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[KevinKorell]

Our trip on the Maple Leaf, Amtrak Train #64 from Toronto to Schenectady, as well as our evening in Schenectady, will be the theme of posts here.

[KevinKorell]

The day began with our final hotel shuttle rides as well as the last time we had to do the 25-27 minute journey from the airport to downtown on UP Express.  Once there, after personal business we got on the line for Track 16, where the Maple Leaf was posted to depart from.  While on the line luggage was weighed and we had to display our passports.  Soon we were directed up to the train, and we took our seats.

 

The Maple Leaf, under VIA Rail control, departed Toronto 1 minute late, and then stopped again just outside the station before it resumed and got up to speed. Our intermediate station stops within Ontario were made about 4 minutes down.  Just past St. Catherines, we had to stop again for a few minutes because the bridge over the Welland Canal was raised.  Then when we got to Niagara Falls, ON where crew change takes place from VIA Rail to Amtrak, the Amtrak crew had not yet arrived so we had to wait for them.

 

Soon we proceeded over the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge into the United States, and came to a stop at the new Niagara Falls station.  Here we went through our Customs & Border Patrol process. After clearing, we were instructed to go upstairs to the waiting room until told we could re-board.  There, we met Penny, who would be our rotating fourth person for the remainder of our journey back to New York City.

 

As I write this we are between Buffalo and Rochester, and have already been informed that heat related speed restrictions will elongate our run time.  We're due to be in Schenectady at 6:17 PM, but likely it will be later than that. I'll continue this after we arrive.

[KevinKorell]

OK so the heat did in fact slow us down, but all told our arrival into Schenectady at 6:52 PM was just 35 minutes off the advertised. Not too shabby.   "Interesting" café car attendant on this train.

 

During the afternoon we contemplated various scenarios about where we would eat upon arrival.  A complicated task to agree given we had our luggage with us, and that the hotel was still a few blocks away.  We ended up with our original plan which was to visit a pub located right next door to the station. The place was kind to let us put our luggage against a wall up front.  We enjoyed our meal together, and then walked to our hotel to rest after the longest mileage of travel thus far on this Fest.

 

Tomorrow we wrap it up with one more Amtrak trip to New York City.

 

Itinerary has now been updated reflecting our Friday travels.