Amtrak Empire Service: A Ride Along the Gorgeous Hudson River! | NYC to Croton-Harmon

Hello and welcome back to New York Penn Station and Amtrak’s Moynihan Train hall. Today we are going to be riding up north with Amtrak’s Empire service from here to Croton-Harmon along the coast of the Hudson river.
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- Trip Information -
Train Number: Amtrak Empire Service 281
Locomotive: P32AC-DM 715
Departure Time: 10:20am
Arrival Time: 10:51am
Journey Time: 0 hr 41 min
Top Speed: 79 mph
Ticket Price: $16.00
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Equipment:
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Gimbal: DJI OM5
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Camera: Sony AX-43
Mic: Rode Videomic Pro+
Tripod: Coman DF06 + Manfrotto 502 Head
#Amtrak #EmpireService #acela

[@LonestarTrips]

Apologies for the delayed upload! Scheduling last week meant I had no time to script and edit, and with a full weekend, I only just found the time to get everything done yesterday. Thank you all for your patience and support!

[@mattb1270]

The AC in the P32AC-DM is for the alternating current traction motors, not the 3rd rail pickup which is 750 volts Direct Current (DC). The inverters for the traction motors don't care if the power comes from the 3rd rail or the prime mover. In diesel mode, AC comes off the main alternator, gets turned into DC, and fed back into the traction and HEP inverters again for the correct AC voltages as required. This is why on the P32, the engine speed varies depending on load, while the P42DC must run at a constant 900rpms to generate 60hz power for the rest of the train even when standing still. Also Amtrak can't use the 3rd rail on Metro North territory without modifying the 3rd rail shoes ahead of time, (as was the case in 2018) since Metro North utilizes under running 3rd rail, while Amtrak and LIRR use overrunning 3rd rail in Penn Station.

[@kevinhoward9593]

#281 was originally the Niagara Rainbow that used to go from NY to Detroit.

[@AGM-TRAINS]

I’m happy someone finally explained the only track that heads north out of Penn. I feel like so many people still don’t know about that. I have family in the railroad and they just found out about this yesterday 😂. They always assumed the Empire Service went through Jersey and headed north at some point. I’ve been saying for years there’s a track that goes north out of Penn and under Manhattans west side all the way up. Happy to know I wasn’t crazy.

[@timbacchus]

Smart you sure went around that crowd. Yes I see that they sure did raise the food prices but then again what not has gone up. Thanks so much for this.

[@LonestarTrips]

Of course!

[@deanchapman1824]

Croton is actually a very busy station.

[@robertshelton9881]

I made a round trip on this line to Albany a month ago to do some leaf peeping. It was a glorious sunny day. I saw a bald eagle and a great egret over the Hudson. On my way back to Lancaster, PA there were some delays getting on that train due to the hoses between two cars breaking loose a couple of times.

[@LonestarTrips]

Wow, sounds like a great trip! Sucks your train back down south got delayed, but at least it didn't burn any daylight getting up there.

[@nathanjiang100]

Did a round-trip to Albany last month on this line. It's definitely worth going past Croton-Harmon if you're gonna be riding this line. Even to Poughkeepsie you get probably the single most scenic stretch of the line around Peekskill and Garrison, and it doesn't even cost much more money. Also, boarding from the LIRR concourse or old penn station is definitely the way to go. I do it all the time and it saves the massive line while boarding through Moynihan.

[@LonestarTrips]

I would've loved to ride farther than Croton Harmon, however I had to be back in NYC by 1ish to make the 3pm Acela to Boston.

[@nathanjiang100]

​@@LonestarTrips ​I see. You can always book the stupid way to Boston via Albany (Trains 233 and 448). Personally I think Acela first class is way overpriced, and so is corridor service in general if you aren't able to snag the lowest of low fares, and so I could see myself doing that someday if I'm not in a hurry.

[@cats0182]

Lived in Albany for over 20 years. Used Empire Service for business and pleasure trips to NYC. Used to have food service starting at NYC. Guess NYS wouldn't support the cost and the service was cut back to Albany and beyond, only.

[@scottsheehan1596]

the destinations change,but the trains are always the same.

[@samtrak1204]

I love your comprehensive commentary but the picture is a bit blurry. Thanks for sharing.

[@LonestarTrips]

Glad you enjoyed. Not sure what's going on with the video, as it's still uploaded in 4K. I can try exporting the final edit at a higher bitrate for this week's video to see if that fixes anything. Thanks for the input as always.

[@kitchin2]

Busiest station on Metro North Hudson Line, 4811 per weekday in 2018. Sizable parking lot. I noticed how long the platforms were when I was there. Now why it’s the busiest, I couldn’t tell you if it’s local population or parking, expresses, less service all the way from/to Poughkeepsie upline.

[@LonestarTrips]

I wonder if it has something to do with transferring between Amtrak and Metro North? I suppose if you were closer to Grand Central, or lived further north, then you could take Metro North up to Croton Harmon to then transfer to Amtrak trains heading to Albany and beyond. Why Croton Harmon specifically is what's weird, though, as Yonkers is much closer to NYC, and serves the same trains as Croton, so it seems like the easier place to make transfers to Amtrak. I suppose if you were specifically transferring to the Lake Shore Limited, then you could use Croton, but that's a once daily service, and at that point why not head to Penn station.

