable man-hours Chicago is one of Amtrak's busiest house. The doors of the old building and improve morale of the people points with 605 cars and 122 were left intact and will be used as fire who previously had to work on locomotives assigned for main­ doors between the two. The old locomotives on the outside despite the tenance to the various Chicago yards. building will get a new roof and sometimes devastating weather. heating units in the near future. For example, during the 1977 Amfleeted Another addition is planned on the winter-described as one of the worst Amfleet equipment has been put east side of the present buildings. It on record-the otherwise simple task into service on the Arrowhead will have four tracks and be almost as of refueling a locomotive became a beginning Monday, February 27. long as the two present buildings day-long job with lines freezing and The train operates between the combined. Heavier maintenance will the men working in minus-40 degree Twin Cities and Duluth, , take place in that structure. wind chili weather and deep snow. with daily service in both directions. Drains are located at trackside for Said c.J. Taylor, Central region Intermediate stops on the route in­ any spillage of fue!. If that does occur vice president, "We've al ready cIude Cambridge and Sandstone, the fuel is channelled to a coalescer benefited from the yard lm- Minnesota, and Superior, .

3 Super Blizzard Hits Northeast, ______---, I Amtrak Employees Battle The Weather

The devastating blizzard that hit who reported to work "as usual" on and eating became catch as catch can. the Northeastern in Monday, February 6, did not get When the blizzard, wh ich was early February brought all tran­ horne again until three or four days packing wind gusts of up to 90 miles sportation to a halt in much of later. Some came prepared to stay at per hour, hit the Providence and and Rhode Island, all least over night, but most ended up areas, Amtrak quickly that is except for Amtrak trains. staying at least two days while many responded to calls for help from Veteran railroaders, many with others worked even longer . Rhode Island Governor l. loseph more than 40 years of service, called About mid-day on Monday, when Garrahy, Senator Claiborne Pell and it the worst snow storm they could the storm was beginning to reach its Massachusetts Governor Michael remember. But despite the odds, the peak, the top priority was to obtain Dukakis. battle between the railroad and sufficient lodging for those who "Our trains were the only-stress nature to keep the Corridor open was would be needed to keep yards and that word only-transportation to eventually won through dedicated tracks open, trains moving, stations Boston and Providence for a couple employee effort and the time­ operating, cars and locomotives of days," noted Amtrak President honored railroad tradition of getting serviced and maintained and switches Paul Reistrup, "and we were happy the trains through. and signals functioning. to pitch in and help the people." Thousands of stranded motorists The next day, getting food to many Amtrak's trains continued oper­ found haven in the trains, which of these same people-who were ating even on Tuesday, February 7, as made unscheduled stops at a number working around the clock-became the two big cities recorded snowfalls of towns and cities along the Boston­ priority number two. of up to 28 inches and drifts were pil­ Providence-New Haven corridor. Decisions had to be made quickly ing as high as 10 feet. Airports were Additional trains were put into 011 the spot. Communications were shut down, highways impassable and service to move travelers who could kept moving between Corridor even the ubiquitous Boston troUeys not use other transportation. headquarters, in , and the were halted for a time. Hundreds of railroad employees Corridor's four divisions. Sleeping But all trains did get through to Restored, Six Trains for Richmond

Amtrak has restored its New York­ travel to and within the Sunshine of our expanded train service." Florida train, the Champion, and State. Rail travel in Richmond has grown modified schedules for two other Restoration of the Champion also considerably in 1977 compared to the Florida trains-the Si/ver Meteor and means that Amtrak now offers a previous year. Ridership shows a gain Si/ver Star-as of Sunday, February 26. record level of direct service between of 21.5 per cent for the period, with The Champion will serve major Northeastern cities and 101,411 passengers boarding or Jacksonville, Orlando with its nearby Richmond, Virginia, where six daily leaving Amtrak trains in Richmond Walt Disney World, Tampa and St. trains in each directions are now last year compared to 83,441 the year Petersburg on a route that takes the available. before. train through Richmond, Raleigh, All six of the trains opera te in The increase is attributed to the Columbia and Savannah. "through service" from Richmond restructuring of two routes that All of the trains in Amtrak's all the way to New York, eliminating connect the city bett er with the Florida fleet offer coach, sleeping the necessity of transferring at Northeast. One of the trains was the car, dining and lounge service. Washington. Two of the trains C%nia/, from Williamsburg and The Champion 's return coincided continue to Providence and Boston. Newport News, the other the HilItop­ with Amtrak's new round-trip excur­ This level of direct train service has per, from Roanoke and points in sion fare of $87-in effect until lune not been available to Richmond West Virginia. 15-between the Northeast and travelers in almost seven years. Schedules for the six trains now Florida, as weil as special intrastate Said Amtrak President Paul H. serving Richmond are spread Florida round-trip fares of only $5 Reistrup, "I think motorists are tired throughout the day giving the city's more than the one-way fare. The of the increasing congestion on In­ passen gers a wide variety of arrival fares are designed to stimulate train terstate 95 and will be happy to learn and departure times.

4 Boston, although so me admittedly were late and several unable to make New Safety Contest Begins the final mile from Back Bay Station to South Station. With a new year begun, the the Central with 7.08. As the storm peaked at various President 's Safety Contest starts Beech Grove leads the shop group points along the , again with a new contest, fresh with a 21.2 ratio. Amtrak stations were kept open figures, and four categories instead of In the maintenance facility around-the-clock to provide shelter the previous three. Continuing are category, eight locations tied with for pedestrians, motorists and train contests for districts and regions, but zero ratios, indicating no injuries travelers caught inits fury. At one now there are separate categories for occurring at those sites in lanuary. point the station at Providence was a "Shops" and "Maintenance The eight are New Orleans, Houston, temporary home-away-from-home Facilities.' , Dallas/ Fort Worth, St. Louis, for over 400 people. Back Bay Station For the month of lanuary, the Kansas City, , lacksonville offered shelter to about 140 and other Chicago Terminal led the districts and Buffalo. stations housed dozens at a time. with no injuries occurring during the The safety ratio is a figure that month and a resultant zero ratio. denotes the number of injuries per At the request of local government The three regions are running neck 200,000 man-hours of work. Any officials, trains made special stops at and neck with Western barelyon the injury or job-related illness that sm all community rail stations not top with a 7.05 ratio, followed very requires more than mere first aid is normally served by Amtrak to pick c10sely by the Eastern with a 7.06 and counted in the standings. up and drop off stranded travelers. Requests also came in to make special stops for medical emergencies, food Share Limited and got to Chicago in Locomotives were put into standby drop offs and critically-needed time for his wedding. service pumping air to operate emergency personnel. At the request of Senator Pell, switches along the main lines. Unscheduled stops inc1uded Amtrak made up a special train on Philadelphians handed Amtrak a Warwick, East Greenwich, Friday, loaded with civil defense special vote of thanks. The city's Davisville, Wickford lunction and materials, and moved it from police department called in mid­ Pawtucket, Rhode Island; and Providence to W orcester over a morning, on Tuesday, asking for help Mansfield, Attleboro and Canton branch line that is not normally in getting some badly-needed parts 1 unction, Massachusetts. served by Amtrak. Train personnel for the city's many snow plows. The and civil defense authorities parts had to be moved from Although astate of emergency was distributed supplies to towns along Baltimore as quickly as possible. The dec1ared and all automobiles were the way and also picked up about 50 request was channelled through the ordered off the streets in alm ost all motorists who were stranded on proper departments and the parts communities, Amtrak found roads along the railroad. arrived early on Tuesday afternoon. thousands of unexpected travelers A water main break and apower lust about every employee who was flocking to the trains. One major outage were the only things that did involved in some way with the week­ group consisted of college and halt Amtrak service for a time. long weather problem has a personal university students trying to get horne The water break occurred at story to tell. Their hours were long after heat had been cut off in their Hartford and flooded the tracks and hardships many, but their dormitories. there. Service between Hartford and willingness to make an extra effort to For the thousands of people stuck Springfield was cancelled because of help fellow humans who needed at major airports in Washington, lack of equipment at the far end of assistance was unfailing. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, the line. Trains continued to operate Sadly, for the most part, they Hartford and Boston, Amtrak helped from New Haven to Hartford. didn 't make the headlines of the by providing alternate transport­ Through service was restored about national and regional news media. ation. 10 p.m. when the was finally Those went to the airports which Amtrak also saved the day for one able to get through after the water were c1osed, the buses which couldn't young man who was stranded in a had receded. operate, the trucks and automobiles Boston hotel and faced the prospect The blackout occurred at 3 a.m. in that were buried under snow drifts. of leaving his bride waiting at the Boston when the commercial power Hardly anything was said about the altar in Chicago. A phone call to source went out. Lasting about five trains, because they were out doing Boston 's South Station brought and one half hours, the blackout their job. immediate action. The prospective prevented trains from getting into Amtrak thanks the many em­ groom was boarded on the Lake South Station until about 9 a.m. ployees who helped achieve this feat.

