Amfleet and Horizon: A Retrospective

[@marcleslac2413]

Remember kids, Budd Don't Break.

[@flowercityrails]

Hell yeah

[@jeffarbogash4269]

Budd Don't Break.

[@Honeydwarf85]

Tell that to the RDC

[@bgorshal]

can’t beat ex Santa Fe high levels

[@Alawo-]

SANTA FE RAHHHHH

[@theconceptualist8626]

You can’t. Those things were sexy

[@Cupertinorail]

Of course those things were cool. Some of them did remain with Amtrak on the Coast Starlight for a brief time in the 1980s-90s. You can tell by their high difference with the Superliners

[@sadams12345678]

@@Cupertinorail The Pacific Parlour cars on the Coast Starlight were ex-Santa Fe High level lounges and those lasted until I believe 2017.

[@Cupertinorail]

@@sadams12345678 yes the only one that lasted past the 1990s

[@Ostermond]

8:58 "Who thought this was a good idea?" Blame the Midwest and California for those ones; they did a combined order that's separate from the rest of Amtrak's order of Ventures and Airos.

[@MrMarshmallow26]

The state owned Venture cars were basically off-the-shelf configurations. This order also predates the Airo train set order.

[@AndrewTheRocketCityRailfan4014]

I was gonna say Siemens. But now I suspect these left coasters might be the more corrupt in passenger service

[@Seaboardsystem-t7e]

0:52 he tells the same story every video about train history and yet you somehow still find different stock footage every time😂

[@AmtrakGuy365]

I should make a starter pack of videos and pictures to use when talking about the downfall of American passenger trains for the 21049712830471208th time lmao. Jokes aside I tell that story in most of my videos in-case someone is tuning in for the first time and isn't familiar with how Amtrak got started.

[@Generaleletric5102]

@@AmtrakGuy365please

[@cavalierliberty6838]

​@@AmtrakGuy365I gotta hand it to you, the resourcefulness of whatever stock footage you have access to has paid itself back a lot.

[@buildsbricks1]

@@AmtrakGuy365 You could put a link in the description somewhere to a video that fully explains everything

[@GeneralLiuofBoston1911]

​@@AmtrakGuy365 I always enjoy that early bit because it is something that few rarely know, and it helps when sharing your videos to people!

[@valkyrie_pilot]

the amfleets are so unbelievably resilient. Thanks for your quality work, budd.

[@lnerb1class1415]

AmtrakGuy365 is the only youtuber that can make me watch over 10 minutes of random stuff that I do not care about whatsoever, and now I'm addicted to them.

[@k3v1nr3nd0n]

Ah yes, tubular fluted stainless steel, God's railcar.

[@CedarLakeRailfanner]

The intro was definitely something

[@masrod94]

The Amfleets have gone on to become an iconic part of American railroading, even more so than the Superliners. Perhaps I'm biased since I grew up in the Northeast, but when I think of Amtrak, I think of sleek, tubular cars racing up and down the NEC. My father on the other hand hated the round design and "naked wheels" as he would call them. He told me when he first saw an Amfleet on a trip down to DC in the 70s, he deliberately missed that train to take a long distance one with the heritage fleet. I remember as a kid, we would take the Adirondack from NYP to Montreal, QC many times and I would get so excited when they put Amfleets on the train and even tease my Dad about it, to which we would share a laugh. Those Amfleets have carried me on happy days, sad days, sick days and have just been an all around positive experience on my life. I live in Europe now and only visit the US once a year to see family, but when I do, I am sure to ride and watch them as much as I can. I know their time is almost up and I will miss them dearly when they go!

[@COASTER1921]

It's such a shame the venture cars are so much less comfortable. This is a concerningly common trend with all new transit vehicles across the US typically in the name of easier cleaning. WMATA's 7k series, BART, DART, and MBTA just to name a few. I also hate facing backward while travelling but now you have a 50% chance of it on the NE corridor. With car oriented cities in a country that can't invest in electrified rail transit transit is never going to be faster than driving, so the least mass transit should be is comfortable.

