- The
- Three
- Rivers
-
- Route
Guide
- Chicago*Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia*New York
-
- Welcome
Aboard. You
are traveling on board the Three Rivers. While on board, you will be experiencing
the utmost comfort and service in train travel and witnessing
some of the East's most spectacular scenery.
- All
of us at Amtrak are proud to have you aboard today, and want
to ensure your trip is everything you want it to be in train
travel.
- If
you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask one of
our friendly on-board service staff.
- The
Fun Starts Here. There
is a lot to see and do aboard the Three Rivers, from relaxing, socializing with
family and friends, to enjoying a delicious light meal.
- We
invite you to join fellow passengers in the Lounge Car. Play
some cards, make new friends, enjoy time with your family. Let
the Lounge Car be your place for games, conversation and good
times! And most of all - have fun!
- The
Three Rivers is
named for the three rivers that cradle downtown Pittsburgh: the
Allegheny, Manongahela and Ohio Rivers. Your travels will take
you under New York's Hudson River and across Philadelphia's Schuylkill
and Harrisburg's Susquehanna Rivers.
- And
in eastern Pennsylvania, you will travel through the gently rolling
hills of Pennsylvania Dutch country, where you might spy a horse
and buggy waiting at a grade crossing, or see a modern-day barn
rising. But it's the mountains you'll remember because in western
Pennsylvania, Three
Rivers travels
through some of the most spectacular, dramatic mountain scenery
in the East. You'll also see equally incredible marvels of engineering:
the famous Horseshoe Curve, where the tracks wind around in a
half-circle, and the Gallitzin tunnels, which pierce the summit
of the Allegheny Mountains.
- So
for convenient daily service between Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
and New York - and spectacular scenery along the way - make the
Three
Rivers your
first choice.
- This
guide is written from to west to east, in most cases noting how
many minutes past the previous Amtrak station you can expect
to see a particular sight and whether you should look right or
left. The first time reference tells you how far that point is
from the Amtrak station to the west ; the second station, how
far it is to the Amtrak stop to the east.
- Chicago
As
the train heads south in the late afternoon hours, look to your
left for a dramatic view of the towering city skyline. The Sears
and Hancock Towers are among the many magnificent structures
you can see. Next, look to your left for the new Comiskey Park,
completed in 1991. It is home to the Chicago White Sox. In moments,
you'll cross the south branch of the Chicago River, where ships
travel between the Great Lakes ports and points along the Illinois
and Michigan Canal. This river is famous as "the river that
flows backwards" because of its westward course away from
Lake Michigan.
- Hammond-Whiting
This
town was once the residence of Alvah Curtis Roebuck, a farm boy
from Lafayette. When he moved to Chicago, he formed a mailbox
company with Richard Sears, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Standard Oil Company's huge oil refineries define Hammond-Whiting
and still stand on the site of the first plant built here by
the company in 1889.
- Nappanee
Nestled
in the fertile farm land of the headwaters of the Wabash River,
Nappanee is a thriving small city with a large population of
Amish, Mennonite and German Baptist. Horsedrawn buggies are still
hitched next to the 1908 station that serves as our stop.The
rails have led Nappanee products to every corner of America.
Distilled mint from this town became a Wrigley staple. Tomatoes
brought Libby's to town. Popular timber was sold to Studebaker
in South Bend.
- Pittsburgh
Modern
Pittsburgh is known as a city of "firsts." Synthetic
insulin was first developed here, as was the first polio vaccine.
The nation's first independent research and robotics institutes
opened in Pittsburgh, as well as the first commercial nuclear
plant. The electron microscope originated here ; the first all-aluminum
sky scraper was built here. The University of Pittsburgh's football
team was the first to put numbers on their jerseys, the Steelers
were the first team to win four Super Bowl Trophies, and so on.
The original city lay between the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers,
which join here to form the Ohio River.
- Greensburg
This
was the birthplace of steel and coke magnate Henry Clay Frick.
- Latrobe
This
town was named after Benjamin Latrobe, the architect who designed
the south wing of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Latrobe
is also home to golfer Arnold Palmer and Rolling Rock beer. For
the next 37 miles, you will follow portions of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, into Johnstown, site of the infamous 1889 flood.
