Amtrak Historical Society
Photos From The 2000 Conference
Entrance To Amtrak Auto Train Facility
Virginia Railway Express
Photos from the Amtrak Historical Society 2000 Conference in Lorton, Virginia
including photos of the Virginia Railway Express and of the Amtrak Auto Train
facility.
Click Here For Photo Highlights
Of The Amtrak Auto Train Tour!
Click Here For Video Clips
Of Autos Being Unloaded From The Train!
Click Here To View 360x360 Immersion Photos of the
Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal in Lorton, Virginia!
Click on links below to view each set of photos (Sony Mavica FD-71):
- Fri, 04/28/00, AHS Attendees on way to Alexandria Station.
- Fri, 04/28/00, Alexandria Station & Virginia Railway Express (VRE).
- Fri, 04/28/00, Alexandria Station & Amtrak Silver Service Trains.
- Fri, 04/28/00,
Trains through Alexandria & Steve Roberts, Director of Operations for VRE.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Donald F. Knapik, Asst. VP, Acela Product Line - NEC.
Click on links below to view each set of photos (Sony Mavica FD-91):
- Fri, 04/28/00, AHS Conference Displays at the Hunter Motel.
- Fri, 04/28/00, AHS Conference Displays at the Hunter Model.
- Fri, 04/28/00, Photos from travel to the Alexandria Station.
- Fri, 04/28/00, Photos of trains at the Alexandria Station.
- Fri, 04/28/00, Photos at the Alexandria Station.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
- Sat, 04/29/00, Amtrak Auto Train Northern Terminal at Lorton, Virginia.
Consist of the Amtrak Auto Train in the above photographs:
- 842--- Genesis Locomotive
- 834--- Genesis Locomotive
- 39001- Superliner Transition Sleeper (Dorm Car)
- 32087- Superliner Sleeping Car
- 32116- Superliner Sleeping Car
- 32505- Superliner Sleeping Car - All Deluxe Rooms
- 33102- Superliner Lounge Car (Special Modified Dining Car)
- 38054- Superliner Dining Car (for Sleeping Car Passengers)
- 32500- Superliner Sleeping Car - All Deluxe Rooms
- 32101- Superliner Sleeping Car
- 32114- Superliner Sleeping Car
- 38067- Superliner Dining Car (for Coach Passengers)
- 34119- Superliner Coach
- 34130- Superliner ? Coach (5211)
- 34122- Superliner 2 Coach (5212)
- 33104- Superliner Lounge (modified)
- 34124- Superliner 2 Coach (5213)
- 34012- Superliner 1 Coach (5214)
- 34118- Superliner 2 Coach (5215)
- 38041- Superliner Dining Car (for Coach Passengers)
- Followed by several auto carrying cars
Comments by Ray Burns on his perception of the Amtrak Historical Society 2000 Conference:
It was my first trip to Virginia, so I was pretty happy to be in Alexandria, Virginia, with the
Amtrak Historical Society. We were at the train station to hear Steve Roberst, Director of
Operations for the Virginia Railway Express that is owned by that state but is contracted out to
Amtrak to run their trains. Of course we were also there to see the different trains going by
the station. They do run a very tight ship as they are pretty well on time most of the time.
Amtrak, on the other hand, travels across the nation and sometimes has problems with freight
trains taking precedence over the train tracks because of circumstances warranted.
Mr. Roberts gave a very informative talk, so if you like history and just plain good information
on trains in general, you might want to think about joining the Amtrak Historical Society and
hear some great train "stuff" and meet a very friendly buch of people, male and female.
When I was at the Amtrak Auto Train terminal in Lorton, Virginia, I was more than impressed with
the staff who ran the operation. Their new station is a beauty. The terminal building itself is
fairly complete, but construction still continues at the platform and tracks. Because of their
explosive growth, it was necessary to replace their old facilities with these new expanded
facilities. The Auto Train is still in desperate need for expansion at their southern terminal
in Florida. Sharon Mahoney, the General Manager of Auto Train, has a hospitality background
that has served Amtrak and their customers well. James Mead, the Service Manager, also has a
hospitality background. I believe that he has something like 20 years in the hotel industry.
I would say that pretty well gives him quality "hands on" experience with the general public.
The absolute entrepreneurial way they approach things will guarantee that division to succeed
very well. They remind me of Brian Rosenwald who pretty well is responsible for the successful
Amtrak Coast Starlight that runs between Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada. Efficiency is their keyword and I hope that the other areas around the
country that deal with food and the public in general will consider taking a look at the Auto
Train operation to see how they handle themselves, not just their daily functions, but also how
they handle their monthly and quarterly duties. I know a well run operation by individuals who
really use their intelligence aggressively, when I see it! If other Amtrak Product Lines would
pick the brains of the Auto Train people in regards to how well they handle the food operation
as well as their other responsibilities, it would be that much better for those lines and their
passengers. They have a lot of great ideas to share and other areas should check them out.
This is not coming from them. This is coming from me!
One good example of ingenuity is when preacher Andre Davis of "Save the Seeds Ministry," in
the Lorton, Virginia, area was talking with the Managers of the Auto Train in regards to members
of his congregation working for Amtrak to drive the cars on and off of the train. They are on a
trial basis now, but so far they are doing very good. It seems to be going like clockwork.
These are people that all go to church together so their working relationship is probably going
to be good for a long time amongst each other. Also, they not only want to watch their work
ethics for themselves, but also because they are each representing their congregation. So,
they will want to continually put their best foot forward. Amtrak benefits, the passengers
benefit, and they, as a group, and each individual, benefits. When you have a "win/win"
relationship, you have the best deal happening!
Donald Knapik, the Assistant Vice President of the Acela Product Line was good enough to take
his own time to come over to the hotel where the Amtrak Historical Society 2000 Conference
was being held to give us a presentation of the Acela line. Steve and I look forward to the
day when we will travel on that train, just like we did on the Amtrak Cascades, in the state
of Washington.
There are some individuals in the Amtrak Historical Society that believe
there are problems in the way Amtrak analyzes the financial performance of various routes and
who also disagree as to where Amtrak's limited financial resources should be spent to best
serve the traveling public. Steve and I can be counted in that group. However, we do not
believe that the Amtrak Historical Society Conference is the time or the place to take an
adversarial position with the invited speakers. The AHS is not an advocacy group nor a
political action group. AHS is a historical and education group interested in the history and
future plans of Amtrak. The AHS does not take a political position on those plans. There are
other groups such as the national and regional chapters of NARP and other advocacy groups
that concern themselves with those aspects of Amtrak. Being an education group, the speakers
that are invited to the AHS Annual Conferences should feel they are in a safe haven to give
their presentations of Amtrak's past and present and not feel they will be
challenged and have to defend Amtrak's decisions at our meetings. There are other organizations
where those challenges and adversarial positions are appropriate. I am always appreciative of
the time and effort that the speakers take to give these presentations, sometimes under
difficult circumstances. I tip my hat to these sharing people.
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