I Saw The Amtrak Acela In Person, Here is the Story

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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[:)] When I Saw the Acela [:)]

This past weekend (the 14th-16th) My church went to Philadelphia on a sightseening trip. I managed to get one of my best friends to go, and I wasn’t with my family (I love them alot, but it wouldn’t have been as fun if they had come).

Whenever we went into downtown, we had to pass 30th street station, and the feight line up on a tall trestle above the yard.

I would always look to see if I could see the new Amtrak Acela that I always wanted to see. Well, The first two days I didn’t see it, but I did see the equally beautiful Genesis Locomotives with the silver paint and the blue roofs (looks much better than the old paint shceme I might add) and the AEM-7AC (all silver and blue with the new logo) ,so I took about 162 pictures of the station and other places when we passed them. Even though I had seen Trains, I was still upset for I didn’t get to see the Acela, which had always been my dream, to be with a good friend and see the sleek new train.

I saw loads of freight and Passenger action though, and that is all documented on those 5 throw away cameras, I took a class on how to take first class photos with them over the summer, so that came in handy (not all pics were from the Station, a freight track was in sight near our hotel, and so I saw some Freights and about 10 Amtrak trains (I had only seen 3 before), so I saw more in one day than I had in my life which was wonderful.

Well, It was the last day, and after lunch, we left the hotel headed home on Sunday. I had about 5 pictures left, and as we passed the station, I took pics of a AEM-7AC shunting Amfleet coaches around to different platforms, and a couple Genisess Locomotives Pulling regally and smoothly out of the station with about 6 or 7 Superliner cars.

I had just took the last picture, when out of the station came a train I thought I would never see, The Amtrak Acela. I was mistified, and mentally bea

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If you’re coming into Philly on the Schuykill Expressway, right where you turn into center city, the yard to 30th Street Station is on the right. I’ve seen Acela’s sitting in they yard many times just driving past there. I think all of them have been returned to service so seeing and riding them is more possible now.

One of these days I’m going to have to ride one of them.

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I wish someone here living in the NEC would record an ACELA running at 100+ m.p.h!

That would be something impressive to see!

I know dollars are tight for Amtrak, but for good marketing I’ve felt that Amtrak could produce a commercial showing a Metroliner or Acela cruising on the NEC, then in the commercial let the public “outside” of the NEC know that if whenever they take a vacation in the northeast and need a quick way to travel between the cities…Amtrak is the fast and respected way to go!