[@MrMarshmallow26]

The state-owned Venture cars are in an off-the-shelf configuration. Airo renderings appear to have seats with more padding, but there’s only one way to be sure.

[@siaa9992]

ive never flown on an airliner with seats as bad as the seats in a venture car. its painful even for short trips. hell ive been in city busses with better seats.

[@Mrcake0103]

So I’m not the only one who prefers the older seats in the DC metro.

[@austinlawler3739]

@@Mrcake0103 I love the old seats. For only going a handful of stops, they are fine. But going from DC to Fairfax County, it isn't pleasant (sadly that was my commute until recently). WMATA buses have better seats. But if you want bad, check out some of the Circulator electric buses (while it still exists), truly hell. Its just plastic, no padding

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

"I also hate facing backward while traveling" And this is a massive deal (to you anyways), how? A lot of trains in other countries have trains where half of the seats face forwards, the other half facing backwards, and this change to the Amfleets has benefited Amtrak in terms of adding trains. I have faced backwards while riding trains many times in the past, and didn't care a bit. I dunno if you have OCD or you have driven so much that facing backwards seems so alien to you, but facing backwards on a train doesn't seem like a massive deal.

[@josieferrandino9742]

Just saying this, but we need a National Amtrak Museum asap

[@paulw.woodring7304]

Those of us in preservation have thought about that as well, but there are just too many missing pieces and no good central location available to do it. There is also a decided lack of will. Amtrak has always had more than a little bit of political controversy surrounding it. As far as I know they don't even have a decent archive. I worked in On-Board Service out of DC for 14 years in the '80s and '90s, and it was mostly a slog of survival. Nixon allowed it to be formed because the secret inside agreement was that Amtrak would be a way to get the freight railroads out from under passenger service, then it would be killed off in about five years. That is why originally there was no long-term plan for new equipment, it wasn't going to be needed. Turns out Americans like riding trains and it hasn't been that easy to kill over the last 50 years, but the Republicans keep trying, which is why the fleet is now really old and being replaced willy-nilly. As for museum representation, I think it may best be done with high-quality models on a museum-like layout representing every era of service. At least that's my idea.

[@cedarvalleyrail8419]

In refrence to the end of the video; I don't ride Amtrak often, but when I do, it's the Michigan service, I remember cruising into new Buffalo one night but I opted to stand by the conductor in the vestibule. After a fun brief conversation about his career and my interest in railroading, he gets on the radio with a chipper attitude, giving car counts and I can feel the air brakes setting up beneath my feet. I can still feel that cool summer air being shoveled into the car, what a great guy.

[@banksrail]

I say, hand those Amfleets and Horizons to start-up commuter/intercity routes and 100% replace the WWII cars on the Piedmont. Some states just don’t have the budget to buy new cars/rolling stock for their proposed routes. (Ex. Borealis) Amtrak has always used equipment shortages as a reason to not open new routes and this is where I think these old cars can help. I wouldn’t be proud of it, but something is better than nothing.

[@mr.conductorfromsts4204]

Wow! I realized how well that Amfleet I coaches went on, ever since I saw it on Northeast Corridor. Since my my 19th Birthday. I can really tell that how comfy these seats are when I went my very first Amtrak trip from New York to Washington by taking the Early Bird of Northeast Regional: 151. And now I still can see the Amfleet Coaches roaming around on the Northeast Corridor until Amtrak Airo will roam on to the rails.

[@ChinyiFXE02]

As always, you never disappoint with the quality of your videos

[@deucemckenzie]

I'm simultaneously mourning the impending retirement of those delightful 70s-futuristic tube designs, and also fairly confident that Amfleet II is likely to outlive me

[@LMRailfan]

Amfleet and Horizon the Goat Single Level Coach for Amtrak!

