Route:
the train migrates along and among ten different routes in North America, ranging from the Canadian Rockies to New England and Quebec, from the Southeast to the Southwest to the Pacific Coast and Northwest of the United States, taking in National Parks as well as Mexico’s Copper Canyon.
Frequency:
the AOE program operates nearly year-round. Most trips are one week in duration.
Equipment:
Two train sets exist, each consisting of various sleeping cars, two diners, a mid-train lounge, a full-length Dome car and end-of-train, boat-tail observation car, one of which was built for the 1948 edition of the New York Central Railroad’s 20TH CENTURY LIMITED .
Notes & Comments:
Borrowing part of its name from the legendary, European original, the American Orient Express is a “cruise train” assembled from Streamliner carriages built during the 1940’s and 50’s, restored and luxuriously redecorated. Itineraries are designed as escorted tours, typically beginning with a night in a deluxe hotel, after which the train becomes a rolling hotel connecting destination points enroute. Normally the train travels during the night, so each day comes the next destination, where off-train excursions and local sightseeing are included, as are practically all meals both on and off the train. Depending on the given itinerary, the train may travel in daylight to take advantage of scenic railway, and certain nights enroute may be spent in hotels. At present, the American Orient Express is the only service of its kind in the United States: a luxury, sleeper-train with elegant lounge and dining facilities, reinventing the experience of “Golden Age” rail travel for purposes of touring if not transportation. The train’s ability to cover great distances while offering incomparable comfort and scenery, make for an extraordinary travel product.
