Prototype News

by Otto Vondrak/photos by the author

Launching on July 4, a new seasonal tourist train operation is coming to upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region. The new Finger Lakes Rail Experience will take visitors on a scenic excursion along portions of the Finger Lakes Railway with departures from Canandaigua, Geneva, and Seneca Falls throughout July and August.

The genesis for the project came from Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK), who approached consultants FMW Solutions (FMW) to help establish a new tourist rail operation in the region. Founded in 1995, FGLK operates freight service on a 167-mile system of former New York Central, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh Valley tracks from its headquarters in Geneva. While the railroad has previously operated its own seasonal passenger excursions over the years, a shift in business priorities led to the end of charters and the sale of its excursion fleet in 2024.

ABOVE: Visitors enjoying the ammenities in the plush observation lounge of Hickory Creek during a special media preview day on July 1.

“The key success of our freight railroad has been ensuring that the farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses in our region receive reliable freight service, but we acknowledge how important tourist rail operations are to attracting visitors to the Finger Lakes region,” said FGLK President Eric Betke in a press release. The railroad turned to FMW as their partner to help put together a new tourism experience with the help of several partners, including the United Railway Historical Society of NJ (URHS) and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

Key to this new experience are the five vintage passenger cars provided by URHS, some of which became available when Amtrak cancelled charters out of New York Penn Station earlier this year due to an extensive tunnel repair project affecting the schedule. The cars include observation-lounge Hickory Creek (Pullman, 1948, the tail car from New York Central’s famed 20th Century Limited), tavern-lounge NYC 43 (Budd, 1947), and NYC sleeper-buffet-lounge Swift Stream (Budd, 1949). To support this expanded service schedule, URHS also refurbished tavern-lounge NYC 37 (Budd, 1947) and Pennsylvania Railroad coach 1547 (Budd, 1949, ex-PRR sleeper Cambridge Inn). Work was performed by URHS volunteers and contractors at their shop in Boonton, N.J., and the cars were shipped out at the end of June to FGLK in Geneva. Also included was a generator car loaned by Operation Toy Train (TOYX) to support the operation of the trains, which will be led by FGLK locomotives.

ABOVE: The refurbished interior of sleeper-buffet-lounge Swift Stream.

“Not only will the FLX Rail Experience introduce heritage rail to a new audience, but it will also support URHS’s efforts to expand our operational fleet of historic railroad cars,” said URHS Executive Director Kevin Phalon in a press release. “We’re proud to be working with partners who understand the value of tourism and support our nonprofit mission of preservation and education.” The five-car set will also allow FLX Rail Experience to offer different tiers of service, including deluxe coach, premium, and first class; plus additional options for families or individuals with sensory issues seeking a more relaxed ride experience.

Key to the experience is a partnership with the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, helping to bring in more than a dozen local wineries and breweries to provide tastings on board. The specific microclimate around the Finger Lakes has encouraged the growth of vineyards and the production of wine since the 1860s. However, it was only in the last 50 years that the Finger Lakes have developed into a major tourist attraction centered around the region’s various award-winning wineries.

ABOVE: The interior of New York Central tavern-lounge 43.

The current schedule calls for train rides to be operated through July and August, with a special “Railfan Train” scheduled for September 1. FMW is using this ten-week schedule to test the concept and make adjustments for possible future expansion into the fall and winter months. Train rides range in length from one hour to two and a half hours round-trip, departing from Canandaigua, Geneva, and Seneca Falls, operating on a portion of the former New York Central Auburn Branch.

Tickets are on sale now. For detailed schedules and reservation information, please visit the FLX Rail Experience website.

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New Hampshire’s Conway Scenic Railroad recently repainted its former Maine Central GP38 into its original owner’s iconic harvest gold and green livery. The locomotive, GP38 255, made its public debut on June 29, leading CSRR’s Mountaineer excursion alongside sister locomotive 252, also in MEC gold and green. 

CSRR acquired 255 in 2021 from Vermont Rail System. The engine spent the last few years running in its previous owners’ red and white livery, until it was repainted this spring. CSRR officials said 255 and 252 will be paired up often this year, leading excursions on the former Maine Central Mountain Division between North Conway and Crawford Notch. —Justin Franz 

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The VIA Historical Association (VHA) unveiled the first phase of its heritage train during a ceremony at VIA Rail Canada’s Toronto Maintenance Centre, celebrating the facility’s 40th anniversary. 

VHA is presently building an early 1980s-era long-distance train that they hope will be ready to celebrate VIA’s 50th anniversary in 2028. The train will be a mix of former Canadian National cars in VIA blue and yellow, which VHA is restoring, and stainless steel former Canadian Pacific cars, which are still in service. The first phase of the heritage train included FP9A 6539, baggage car 9604 and Dayniter coaches 5700 and 5714. VHA has acquired additional cars, and those are currently being restored. 

During the event on June 25, the 6539 and train were posed alongside modern VIA equipment. The heritage train is not presently accessible to the public, but that is expected to change as the anniversary nears. —Justin Franz 

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Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., is set to begin on August 18, following years of delay. Amtrak announced it was selling tickets for the train beginning July 1, during a series of media events along the Gulf Coast route. The train will run twice daily, with departures from New Orleans and Mobile every morning and evening. 

“We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new, comfortable, and scenic service, and have the first opportunity to travel by train on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in nearly 20 years,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel – and even Mardi Gras Season next year.”

Amtrak last ran east of New Orleans in 2005, until Hurricane Katrina damaged the route between there and Mobile. While freight service was eventually restored, passenger service never resumed. It took years of negotiations with Amtrak and the two host railroads, Norfolk Southern and CSX, to get the track back. 

Adult coach fares end-to-end start at $15 each way, and less for shorter distances. The train will make five stops in Mississippi, including Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. 

Visit Amtrak.com for more information.

—Justin Franz 

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The National Railroad Historical Society announced in June that it had awarded $150,000 in grants to 31 organizations across the country as part of its annual Heritage Grants program. 

“The mission of the NRHS is to help preserve railroad history in all its forms. The NRHS Heritage Grants program is a prolific and visible funder of restoration and preservation projects. I’d like to acknowledge the significance of donations by our membership towards this program: Thanks to the generosity of NRHS members and other donors, NRHS is distributing a total of $150,000 in Railroad Heritage Grants this year,” said NRHS President Tony White. “These grants will help enable 31 non-profit organizations to continue to preserve America’s rich railroad history.”

This year’s winners included…

Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association, Mount Pleasant, Iowa: $5,000.00 toward restoration of Rio de Janiero car 1779.

Lafayette County Historical and Genealogy Society, Darlington, Wisconsin: $3,000.00 to complete restoration of a 1937 steel caboose.

Army Transportation Museum Foundation, Fort Eustis, Virginia: $10,000.00 to restore an Army 1952 Brown Hoist steam crane.

Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Boonton, New Jersey: $5,000.00 to cosmetically restore Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad GE 44 ton locomotive number 700.

Harrisburg Chapter-National Railway Historical Society, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: $5,000.00 to install a fire and burglar alarm system in the preserved Harris Tower.

Connecticut Electric Railway Association, East Windsor, Connecticut: $2,837.00 for exterior repainting of New Orleans Public Service car 836.

Kittitas County Railroad History Association, Ellensburg, Washington: $2,000.00 for the addition of 1/8th scale railroad structures and 2,800 feet of 7 1/2 gauge track at Rotary Park.

Fox River Trolley Association, South Elgin, Illinois: $3,561.00 to complete the exterior restoration of Soo Line caboose number 130.

Whitman County Historical Society, Colfax, Washington: $5,000.00 toward the exterior restoration of 1946-vintage Northern Pacific coach car 508.

Friends of Historic Finlayson, Finlayson, Minnesota: $5,000.00 applied to the total restoration of Finlayson’s 1909 Northern Pacific combination depot.

Old Dominion Chapter-National Railway Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia: $10,000.00 for exterior paint renewal of RF&P heavyweight passenger car 706 and Southern heavyweight passenger car 1006.

Navajo County Historical Society, Holbrook, Arizona: $5,000.00 toward restoration of Apache Railway RS36 800.

Wichita Falls Railroad Museum, Wichita Falls, Texas: $3,562.00 to repair and repurpose a World War II troop sleeper car into a community meeting and event space.

Missouri Pacific Historical Society, St. Louis, Missouri: $3,000.00 for the digitization of 200 large-format locomotive drawings.

Garner Area Historical Society, Garner, North Carolina: $5,000.00 for interior restoration of early 1950s Southern Railway bay window Caboose X771.

Friends of The Harrisville Depot, Harrisville, Michigan: $5,000.00 for restoration and renovation of historic doors of the Harrisville depot.

Friends of the East Broad Top, Upper Marlboro, Maryland: $5,000.00 will provide archival-quality shelving for EBT archives located in a new archives headquarters building in Mount Union, Pennsylvania.

American Industrial Railroad Society, Eldridge, Iowa: $5,000.00 toward restoration of Indiana Northern 4, a 1913 standard gauge 0-4-0 steam locomotive.

The Milwaukee Road Historical Association, Antioch, Illinois: $2,575.00 to create a web database for images showing Milwaukee Road equipment, facilities, structures and people.

Center for Railroad Photography and Art, Madison, Wisconsin: $5,000.00 to acquire a new digital photo printer to create prints for traveling exhibitions. This is a grant awarded in honor of long-serving NRHS Heritage Grants committee member George Hickok.

North Carolina Railway Museum, New Hill, North Carolina: $5,000.00 for procurement and installation of boiler tubes for Steam Locomotive 17.

Burkburnett Historical Society, Burkburnett, Texas: $5,000.00 to repair or replace thirteen windows in the Burkburnett depot.

Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company, Russiaville, Indiana: $4,915.00 for restoration of the wooden batten strips and window sills of Indiana Union Traction interurban number 429, “Noblesville.”

The B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Maryland: $5,000.00 for restoration of the interior of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad observation tavern car number 3316. This grant is awarded in tribute to the memory of NRHS Heritage Grants committee member Carl Jensen.

Niagara Frontier Chapter NRHS, Tonawanda, New York: $5,000.00 for restoration of Standard Elevator GE Erie 25-ton locomotive number 1.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association, Scranton, Pennsylvania: $5,000.00 to be used toward restoration of brass window on Scranton Transit number 505, a 1929 Osgood Bradley trolley car.

The American Passenger Train History Museum, Charles City, Iowa: $5,000.00 for restoration of windows and exterior and interior painting in an Illinois Central diner lounge car.

Erie Lackawanna Railroad Historical Society, Avoca, New York: $5,000.00 will assist with the purchase of archive-quality shelving to allow ELRHS to properly store, catalogue, digitize, and preserve primary source materials.

Friends of the New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn, New York: $4,550.00 for digitization of color slides depicting New York City’s rail transit system.

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation, Irvine, Kentucky, $5,000.00 for restoration of office and shop facilities at Ravenna shop.

United Railroad Historical Society, Boonton, New Jersey: $5,000.00 will be used to return New Jersey’s long-lost “Merci Train” boxcar back home to New Jersey.

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