[@himbourbanist]

I am absolutely going to miss the Amfleets. They are Amtrak for me. That being said I am really excited to see what the future holds for the new long distance single-level cars. I'd like to see Amtrak go with a variation on the Viewliner 2 that has coach seats built for long distance travel

[@mxg75]

I don’t think there’s a more iconic Amtrak train than an AEM-7 pulling a rake of Amfleets, but I also grew up on Northeast Corridor, so I’m sure I’m biased.

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

"Budd don't f*cking break" *picture of an Amfleet I achieving a full 12 inches of canter*

[@thethesaxman23]

Growing up in the 90s and early 00s on the west coast, the image of Amtrak I have in my head is still phase III F40PHs pulling Amfleet and Horizon. It was sad to see the cars get phased out for bilevel cars and the engines get replaced by Genesis, then Chargers.

[@nathancorcoran5347]

I have remembered some of these Amtrak Amfleet and Horizon Passenger Cars. They will always carry a great symbol for Amtrak as well as being a classic to all of us Railfans. It might be a shame that they will soon be replaced by the new Siemens Venture Passenger Cars, they will permanently give a legacy to the minds of Amtrak, Amtrak’s Intercity Commuter Services, and to a bunch of the Railfans too. Great history onto them.

[@f4fwildcat29]

Love that you use the 1984 National Geographic film “Love those trains” in here. I had that VHS as a kid and wore the tape out!

[@dylancole3141]

It’s a shame that Amtrak never picked up the Viewliner as the new single level standard to replace both. I think that was a missed opportunity

[@brianburns7211]

There aren’t so many off the shelf passenger cars anymore. It’s not the 1940s-50s, when just about every class one was buying from three main builders. Those being Budd, AC&F, and Pullman. Still, every new order Amtrak seems to have the tendency to reinvent the wheel with every new order. I’m in agreement that Viewliner was already in production for sleepers, baggage, and diners. Why couldn’t they save cash by using the design for a coach configuration?

[@JackGourdon-je4ze]

Amfleets are always gonna be better than the Ventures, Great vid Jared!

[@jamarinyc]

the new interiors of the Amfleets are so nice. actually taking them tomorrow so thanks for getting me excited to ride them again

[@norCali36]

Great video on iconic Amtrak passenger cars.

[@benjaminburt8725]

As a consistent rider of the Lincoln Service, I can whole heartedly say I’m going to miss the Amfleets and Horizons, as a rider, because Venture Cars are quite uncomfortable and when I’m able to get in an older car I do it without question. As a railfan I always thought Amfleets and Horizons blended perfectly with any locomotive. The Venture cars look odd given the paint scheme of the SC-44 Chargers they are paired with most times. Here’s to the last hurrah of these classics!

[@HrtBkr]

LMAOOO ALREADY A BANGER 0:02

[@TexasSoCalRailfan9021]

Yessir!

[@thenostalgiaman]

Wow, a new Amtrak video! Now, do the Superliner next

[@stinkyroadhog1347]

It's funny hearing you talk about how old Amfleet's are when VIA Rail Canada still uses 70-80 year old Budd streamliner HEP cars. A replacement is already in the process but its truly wonderful to see the old Budds, some from 1947, still operating, still feeling modern, still comfortable and still well liked. Many are hoping the new LD fleet is very similar or based directly on the HEP cars.

[@scottydude456]

Hopefully the venture cars in the northeast will have much more comfortable seating like the new via rail cars do

[@Danominator]

That intro gave me so much whiplash my neck physically cracked

[@RobloxRasheecaboor]

Amtrakguy365! I used to watch you alot, I'm your biggest fan!

[@pennsyrailfan]

Gotta love the iconic inside-bearing trucks on the amfleets, itll be sad to see them go.

[@lukethegeneralelectrice60p80]

they dropped horizon lore

[@jamarinyc]

well done on the script

[@Traincraft_Fan]

"It's a story i have told many times before but here we go again" The same words i hear every time i watch an Amtrakguy365 video, and elsewhere, a story told again and again, the downfall of the Railroad system by the expanding interstate highway system, keep up the good work in making videos continuing the story

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

I really hope the new Airo’s will have the comfortable seats.