5 Headquarters Office Move Cornplete, ____ -----, New Building Is Near Union Station

The move of Amtrak's corporate A communications system was Several sites that were offered were headquarters from L'Enfant Plaza to established between the two locations rejected because they just weren't 400 N. Capitol Street in Washington so that Forrest Griffith, director, of­ large enough. was completed the weekend of fice management, and the man in One obvious advantage to the new February 3-6. charge of the move, who was sta­ location; Access to Union Station, The last departments to move tioned in the new building, and Ruth just one and a half blocks away. included the president's office, legal, Lederer, manager, office services, in The only departments remaining at government affairs, claims, planning the old building, as weil as the depart­ L'Enfant Plaza are the computer, and public affairs. ment coordinators, could reach each which will remain for the present The offices now occupy the fourth, other if problems arose. time, and part of the reproduction fifth and eight floors of the south At L'Enfant Plaza, headquarters section, which is to come to the new "tower" of the U-shaped building, as for Amtrak since its inception, the building in the near future. weil as the entire sixth and seventh various departments had been scat­ floors. Shipping, receiving and mail tered through four buildings. As rooms are located on the lower level more people were added to the com­ of the building. pany as it grew, offices were provided The smooth transfer of 1,200 wherever they were available in the employees and their equipment took four-building complex. The result months of planning, then fine was a scattering of departments coordination during the actual throughout buildings and various moving process. The move was ac­ floors. complished department by depart­ When leases came up for renewal ment over eight weekends, beginning last year, the company decided to see with the marketing department on if it could consolidate the depart­ September 30. ments into contiguous space. Each of the eight moves followed a Consideration was given to staying similar pattern. at L'Enfant Plaza, if such space was On Friday, each employee would indeed available, but cost studies pack his material into cartons comparing it and the various other provided by the moving company. locations showed that the 400 N. Ruth Lederer, manager, office services, turns Desks, chairs, typewriters and all Capitol site was ultimately the best light off for last time in L 'Enfant Plaza other furnishings, as weil as the choice. building. cartons, were addressed to the destination location with color-coded labels. Then the employee went horne. On Monday, he or she would arrive for work at the new location and, hopefully, everything was waiting to be unpacked. Helpful to employees was a booklet explaining how to pack and what was expected of each one. Move coor­ dinators were named in each department to supervise and explain the various procedures. When the movers came in on Friday afternoon, everything was stacked on dollies and rolled into waiting elevators, out through the lobby, onto semi-trailers and shuttled Amtrak occupies space on fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eight floors of southtower across the mall to the new location. building, plus additional space in north tower.

