Trains.com

GM's Aerotrain...

2613 views
6 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
GM's Aerotrain...
Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 12:42 PM
....Back in the mid 50's GM's Aerotrain [photo on trains.com page], was running between Pittsburgh and NYC on a daily basis. I'm wondering if anyone on here might have experienced a ride on it....? I was traveling from Indiana in the Summer of '57...believe it might have been in June and when arriving in Pittsburgh I realized our schedule would put us on the Aerotrain to fini***he trip into Johnstown.

Upon boarding time we were directed to an ordinary passenger train at the boarding track and as we located our seat we found a paper on each seat and it stated "The Aerotrain is not available today as it is off line to have it's once a month maintenance check up".....So, that ended my chance to ever get a chance to ride it. A big disappointment at the time.

Quentin

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
GM's Aerotrain...
Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 12:42 PM
....Back in the mid 50's GM's Aerotrain [photo on trains.com page], was running between Pittsburgh and NYC on a daily basis. I'm wondering if anyone on here might have experienced a ride on it....? I was traveling from Indiana in the Summer of '57...believe it might have been in June and when arriving in Pittsburgh I realized our schedule would put us on the Aerotrain to fini***he trip into Johnstown.

Upon boarding time we were directed to an ordinary passenger train at the boarding track and as we located our seat we found a paper on each seat and it stated "The Aerotrain is not available today as it is off line to have it's once a month maintenance check up".....So, that ended my chance to ever get a chance to ride it. A big disappointment at the time.

Quentin

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 9:54 PM
I believe they ended there career in commuter service in Chicago before being scrapped. It's a shame they were not preserved.
TIM A
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 9:54 PM
I believe they ended there career in commuter service in Chicago before being scrapped. It's a shame they were not preserved.
TIM A
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 10:00 PM
....Some time ago I went to Google and entered: Aerotrain and found a good bit of historical info on the project. Pretty interesting....but I'm just sorry I missed my chance to ride it...That would have been a good check of it from Pgh. to Johnstown.

Quentin

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 10:00 PM
....Some time ago I went to Google and entered: Aerotrain and found a good bit of historical info on the project. Pretty interesting....but I'm just sorry I missed my chance to ride it...That would have been a good check of it from Pgh. to Johnstown.

Quentin

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:41 AM
The Aerotrains were NOT scrapped. One power unit and two cars are displayed at the National RR Museum in Green Bay, and IIRC, the other power unit and cars are at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. HTH[8D]
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:41 AM
The Aerotrains were NOT scrapped. One power unit and two cars are displayed at the National RR Museum in Green Bay, and IIRC, the other power unit and cars are at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. HTH[8D]
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, August 21, 2003 8:09 AM
The Pennsy and the Rock Island and maybe other railroads gave them a fair try.
The Rock Island used theirs from Chicago to Joliet and commuter service and there are photos and movies of that. I think the Rock Island is the one up at Green Bay (unpowered -- it is an empty shell, but at least is now under cover and looking pretty good). The cars look a bit like buses on rr wheels and the locomotive has a front somewhat like an old pontiac. I would imagine they were rough riding given the light weight.
Dave Nelson
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, August 21, 2003 8:09 AM
The Pennsy and the Rock Island and maybe other railroads gave them a fair try.
The Rock Island used theirs from Chicago to Joliet and commuter service and there are photos and movies of that. I think the Rock Island is the one up at Green Bay (unpowered -- it is an empty shell, but at least is now under cover and looking pretty good). The cars look a bit like buses on rr wheels and the locomotive has a front somewhat like an old pontiac. I would imagine they were rough riding given the light weight.
Dave Nelson
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Thursday, August 21, 2003 8:29 AM
.....They have a pretty good right to look like buses...The cars were constructed in part at least from bus shells...[Greyhound]. It's been a while since I read articles on their conception and construction but I know the bus construction technology played an important part. Believe they had only single axles between the cars too.

Quentin

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Thursday, August 21, 2003 8:29 AM
.....They have a pretty good right to look like buses...The cars were constructed in part at least from bus shells...[Greyhound]. It's been a while since I read articles on their conception and construction but I know the bus construction technology played an important part. Believe they had only single axles between the cars too.

Quentin

  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: Kansas City area
  • 833 posts
Posted by Trainnut484 on Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:07 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by rebelfdl

The Aerotrains were NOT scrapped. One power unit and two cars are displayed at the National RR Museum in Green Bay, and IIRC, the other power unit and cars are at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. HTH[8D]


I've seen the Aerotrain set at the St. Louis museum back in June. They were putting primer on it, but don't know what colors it would be.

Take care[:)].
All the Way!
  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: Kansas City area
  • 833 posts
Posted by Trainnut484 on Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:07 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by rebelfdl

The Aerotrains were NOT scrapped. One power unit and two cars are displayed at the National RR Museum in Green Bay, and IIRC, the other power unit and cars are at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. HTH[8D]


I've seen the Aerotrain set at the St. Louis museum back in June. They were putting primer on it, but don't know what colors it would be.

Take care[:)].
All the Way!

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy