Wednesday, August 26, 2026 – Adventure Awaits: Discover a Historic City

By admin

Beyond Utica 

on the

Adirondack Railroad

and Back

Wenesday, August 26, 2026

Judith Berdy

Issue # 1736

Day two took us miles away and above Utica
to the town of Old Forge by vintage rail on the Adirondack Railroad

“Let the Adirondack Railroad help you discover the beauty of the Adirondacks by transporting you to Old Forge. The Utica to Old Forge Layover trip is truly unique experience and has several features that set it apart!

Travel through forests, over rivers and streams, spend a full afternoon in Old Forge enjoying the outdoors and visiting local shops and restaurants, and then let us take you home. Fun-filled outing for people of all ages! While you’re on the train, visit our café car and try the light and hearty fare as you ride the rails on the Adirondack Railroad!”

The train ride offers different classes of service from coach to club car with upper domed tables to comfy tables and chairs below. Great snacks and service with enthusiastic staff., The train ends at Thendara and you take a shuttle into Old Forge.

Thendara has a real old fashioned rail station with a showcase display of history and a real pot belly stove. Can imagine being in this mountain town in winter with an elevation of over 1,800 feet.

Located on a lovely lake the town is tor tourism hub for the region with lots of shopping, dining and a constant flow of campers, Jeeps, trailers, snow-mobiles and other out-of-door being hauled on its two lane main street. The traffic reminded me of another narrow corridor, the only way in and out of town.

Northbound and homeward bound the scenery was magnificent with rivers, lakes and streams. Along the way was a vintage Pullman car with mystery story characters painted in each window. Our locomotive homeward bound was freshly painted and her diesel engine brought us back to Utica in comfort.
We were met by Dianne, Mike and their daughter for a fun dinner at
a great new restaurant Tailor and the Cook. The restaurant is located in a former dry goods supply company building.

Stay tuned…for day 3.

Parked Outside the Utica Railroad Station

The Merci Train was a train of 49 French railroad box cars filled with tens of thousands of gifts of gratitude from at least that many individual French citizens. They were showing their appreciation for the more than 700 American box cars of relief goods sent to them by (primarily) individual Americans in 1948. The Merci Train arrived in New York harbor on February 2nd, 1949 and each of the 48 American states at that time received one of the gift laden box cars. The 49th box car was shared by Washington D.C. and the Territory of Hawaii. Parades and ceremonies of welcome were conducted in the state capitols and major cities of almost all the states. The largest and most attended was in New York City where more than 200,000 people turned out to welcome that state’s assigned box car.

CREDITS

JUDITH BERDY

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