Excursion train
Encyclopedia
An excursion train is a chartered train
run for a special event or purpose.
Examples of excursion
trains:
The Pennsylvania Railroad
ran special excursion trains from New York City and Washington, D.C. to the Army–Navy Game in years when the game was held in Philadelphia at Municipal Stadium
(1936–1941, 1945–1975). The special Pennsylvania trains were discontinued as the railroad, then known as Penn Central was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy, with the last trains running for the 1975 game. The tradition of running excursion trains to the Army-Navy college football game was resurrected in 2005 when philanthropists Bennett and Vivian Levin chartered a special train composed of their own locomotives and some donated
passenger cars to take recuperating wounded veterans from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
in Washington and the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland to the game in Philadelphia. The Army-Navy Game trains ran in 2005–2008, were suspended in 2009 due to a death in the sponsors' family, and again in 2010. It is worth noting that the Army-Navy football game is a big enough event in Philadelphia that the local rail transit company SEPTA also runs extra trains on game day.
Since 1908 an excursion train has carried travelers between Denver, Colorado's Union Station and the Cheyenne Depot Museum
to attend the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo event.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
run for a special event or purpose.
Examples of excursion
Excursion
An excursion is a trip by a group of people, usually made for leisure, education, or physical purposes. It is often an adjunct to a longer journey or visit to a place, sometimes for other purposes....
trains:
- A train to a major sporting event
- A train run for railfanRailfanA railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s or tourismTourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a... - A chartered train such as the Reno Fun Train that runs to the casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s in the winter on weekends - A special train operated by the railway for employees and prominent customers
The Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
ran special excursion trains from New York City and Washington, D.C. to the Army–Navy Game in years when the game was held in Philadelphia at Municipal Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
(1936–1941, 1945–1975). The special Pennsylvania trains were discontinued as the railroad, then known as Penn Central was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy, with the last trains running for the 1975 game. The tradition of running excursion trains to the Army-Navy college football game was resurrected in 2005 when philanthropists Bennett and Vivian Levin chartered a special train composed of their own locomotives and some donated
passenger cars to take recuperating wounded veterans from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
in Washington and the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland to the game in Philadelphia. The Army-Navy Game trains ran in 2005–2008, were suspended in 2009 due to a death in the sponsors' family, and again in 2010. It is worth noting that the Army-Navy football game is a big enough event in Philadelphia that the local rail transit company SEPTA also runs extra trains on game day.
Since 1908 an excursion train has carried travelers between Denver, Colorado's Union Station and the Cheyenne Depot Museum
Wyoming Transportation Museum
The Wyoming Transportation Museum, also referred to as the Cheyenne Depot Museum, is a railroad museum located in Cheyenne, Wyoming.It is located inside the historic Union Pacific Railroad depot. This depot was built in 1886 to 1887...
to attend the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo event.
See also
- List of heritage railways
- Joyful TrainJoyful Trainis the name given to railway rolling stock or train sets operated by the JR Group in Japan primarily for charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes.-History:...
- Dinner trainDinner trainA dinner train is a relatively new type of passenger train service whose main purpose is to allow people to eat dinner while experiencing a relatively short, leisurely round trip train ride...
s usually operate on a schedule instead of for special events - Union Pacific 844Union Pacific 844Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. It was the last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific and is unique in that it is the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad....
Seasonal trains
Seasonal trains tend to run on a schedule at certain times of the year. Examples include:- Ski trainSki TrainThe Ski Train was a seasonal passenger railroad operated by Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in the period 1940-2009. Starting in 1988, the train was operated by the Ansco Investment Company, which had in turn purchased the Ski Train franchise from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in that...
s which operate in winter time, with emphasis on weekend service - Train to the Game in the New York City area goes to Yankee Stadium in the summer and to the Meadowlands in the fall
- Atlantic City Express ServiceAtlantic City Express ServiceACES is an inter-city train service offered by the Borgata, Caesars Atlantic City, and Harrah's Entertainment. It is operated by New Jersey Transit under contract, and funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority...
operates on weekends in the summer between New York and Atlantic City