6 Amtrak club director, personnel Funseekers Club For Employees department, 400 N. Capitol Street, Washington 2000 I. Amtrak employees can now join Disney Magic Kingdom Club which The Magic Kingdom Club recently the Six Flags Funseekers Club to has been available to Amtrak em­ announced an additional benefit for afford themselves discounts at several ployees for some time. members, a 10 per cent discount on well-known attractions around the To apply for the free membership, all merchandise purchased in Walt country. in either or both clubs, employees Disney World Village, at Lake Buena The membership, which is free, should contact Missie Truban, Vista, Florida. gives employees an admission discount at Six Flags Over Mid­ Los Angeles Monthly Employee Contest America, at St. Louis; Six Flags Over , at Arlington; Six Flags Over Employees at Los Angeles' Eighth Standards judged include a good Georgia, at Atlanta; Astroworld, at Street maintenance facility are now safety record, safe working habits, Houston; Great Adventure, at eligible for an "Employee of the attitude toward fellow employees, Jackson, ; Movieland Month" award. knowledge of job skills and Wax Museum, at Buena Park, The contest was the idea of productivity. California; and Stars Hall of Farne, Foreman Tino Rodriguez, who feit The first four recipients have been: at Orlando. that such an award would improve November, Norm Blakey, Sr. car­ In addition, there are discounts morale among personnel there. man; December, Leroy Cruce, available at several hotels and camp Now, each month a committee of foreman; January, Fred Mau, coach grounds in the St. Louis area. four supervisors scans a list of cleaner; and February, J ames The Six Flags Club operates in nominees which is submitted by Bennetts , electrician. much the same manner as the Walt foremen and union committeemen. The selection committee includes Jerry MescalI, facility manager; tion. MONTREALER Patrick Egan, assistant manager; Finally, there are the international (Continued from page 1) Tino Pacheco, general foreman; and travelers who move between the Tino Rodriguez, foreman. Washington and New York. This United States and . The at­ Each winner receives a plaque patronage is large enough to require a tractions of Montreal at the northern inscribed with his name as weIl as a special segment assigned to the train. end of the route and New York and These are three short-distance Washington-with their Florida congratulatory letter from MescalI. A copy of the letter is inserted in the Amcoaches and a food service car connections- at the southern end winner's permanent personnel which operate only between New give the Montrealer a unique status record. A photo of the employee and York and Washington. and help account for the fact that it is the letter are also posted ofl bulletin Other important groups of one of Amtrak's best patronized boards around the facility. Montrealer travelers include skiers long-distance trains. who use the train to get to Vermont The average Montrealer passenger and New Hampshire slopes, and rides 388 miles with about 54 per cent AMTRAKNEWS Vermonters for whom the train is an of the train 's passengers crossing the important form of basic transporta- international border. Published twice a month for em­ ployees of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation and those of participating railroads engaged in rail passenger service. Montrealer features a ~~.... _ new Amfleet eon­ STAFF figuraiton. an Am/ounge. with one Editor end of the car fitted Ed Wojtas out with eh airs and Circulation small tab/es. Gayle Fedrowitz

- Amtrak News is a member of the Association of Ra ilroad Editors. MatIeria l in Amtrak News is not copyri ghted. Readers may use what they wish with proper at­ tribution to Amtra k News.

7 Free Kiddy Ride Program ______I Kicked Off In Chicago, New York

Travel agents and members of the travel press in two cities participated in kicking off the Amtrak-Kellogg "Free Kiddy Ride" promotion. The meetings were held in New York 's Grand Central Station and Chicago's Union Station on Friday, lanuary 20. A blizzard in the North­ east held down the guest list at the New York meeting, but attendance was excellent at the Chicago affair. One of Amtrak's new was on display in New York, while a new locomotive, Amdinette, Amc1ub and two Amcoaches were available at Chicago. Snacks and refreshments were served to the guests. Greeting visitors at New York were Al Michaud, vice president, Tony the Tiger and Iriends greet visitors at Chicago 's kickoff 01 the Kellogg campaign. Helping marketing, and representatives from are Jack Gordon, top, Amtrak's director olsales, and AI Kaletta, Central region sales manager. Kellogg. In Chicago, lack Gordon, selling cereals: Corn Flakes, Raisin any of the three cereals. The offer director of sales, and other Kellogg Bran and Sugar Frosted Flakes. expires in 1anuary 1979. Details are officials did the same. Amtrak will give free coach travel to printed on the Kellogg boxes. The Kellogg promotion features one child under 12, traveling with a Amtrak expects to attract over half coupons printed on some 64 million paying adult, if he turns in one of the a million new passengers on the ,basis boxes of three of Kellogg's best coupons, plus three box tops from of the promotion.

First Class Mai! V.5. POSTAGE PAID Permit 1911 Merrifie1d. VA

Passenger Corporation 400 N. Capitol ST., NW Washington, D.C. 20001

FIRSTCLASS ADDRE55 CORRECTION REQUE5TED