posted
I'm trying to find the date when Amtrak officially took the United Aircraft Turbotrains out of service and retired them from operation.
Saul S Member # 989
posted
As I recall, the UA Turbo was discontinued between New York and Boston on Sept. 10, 1976. It had been running on that line since April 1969. During the early days of Amtrak, one set ran briefly between Washington, DC and Parkersburg, WV. Similar (Montreal Locomotive Works) Turbos continued to run on CN and VIA between Montreal and Toronto into the early 80s.
The train may have been a failure, but it certainly was a lot of fun to ride on. As far as I know it was the only Amtrak train that passengers could see out the front window.
Interestingly, in 1970 the Turbo took 3:44 between New York and Boston. If you look at the current northbound weekend schedule for the Northeast corridor, the Acela Express takes the exact same amount of time.
posted