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

6:59 Best part of the video

[@hunterkiller86]

As a Chicago Great Western fan, I just have to give kudos to you for using a picture of a CGW passenger train around 0425

[@tonytins]

Used to ride in the Amfleets along the NEC so many times in the 90s. Aside from one rather bumpy ride, it was fun.

[@cryorig_transit05]

Budd don't break! The Amfleet, our beloved tube on wheels.

[@Eric5ohhh]

Thanks for the new video, keep them coming

[@jamie514]

I'm guessing 90's Bombardier offered Amtrak an LRC coach option for their "Amfleet III" procurement, as they are perfectly suited to the regional mid-distance runs and VIA have proven them to be entirely compatible with the F40/P42 locomotives but the more mass produced Comet chassis was probably a cheaper option. Shame as the LRC cars have really nice ride quality even with the tilt system disabled and then removed during their last rebuild.

[@pretzelsandgasjets]

Amfleets absolutely stay rockin, best passenger car of all time, the fact the gov't didn't step in to save Budd is a national shame

[@tbird2013]

NEW AMTRAKGUY DROPPED!!!!!!!!!111!1!1!!1!1

[@EuropeanRailfan-AM]

I've ridden on Amfleets twice last year when I took the Northeast Regional between Philadelphia and Washington DC and viceversa. I found them to be quite comfortable

[@heidihobear]

As a amfleet fan. I’m happy to see this video

[@derekdestefano5809]

Great video, man. Would love to learn more about their bigger cars; Viewliner and Superliner! =D

[@AK-NERFER]

Another amazing episode from You

[@SPRailfan4449]

The Amfleet and Horizon cars will always be a symbol for Amtrak and classic to us Railfans. I knew eventually these cars would be replaced but I still feel a little sad knowing they’ll be gone in the near future. Even though the Amfleet and Horizons will be gone they will always leave a lasting legacy in the minds of Railfans and commuters. Great video and I can’t wait for what will be coming next. ❤️👍🥲

[@citxsd70m-2]

I would love to see these cars again. The closest train services closest to me had removed them completely due to the pandemic…

[@NS_1065_Productions]

LEAVING MY EARLY MARK

[@OwenConcorde]

Nice video! I actually rode in an Amfleet when my family and I rode Amtrak to Altoona before I started middle school in 2006. I will miss these cars as they go the way of their European counterparts such as the Eurofima IC and the BR Mk3 coaches. I'm just going to be waiting for the O gauge companies to make recent Amtrak equipment.

[@ChessieKev]

good job! man do I love amfleets

[@robk7266]

The amfleets are iconic but I will not be missing the horizons

[@feeeve1530]

literally just started this video but i know it’s already gonna be a hit also waiting for the eventual superliner retrospective video

[@jmjrulz9482]

What about the viewliners?

[@DouglasDC10.30]

There was a suburban train (commuter trains for Canadians and Yanks) in my city called the 2000 Class Railcar which was essentially an Amfleet with a 747 hump.

[@TheBadCivilServant]

My favorite memory of the Canadian-manufactured Horizon cars being taken off the Chicago - Toronto "International" and replaced by Superliners because they couldn't handle MIchigan and Canadian winters.

[@Blur4strike]

I've ridden on a Amfleet car while 4449 was in Washington state back in 2011, it was an alright car. I've seen the Horizon's in use on the Cascade service as there's a bit of an equipment shortage for that service, there was an incident back in 2017 that forced the retirement of the Series VI Talgo sets and there aren't enough of the Series 8 sets in use for that service.

[@he11ange1]

03:03 "No quality work today means no work tomorrow" what a powerful slogan. The era where planned obsolescence wasn't a thing. In fact, Via Rail budd stainless steel cars are so durable that they are still rolling after more than 70 years! Perhaps today's society unofficial motto/mentality would be : "quality work today means no work tomorrow"😢

[@etmccaus]

Love Amfleets, hate, Hate *HATE* Horizons. I've been in hospital waiting rooms with more comfort and character than a Horizon coach...

[@guidoenriquez3076]

Crazy to think that those 3 AmFleets that went to Railexco are now in regular service in Mexico on the Tehuantepec Isthmus Railway.

[@ComradeStagehand]

The clip from NatGeo's "Love those trains is for the real heads.

[@Autistic_EthanOfficial]

Honestly, the amfleets still look modern to this day

[@hitgu1]

10:29 is that the Lake Forest Metra stop?

[@gb9727]

Now all they need are BiLevel siemens cars

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

"Should have nationalized Budd and sacrificed a couple of shot welders to the gods every year." - Shooter

[@RABSTRAINS]

Thanks For the overview👍🔥🙏❤️💪🇺🇸

[@kzooaviation]

I like how I'm no longer thown to the side of the train when crossing between a venture and the cafe car. The Michigan Line is not suitable for Amfleets and the venture cafes make it so much easier to grab a snack

[@Cupertinorail]

Amfleet cars were the norm in Cali during the 1990s. Some horizon cars still are on the West coast doing relief service on Amtrak Cascades and Amtrak CA. I am ticked off I never got to ride an amfleet car because I couldn't afford an Amtrak ticket at the time.

[@wflinner]

I miss the old amfleet II seats so much, they were so much more comfortable than the newer harder pleather ones :(

[@CrazyEyesJ3]

As a European who knows much less about Amtrak I believe that for Amtrak to finally break free of being shunned by planes and not being the priority on the track, that they should get rid of that god awful stainless steel

[@MatthiasWiesmann]

These days [outside of the US], locomotive pulled passenger trains are increasingly restricted to special cases, like night-trains. Most of the passenger rail traffic is done using MUs (multiple units) and regulations means that Amtrak cannot just buy passenger cars, they need to be adapted and re-certified for the US (the Venture is the US version of the Viaggio Comfort). All this makes it hard and expensive for Amtrak to procure carriages…

[@de-fault_de-fault]

I've only ridden Horizons a few times in the early '90s during a trip to Chicago, so I really don't remember what it was like to interact with them. I guess I just instinctively don't like them because they look exactly like/basically are the Comet IIs I have been riding my whole life on NJ Transit (thousands and thousands of rides by now since they are about the same age I am). I have grown to have a particular hatred of Comet IIs since they started running them in mixed consists with Comet IVs (a long time ago at this point), so you'll have a nice train of cars with center doors gliding past while you're on the platform, and suddenly you find that your spot lines up perfectly with the exact middle of a Comet II and the nearest door is 40 feet away in either direction. The '90s Taco Bell-inspired interior, added during their 2002-04 refresh to match the 1996-98 Comet IV interiors, also shows every spot of dirt that has ever landed on it. Not relevant to the Horizons at all, just part of my revulsion to seeing that shape on the rails. Anyway I will definitely miss the Amfleet I's because they are iconic and always pleasant to ride on, but it's hard for me to shake my preconceptions about the Horizons enough to feel much about them.

[@andrewchapman2024]

I rode on amtrack this summer for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious the car's were as well as their reclining being quiet nice. I even sat at a booth in the dining car with some strangers and talked trains. I had a wonderful time. I'd argue that if Americas amtrack was refined, it would be better then flying. Sadly, it seems as though the passenger experience may be downgraded with the new fleet of cars. But I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

[@genethebean7597]

Really, really hoping they use the feedback from the Venture deployment in MI, IL, and CA when manufacturing the Airo sets. At bare minimum, adding the padding back for our American heinies will help dearly in trips the length from Detroit to Chicago. I've done that trip and 5+ hrs in those seats is not the kindest. In Amfleet cafe cars, I've constantly been told that I can only eat in the booths; not even reading or playing cards whilst eating is allowed (granted, this was on the Cardinal right after dinner service). If they make them standing room only, I guess it helps with queuing.