[@kitchin2]

Some Amtraks skip Yonkers. Express MNRR is a big deal. The MNRR ridership numbers mainly come from commuters, some from weekend day trippers. I asked a station worker at Croton about the super long platforms, and she said “you should see the trains that come through here” (MNRR). Also monthly parking is competitive at most stations that have it, and daily is very spotty. This isn’t Washington Metro. Those towns on the Hudson Line look quaint, but try to get a quick bite on a weekend. Croton station is away from the quaintness of its town, but has its own cafe.

[@dtone63]

It's a major transfer point between local and express Metro North. Also some trains end at Croton and you can transfer to continue further north. Parking in most towns near MNR stations is very limited and parking permits have years long wait lists in many towns, so driving to Crotons large parking lot attracts people too.

[@mikeweaver8790]

This was a great video as far as it went but it was a real disappointment in that it really didn't live up to the full potential of its title. The best scenery on that trip along the Hudson river is north of Croton-Harmon, all the way up to Albany. You had a beautiful day with a nice blue sky and a nice clean train with clean windows, a perfect day to show off all the scenery of that trip. The part you did show was outstanding but just too short. I just wish you had stayed on the train all the way to Albany

[@LonestarTrips]

I really wish I had too. I was in a crunch for time, and the scheduling only worked out if I went as far as Croton-Harmon. I’ll definitely be revisiting it in the future.

[@broyofroyo1207]

Nice video, you should do a Hudson River trip in the fall their will be a lot of fall foliage, I will ride metro north along the Hudson line next year to see fall foliage

[@LonestarTrips]

I would like to get back out to the area in the fall. I know New York can be beautiful, especially upstate, so heading back to the Northeast is definitely on the to-do list.

[@broyofroyo1207]

I would like you to ride on the Vermonter and lake shore limited through Massachusetts as well as Connecticut commuter Rail

[@LonestarTrips]

​@@broyofroyo1207 I would love to take a trip on the Vermonter and LSL, as I've heard both routes have some gorgeous scenery. Also, I already have the footage for CT rail ready to go, just gotta figure out when it'll go live.

[@broyofroyo1207]

Great, Maybe riding ferries would help boost your channel, I would like to see you ride the NYC Commuter Ferry(by horn blower) and the ferry from NYC to Martha’s Vineyard(Seastreak)

[@deanchapman1824]

GCT and Penn are in Midtown. Downtown is Wall Street and WTC.

[@willgibson9718]

Can you please make a video to Hudson from ny Penn ?

[@LonestarTrips]

I'll see what I can do!

[@VictoryHighway]

It’s pronounces HAVErill (like Gave).

[@LonestarTrips]

Whoops, you are totally right! I'm not familiar with the area, so I pronounced it how I thought it would be. I'll be sure to get it right for next week's video.

[@willgibson9718]

Can you please make a video about taking a train to from old Saybrook ct to Hudson ny 0:03

[@LonestarTrips]

I['m not based out of the Northeast, so I'd have to plan it well in advance, but I'll see what I can do. Any reason for those particular places? They're not connected by any single rail line.

[@willgibson9718]

I have a school in Hudson nj and a school in Madison ct 0:03

[@LonestarTrips]

@@willgibson9718 Gotcha! Well, I'll see what I can do. No promises though.

[@apr859]

Top speed should be 75 from NY-Croton

[@LonestarTrips]

Right you are! I put 60 mph initially, as that's the top speed on the Empire connection, and thus assumed that was it for the whole ride up to Croton Harmon.

[@apr859]

@@LonestarTrips Thats fair, MNR also prioritizes their trains for the most part which means amtrak has to slow to 45 or so behind them

[@LonestarTrips]

@@apr859 True. I think that was also part of my initial decision, as we didn't get anywhere near the top speed for class 4 track on our way up north.

[@colinmcknight9605]

@@LonestarTrips the Amtrak trains have been clocked at 110 mph by local police officers south Albany.

[@willgibson9718]

Why you call the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge at 10:10?

[@LonestarTrips]

What do you mean? That’s the name of the bridge, is it not?

[@willgibson9718]

@@LonestarTrips kind of . it is the tappen zee bridge see you next week Merry Christmas

[@LonestarTrips]

@@willgibson9718 From what I can find, it appears that it’s either that or the Gov. Cuomo bridge. Even the official twitter for the bridge names it as such.

[@metropod]

@@LonestarTrips Welcome to new york, where we don't care what you rename things. Just ask sixth avenue...

[@deanchapman1824]

​@@LonestarTripslocals call it the Tappan Zee Bridge. It was the way it was done. That's why it's still controversial.

[@MrSuperpiff4]

Man the "Cuomo bridge" triggers me to no end

[@LonestarTrips]

Yeah I fixed it in later videos lol

[@MrSuperpiff4]

@@LonestarTrips that's nice, I left you a shpeel below explaining it all lol

[@pleappleappleap]

Only to Croton-Harmon? That's not even the prettiest bit.