Local writer offers tips on train travel in Williamsport

PHOTO PROVIDED
Amtrak Train No. 42—the Pittsburgh-to-New York Pennsylvanian—arrives at the historic depot in Lewistown, Pa. Join local author Joseph W. Smith, III, for info on this train and other nearby trips – with a free train-travel talk at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29 at James V. Brown Library.

Joseph W. Smith, III

WILLIAMSPORT — “I’ve always wanted to take a long train trip.”

Local travel-writer Joseph W. Smith, III, hears this wistful wish about once a week, especially from folks who’ve seen one of his social-media posts about riding Amtrak through the Southwest, the Rockies or the Appalachian wilds.

But long-distance rail-travel is not easy from Central PA, where our nearest Amtrak stop is Harrisburg — and even that does not put riders directly onto any overnight train.

Join Smith for tips and advice on traveling by rail during a free talk at James V. Brown Library at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29.

Smith, a lifelong journalist and railfan, is named for his grandfather, who enjoyed a distinguished 34-year career with the Erie and Erie-Lackawanna railroads. Joe III grew up in a rail-loving household and has taken dozens of trips on Amtrak since that line’s inception in 1971.

More recently, Smith has amassed tens of thousands of miles on Amtrak as he works toward riding all 14 of the railroad’s long-distance runs. He has written about these trips for On the Pulse, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette and the website Frayed Passport.

Smith’s one-hour talk will begin by covering in-state excursions — that is, tourist lines designed for recreation rather than actual point-to-point travel. Pennsylvania boasts over 20 of these — and, what’s more, our state also has the third-highest number of still-operational steam locomotives in the U.S.: 15 at present, surpassed only by California and Colorado. Pennsylvania also offers several “rail bike” runs, with small open-seat cars — some motorized, some pedaled — traveling over scenic, not-in-use rail lines.

Smith will likewise cover in-state Amtrak offerings, including Train 42 and 43 — the Pennsylvanian. A daily nine-hour ride that runs both ways between Pittsburgh and Manhattan, this trip includes mountain terrain, Amish farms, the world-famous Horseshoe Curve and waterside runs along the Juniata and the Susquehanna.

And finally, before fielding questions, Smith will also explain the best ways to connect with some of Amtrak’s most scenic routes. These include such Eastern one-night trips as the Capitol, the Crescent and the Cardinal — plus Western two-nighters like the Empire Builder, the Southwest Chief and the Chicago-to-San Francisco Zephyr, easily the most beautiful train ride in this country.

He also hopes to cover on-board dining and the different types of accommodations, along with new Amtrak routes being planned for the future. (For instance, a second daily Pennsylvanian is now under serious consideration.)

Registration is required; please visit jvbrown.edu.

More information about the talk — or about trains in general — is available directly from Smith at robbwhitefan@gmail.com.