Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1

Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1! No force of nature or pandemic fears could keep Trains.com Executive Producer Kent Johnson from pressing ahead with his Amtrak victory lap across America in the summer of 2021. There’s no better way to reveal the highlights and highjinks of present-day rail travel, than to document the ride along routes of notable Amtrak passenger trains including, the Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, and Lake Shore Limited. While Kent and his family made early plans and accommodations to travel cross-country aboard various Amtrak overnight trains, nature disasters and a global pandemic would ultimately influence how they celebrated the 50^thanniversary (established May 1, 1971) of the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Along with clips from a “transcontinental” trek, you’ll also discover several Travel Tips that they employed to help keep the adventure on track…and enjoyable for all! Kent and his crew roamed the nation from station-to-station in the comfort of Amtrak Superliner and Viewliner sleeping car accommodations, plus dining car service. Along the way, they would gaze upon distinctive scenery of the American Midwest, Southwest, West, Great Plains, and Northeast. Their indirect odyssey route would brush along U.S./Mexico and U.S./Canada borders, and through notable rail-served cities of Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Boston, Albany, and Cleveland, all before returning home to Milwaukee. If you want to see a more detailed accounting of Kent’s efforts to circumnavigate the States by rail, be sure to read his feature article in the single-issue publication, Model Railroading: The Ultimate Guide 2022. Of course, you can also find plenty of information regarding the heritage, current operations, and new plans for Amtrak, when you follow Trains magazine’s News Wire feed on Trains.com. Even better, Trains.com members have access to helpful Amtrak equipment/train insights, trip planning, and travel information provided by knowledgeable correspondents like Bob Johnston. For railfanning videos from a trackside perspective, also be sure to explore the U.S. and Canadian railroad chasing and travel exploits found in the Drew’s Trackside Adventures series… exclusively on Trains.com.