CELEBRATING THE LAST AND GREATEST ITERATION OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS TRAIN
New York to Chicago
September 17-21, 2023
The United Railroad Historical Society of NJ invites you to join us for a celebration of the “World’s Most Famous Train.” 75 years to the day from its very first run, the Hickory Creek will host 16 special guests on a faithful recreation of the 20th Century Limited. The Hickory Creek, in partnership with our partner Pullman car, the Pacific Home, will travel the original route of the Century from New York to Chicago and back.
On board, passengers will be treated to all of the amenities that were available on the original 1948 Century—first class dining, beverages served in the “Lookout Lounge,” comfortable Pullman bedrooms and roomettes, an overnight shoe shine, and attentive service by stewards in period attire.
$2999 per person
Includes all on-board amenities, four gourmet meals cooked on-board, open bar. Single “Roomettes” or Double Bedrooms available.
YOUR ACCOMODATIONS
All passengers will have use of both their private room, as well as the “Lookout Lounge” aboard the Hickory Creek. At nighttime, beds will be made down for a comfortable sleep “Pullman Safety and Comfort.”
Hickory Creek
The star of the show, the Hickory Creek, will take up the rear of our train, 75 years to the day after she departed New York on the very first run of the 1948 20th Century Limited. The car will host 16 passengers during the daytime and evening portions of the trips, and will host only four lucky passengers at nighttime in the car’s two double bedrooms.
Pacific Home
The Pacific Home is a Budd-built 10-6 Pullman Sleeper, of the same vintage as the Hickory Creek. With 10 Roomettes and 6 Double Bedrooms, it is nearly identical to the Valley-series cars that would have served the New York Central. The 10-6 sleeper was the most common car arrangement on the 20th Century Limited, and is the most similar and authentic Amtrak-certified sleeping car available to recreate the original train.
The Experience
The 75th Anniversary Special is an authentic recreation of the 20th Century Limited as it was in 1948. Running on the tail end of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited, our excursion will run on the original route of the Century on a similar overnight schedule. The Hickory Creek will be paired with the Pacific Home, and together, they will resemble the original train as closely as possible.
On-board, 16 passengers will enjoy comfortable seating in either their private room, or the Hickory Creek’s “Lookout Lounge.” From their lounge seats, passengers will enjoy beer, wine, and cocktails as the train traverses the original “Water Level Route” between New York and Albany. After Albany, passengers will be seated for dinner, which will be cooked in the Hickory Creek’s on-board kitchen, with menu items inspired by the 20th Century Limited’s original menu. The 20th Century Limited was famous for its night club-like atmosphere, and as such, bar service will continue through the night until 2am.
At night, car attendants will make down beds for passengers to sleep in “Pullman Safety and Comfort.” Every passenger will sleep in an authentic Pullman bedroom. The Pacific Home features Roomettes, for solo travelers, or double bedrooms, with two bunk beds. Double bedrooms each have their own toilet en suite, and Roomettes have a communal restroom and shower. The Hickory Creek features two Double Bedrooms sleeping two passengers. Each room has its own sink and vanity, and well as a toilet and shower which are shared between the two rooms. Note: the beds in the Hickory Creek do not fold up for daytime seating.
Once in Chicago, passengers are free to use the two-night layover as they wish, before returning to the train for the trip back to New York. Passengers must secure lodging in Chicago on their own.
On the eastbound trip, hors d'oeuvres will be served in the evening with breakfast and lunch being served the following day before the train once again skates along the Hudson River and returns to New York City.
How to Get Tickets
Due to overwhelming demand, tickets will be sold by lottery and by auction. We have had more than 4000 folks express interest in this excursion, and we have chosen this as the most fair way to sell tickets. We look forward to making many more trips like this available in the future!
Our lottery is open right now, and will remain open until Friday August 18 at 10pm EDT. Entrants may choose to win access to either 1, 2, or 4 tickets aboard the 75th Anniversary Special, with nighttime accommodations in the Pacific Home. One entry is allowed per individual. Once selected, the winner will have 48 hours to pay for their ticket before forfeiting their tickets to the next lottery winner. Entrants will be selected until all 16 slots are filled.
The two Double Bedrooms in the Hickory Creek will be sold as part of a fundraiser auction. The auction will close on Monday, August 21 at 10pm EDT. If the auction winner has also won the lottery, the auction winner will placed in the Hickory Creek and a new entrant will be selected by lottery. All proceeds from this auction will go towards improvements to the Hickory Creek being made this year. The contribution made beyond the reserve price of $6000 will be considered a tax-deductible donation.
Fundraiser Auction
Take a look at what goes into maintaining our historic train car!
The Hickory Creek is owned and operated by the non-profit United Railroad Historical Society of NJ. This car is maintained by volunteers who care for this car as a labor of love. Operating a car like this one is a privilege—and it is expensive. This car is currently the busiest of all of the historic cars that are certified to run on Amtrak, and to keep it that way, significant improvements are needed to keep the car comfortable and reliable. As such, URHS saw it fit to hold a fundraiser auction for this special event. Funds raised from this auction will be put towards the following major improvements that are either on-going or planned for the near future. Those include:
Installation of a new Stadco generator which meets the highest EPA emissions standards (Tier IV) - currently ongoing
Replacement of the aging air conditioning system, including an upgrade to the newest, environmentally-safe refrigerant
Window glass and gasket replacement, protecting the car body from corrosion
Complete exterior body repair and repainting
It is URHS’s goal make the Hickory Creek available to more people, more often, and to keep it operating forever. Your bid in excess of $6000 will be considered a tax-deductible donation, and will go towards ensuring this historic car is running for all time. Thank you for your interest and your generosity.