For the third year in a row, I used Amtrak to do my Christmas Shopping. This travelogue details my ride on the Lake Shore Limited where I took the "extra long way" to get to Schenectady, NY, my final destination for an overnight trip...

This trip almost ended before it began thanks to Hurricane Isabel! Here you'll see what it's like to have to make last-minute changes to a vacation plan just to save it! I had to use Greyhound Bus to replace my cancelled ride on the Lake Shore & Capitol, an interesting trip...

My summer railfanning trip for 2003. Included here is a "Bustitution" by Amtrak due to CSX Trackwork on the CSX Boston Line. Also included are railfanning reports from Amsterdam, NY & Vicinity as well as a "hungry" situation that developed in the Dining Car on the way home...

This was my 4th day trip this year, and my second to Schenectady. I tried to get in a bit of railfanning for once without snow on the ground as my previous 3 day trips this year were either in the snow, the disgustingly cold weather or both!!!

My 25th Amtrak Trip! I made a short ride to Syracuse today to visit the Carousel Center Mall as well as get in some railfanning at the Amtrak Station there. The ride home on Train #49 was nice and comfortable, a decent short day trip...

My first trip to Schenectady. I would eat breakfast with a writer from Trains Magazine on this trip. Also spent most of the day in really cold temperatures railfanning on the platform. The trip home was excellent!

My first trip for 2003. I had to visit Utica again to visit a store in the nearby Sangertown Mall in New Hartford, NY. Visiting this one store gave me a good enough excuse to make this trip! Ah, the reasons we have for riding the train!