Amtrak Christmas Carol Train

[Acela150]

Does anyone know the ETA of the Disney Christmas Carol train into PHL? Trying to find out so I know where to set up to get some pictures.

Thanks,

Stephen

 

[sunchaser]

Does anyone know the ETA of the Disney Christmas Carol train into PHL? Trying to find out so I know where to set up to get some pictures.
Thanks,

Stephen

You will find the schedule here. Enjoy!

 

[Acela150]

I forgot to mention the ETA into PHL on Monday the 26th. It will overnight in the Penn Coach Yard and be backed into a PHL platform for Public viewing. I knew it was on display on the 27th but I'm wondering when it arrives in the Philly area on the 26th.

Thanks,

Stephen

 

[MrEd]

At Philly it will be at the 30th street station, then it is going to be at Grand Central in NY for the weekend. I am guessing there will be a very long line to see it at both of those stations.

 

[Acela150]

I'm trying to figure out when it will arrive in the Philly area on Monday. I know it will be on display to the public on Tuesday. But when is it coming in on Monday.

Stephen

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I'm trying to figure out when it will arrive in the Philly area on Monday. I know it will be on display to the public on Tuesday. But when is it coming in on Monday.
Stephen

I would expect it to get in the late afternoon or evening, sit in the yard and be bought in pretty early the next morning.

 

[Acela150]

Thanks

 

[warbonnet]

The wait to get on the train to view the exhibits was 6 hours when the tour started in May at LAUS. In 90 degree heat. No kid, big or small should have to wait that amount of time to see any Disney atttraction. I considered it a mismanaged event from the start.

Wb

 

[rtabern]

Yeah, it was a 2-3 hour wait in Chicago back in July.

I dunno... since I'm a big-time Amtrak fan it was sorta worth it, but if I was just a casual rail or Disney fan it totally wouldn't be worth the wait.

Cool to see, but I dont know if I would do somthing like that again.

 

[wayman]

Yeah, it was a 2-3 hour wait in Chicago back in July.
I dunno... since I'm a big-time Amtrak fan it was sorta worth it, but if I was just a casual rail or Disney fan it totally wouldn't be worth the wait.

Cool to see, but I dont know if I would do somthing like that again.

I'm much more interested in seeing the train itself (the exterior, whether while moving or in the coach yard) than the exhibit, and as a bonus the part I'm interested in doesn't require hours in line. The downside, for Philadelphia, is that there's no way to photograph the exterior of the train while it's on exhibit without waiting in the line -- the access control point will doubtless be at the top of the stairway down to track level, unlike smaller stations where I'm sure you can see the train from the line or while not actually in line. So you'd have to catch it while it's moving or in the coach yard.

Oddly enough, it was just three weeks ago that I first heard of ArTrain, from one of its former curators whom I met at a dinner. For those who don't know, ArTrain was created in 1971 in Michigan and became a national operation in 1975, traveling around the country to small towns and communities without art museums. The train consist was several former streamlined diner and pullman cars, converted into a long narrow art gallery on the inside which carried a different exhibit each year; plus a caboose for the curators (in 2007 they finally upgraded to an observation sleeper/parlor for the curators). It would pull into a siding and open as a museum for a few days or a week, and then move on, just as the Disney train is doing ... and in fact, the Disney train is using three of ArTrain's cars.

The consist of the Disney train is:

Sleeper #801101, current owner Mid Am Rail Leasing; previously ArTrain #101, Amtrak 2836, Penn Central 4276, New York Central 10136 "Missouri Valley" built 1949

Diner-Dorm #801102, current owner Mid Am Rail Leasing; previously ArTrain #102, Amtrak 8805, Penn Central 4621, Pennsylvania RR 4621 (half of a twin-diner) built 1949

Diner-Table #801103, current owner Mid Am Rail Leasing; previously ArTrain #103, (possibly Amtrak for a while, not sure), Penn Central 4618, Pennsylvania RR 4618 (half of a twin-diner) built 1949

Baggage #800863, current owner Mid Am Rail Leasing; named "Taos" by Mid Am Rail Leasing; previously ATSF 3680 built 1955 (intermediate history unclear)

Pullman-Observation #800702, current owner Friends of 261; previously Norfolk Southern/N&W office car "Lamberts Point" (about which I've found several conflicting histories and car numbers)

Sadly, ArTrain is -- as of this year -- no longer a train. They're taking a year off to transition their museum to a series of semi-truck trailers, which can reach far more communities on a more flexible schedule. So their train cars are now available for other purposes, and Disney is the first group to make use of them. ArTrain will resume its mobile museum service next year; I don't know if they'll keep the old name or rebrand themselves as ArTruck or something else. Presumably Mid Am Rail Leasing now owns all of ArTrain's roster, but Disney is only using these three.