- Johnstown
In
1889, this city was devastated by a flood when a dam to the east
burst during heavy rains. The rushing water demolished the city
and surrounding towns, killing more than 2,000 residents within
ten minutes. From here to South Fork, today's railroad follows
the path of the ramping flood. Seasonally, National Park Service
Guides provide a narrative of the history of the area between
Johnstown and Altoona.
- East
Conemaugh / Franklin The
white water tower to your right marks this Johnstown suburb,
where a strange drama was played out the afternoon of the flood.
When railroad engineer John Hess heard the roar of the waves,
he looked back and saw a menacing 40-foot wall of water racing
towards his train. Hess opened the throttle, tied down the whistle
and raced into town, giving people enough warning to get to higher
ground before the flood struck.
- Little
Conemaugh River As
the flood waters advanced, they followed this 14-mile valley,
where the height of the water varied from 40 to 80 feet. A cloud
of dark spray hung over the front of the wave, called the "Death
Mist" by flood survivors. For the next 39 miles, you will
follow portions of the Pennsylvanian Railroad, the Old Allegheny
Portage Railroad and the New Portage Railroad. These railroads
were originally part of the Main Line of Public Works, a complicated
system of railroads, canals and inclined planes designed to travel
the mountains. After passing through the New Portage and Gallitizin
Tunnels, you will circle around the world-famous Horseshoe Curve
and on into Altoona.
- Horseshoe
Curve (51
Min./19 Min.) Since its opening in 1854, this segment of the
railroad has been recognized as a marvel of engineering and landmark
tourist attraction. For the best view, peer from the right side
of the train as you head east.
- Altoona
It
was here that the nation's first all-steel cars were produced;
and here, too, that the renowned Pacific K-4 Passenger Steam
Locomotive made its debut in 1914.
- Harrisburg
Pulling
into the station, you'll see the State Capitol dome on your right,
modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
- Royalton
/ Three Mile Island (13
Min./25 Min.) Look for the four huge cooling towers that mark
Three Mile Island, site of a near-disaster with nuclear power
in 1979.
- Lancaster
Lancaster
was the capital of Pennsylvania between 1799 and 1812. Outside
of Philadelphia, it is one of the oldest communities in the state.
It was even the capital of the United States for a day in 1777
when Congress moved in an attempt to escape the British. Nearby
is the historic Strasburg Railroad, which still operates old-time
steam equipment. It is one of the oldest chartered short-line
railroads in the United States.
- Gap
/ Amish Country (22
Min./28 Min.) The Amish are a unique religious sect whose way
of life stems from a belief in simplicity. They avoid "worldly"
influences, especially modern conveniences such as electricity,
automobiles and indoor plumbing. The Amish are characterized
by their somber black or gray clothing. The married men wear
long beards and wide-brimmed hats; the women wear plain long
dresses and bonnets. You may also see people riding about in
horse-drawn carriages.
- Philadelphia
In
addition to being a hotbed of history with attractions including
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House,
modern Philadelphia offers great shopping, wonderful museums,
and beautiful parks. As you leave the station, watch for Boathouse
Row on your left. After dark, the houses are lit with beautiful
Christmas-like lights. On the right is the Philadelphia Museum
of Art.
- Newark
The
train crosses the Passaic River at the Newark station. The drawbridge,
230 feet in length, is one of the longest spans of its type in
the world.
- The
Meadowlands (8
Min./9 Min.) Beyond the ridge on the right, you can see Manhattan's
magnificent skyline distinguished by the Empire State Building
and twin towers of the World Trade Center.
- New
York From
the lights of Broadway to the heights of Wall Street, the breathtaking
Statue of Liberty to the stately Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the posh shopping along Fifth Avenue to the clubs in Greenwich
Village, New York is loaded with attractions. No matter where
you go or what time you go out, you'll find New York truly "a
city that never sleeps"- an exhilarating, exciting destination
at any time of the year.
-
- City
lights,
- mountain
heights and
- easy
connections west.
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