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On April 24, 2004 Amtrak will inaugurate its Blue Water train between Chicago and Port Huron MI. Essentially, the new operation eliminates the Canadian portion of the International train. It will not be the first time that Amtrak has instituted a Blue Water train on the route. The report below is from Rail Travel News no. 92 in Sep 1974, on the inaugural of Amtrak's first Blue Water. The article is by Jack Ferry, who also provided the above photo at the inaugural in Flint MI. It pictures the Transpo Queen with an emcee on the front of the lead engine, #322, of the Sep 13, 1974 inaugural train. The Blue Water press run left Chicago before sunrise at 6:35am, and as it eased out of Union Station, several early morning railfans were photographing this inaugural run. The train, spotless inside and out, consisted of two consecutively-numbered Amtrak-painted E-8 locomotives (322 and 323), and Amtrak cars 6053, 5415, 3920, 6433, 3406 pub-lounge, 6448 and 6421. The train followed the main line of the Penn Central (PRR) through Chicago's south side to Porter IN, where we switched over to the former Michigan Central line toward Detroit. Dignitaries and officials aboard the train for this inaugural press run (the first revenue run would come on Sunday the 15th) included, from Amtrak, Dave Watts, Director of State and Local Affairs; Jim Bryant, Manager of Radio and TV Information; Bruce Heard, Senior Analyst-timetables; and Gene Glendenning, District Sales Manager, Chicago. Kevin McKinney of the Michigan DOT and Passenger Train Journal, and Richard Tower, also of the Michigan DOT, Dave Ingles, Associate Editor of Trains Magazine, William C. Harsh, Jr., Transportation Writer of Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Dubin, passenger train historian and author of "More Classic Trains", and Rogers Whitaker of the New Yorker magazine were aboard. At 9:05am we eased to an unannounced stop at Three Oaks MI, where we were greeted by nearly 250 enthusiasts and Gov. and Mrs. William G. Milliken. We paused only long enough for the Governor and First Lady to board, and we were moving again. The former Michigan Central line is not too bad--probably some of the best PC track in the Midwest. Top speed is between 50 and 60 mph with surprisingly few slow orders. Niles MI was the first scheduled stop at 9:25am, and here the train was met by another impressive crowd and the Niles High School Band. Governor Milliken greeted everyone, admitting that he had not been on a train in 20 years, but announcing that he would be a frequent train rider now. After a stop at Kalamazoo, where the Governor detrained, our next crowd appeared at Battle Creek. The train uses the PC depot, and here the crews change. The Grand Trunk crews were very enthusiastic about the new train, and are looking forward to having Amtrak operate over their railroad. The ceremonies concluded, we were moving again
by 11:55am, although very slowly. Here the train leaves the PC and there
is a series of switches which must be hand-thrown to get onto the Grand
Trunk main. The schedule has allowed nearly 20 minutes for this maneuver.
Once on the GTW, the track seemed not as good as expected--with 60mph top
speed. Since Grand Trunk discontinued passenger service, it is storing
freight cars on the double-tracked main line.
Impressive crowds greeted the train at all the stations along the Grand Trunk, enthusiastically welcoming Amtrak to their city. The State of Michigan has set aslide $4 million this year for the upgrading of rail passenger service. Of that sum, $1 million has been allocated for track and signal upgrading. Track work on the Blue Water route will include realignment of tracks at Port Huron for a new station, and the rebuilding of a connection at Battle Creek. Also under construction is centralized traffic control for a segment of GTW tracks in the Lansing and Flint areas. When completed, these improvements are expected to cut 45 minutes from the train's initial schedule. The Michigan DOT hopes to have a second train on this route within 6-10 months, with an extension into Canada for service to Toronto. We slowly entered Port Huron, passed the Grand Trunk yards and the now-abandoned depot to the site of the new Amtrak station several blocks away. A trailer serves as the ticket office, but a new modular station is under construction. It will have a 40-seat waiting room, and will feature a clerestory roof which will provide "natural lighting and ventilation" (meaning no air conditioning). Two days later the first revenue run left Chicago
with a conslist of one PC engine, PC unrefurbished snack bar coach from
the Northeast Corridor, and three refurbished Amtrak coaches. Detroit train
equipment is pooled with that of the Blue Water.***
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