[@AmtrakGuy365]

As someone with scoliosis, the Venture seats were surprisingly alright given the rotten condition of my back, but I still prefer the cushioning provided by the Amfleet and Horizon. The lack of booths in the Venture cafes tell me Amtrak is prioritizing rider capacity/trying to avoid people loitering around over comfort because I've seen groups of people eating in the Amfleet or Horizon cafe on the Blue Water. There's definitely an interest for proper cafe seating. What confuses me about the Venture cars is the cafe car is a combined cafe-coach. The benefit of business class (in Amfleets and Horizons) was that you had the cafe in the same car as you and didn't have far to walk. Now business class is its own car (and on the opposite end of the train in certain cases). If Amtrak is still planning on cafe attendants taking complimentary drink orders, they're gonna have to walk the whole train to do that. A cafe attendant I've made acquaintance with complained about that fact how they'd have to go back and forth taking orders.

[@tyrese3745]

5:35 The Price is Right “Losing Horns” sound cue.

[@TWb-bu9tl]

4:34 - Say it with me: train good, car bad. Anyone?

[@theodderotter6635]

my mans the Amtrak Guy (365)

[@buildsbricks1]

On the specifications thing for cars, the word "specifications" is in future. I also expected him to say something about the horn here too lol

[@doughboy_3125]

If only the Pacific Surfliner used these cars, I'd love to see them in the wild

[@SuperDave30]

Awsome and great facts!👍🏼💯

[@JimmyProductions]

Not gonna lie, I wish Rapido was still producing the Horizon Phase III’s in N scale, especially since they’re hard to find now.

[@bahnspotterEU]

5:27 Calling an F40 "some of the most technologically advanced equipment in the world" is peak American overconfidence 😂

[@paulcastillo1310]

Great video

[@jossdeiboss]

The venture cars look amazing. It's a shame hearing that they are not comfortable. I hope they will improve the seating then :)

[@AroyalOfficalYT]

Whats up railfam got me bro

[@adventuresofamtrakcascades301]

I can’t decide which one of the two I like more. What do y’all think

[@RailMike1225]

RETROSPECTIVE??? SO RETRO!!!

[@mason-wr1we]

That rail car bro 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👊💥

[@SouthernMaineFoamer]

On the Downeaster, ever since 2024 at latest, you could find 1 horizon along with the 4 other anglers and of course the P42 and Cabbage cars. I’ve seen these single level cars for years and they’re still a classic to me. Sad they’ll be place in the next coming decades.

[@alexanderip1003]

I prefer the Boxier design (which is what our new coaches will use since Brightline was opened with the new *Siemens Charger and Venture trainset introduced for Brightline ) *Also used for VIA Rail Corridor, and the upcoming Ontario Northland railway The Northlander Trunk Line

[@blackbirdgaming8147]

4:22 Generally no, power was not generated by a steam dynamo for train electricity. UP tried this with dynamo boiler cars and it didn’t work. Instead, most equipment used axle generators and batteries for train electricity in the steam heat days, 32 or 74 volt DC. Some equipment used steam for both heating and AC, using steam ejector AC. Others had electric AC and electric heat, or a mix of the two. HEP just simplified everything

[@pacificostudios]

The sliding doors of an Amfleet might be their worst features. Once, on the old Broadway Ltd., I had to held the car attendant push a door shut in the middle of the niight so we could leave Canton, OH. Snow would get in door tracks and freeze to ice. The old Heritage cars had ordinary doors.

[@josephpadula2283]

Those stainless steel Budds can last forever ! Stainless steel . Just renew inside and change trucks if needed !!!

[@trainandmore]

I like the Amfleets, compared to the venture cars. The venture cars have too much that could go burrrrrr, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Amfleets use a manual stair system, venture use electric stairs and electric locks to lock the toilet, that could go wrong, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Yes ventures are modern, especially with the power outlets, but from what I've seen on KZbin, that's the only thing people actually like about them, once the " new" factor wears away.

[@uncinarynin]

Meanwhile VIA Rail still uses 1950s built Budd cars on their long distance trains.

[@xaviersaavedra7442]

Kinda crazy how these coaches are as old as the F-15 eagle