Caption: With a pair of Delaware & Hudson ALCO PA-4s upfront, Amtrak's Adirondack prepares to depart Windsor Station in Montreal for New York as train 68 at 0930h.

The D&H had operated passenger service into Montreal since 1923 with both its Laurentian by day and Montreal Limited overnight. These operated into Canada over D&H subsidiary, Napierville Junction Railway, running 27 miles from Rouses Point, New York - Delson and into Montreal via CPR trackage rights. Endangered by declining ridership by the 1960s, new management in the D&H's passenger department sought to revitalize the operation after negative public response to the potential cancellation. To do so, the D&H acquired four ALCO PA-1 locomotives in 1967, numbered 16 - 19, from the ATSF. Wearing a modified ATSF Warbonnet scheme, with D&H blue replacing the red, they would handle the trains of second hand equipment until their final runs on May 1, 1971, as neither The Laurentian or Montreal Limited were included in Amtrak's start up. In 1974, passenger service over the D&H was to be resurrected by Amtrak as The Adirondack, funded by the New York Department of Transportation. With limited equipment available to Amtrak at the time, the D&H, then led by Carl Sterzing, provided its PAs and passenger equipment for the runs. For their return to passenger operation the PAs would be rebuilt from their original ALCO 244 prime mover to ALCO 251s in 1974 by Morrison-Knudsen, and designated ALCO PA-4s. The rebuilt units served until 1977 when Amtrak replaced the D&H equipment with Rohr Turboliners. It is also noted, the D&H had acquired a fifth PA for parts in the 1960s, former New Haven 0783. It was scraped in 1972.

The four PA-4s made their way to Mexico in 1978. All four remain, with two having returned to the states:
Former D&H 16 under restoration at the Museum of the American Railroad, Frisco, Texas.
Lead unit D&H 17 preserved at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads.
railing unit D&H 18 under restoration by Doyle McCormack as NKP 190 in Portland, Oregon.
Forer D&H 19preserved at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads.

This scene from the platform at CP's Windsor station includes RDCs at left with differing letter boards, one action red, the other maroon; the former CP Chateau Champlain Hotel, opened for Expo67, and now operated under Marriott. The CN Rail headquarters building looms over the scene, and The Queen Elizabeth hotel, originally built by the CNR, and now operated by Fairmont.

More D&H PA Canadian action:
D&H 16 near Montreal West by Neil Compton
D&H 18 at Montreal West by Neil Compton
D&H 18 at Westmount by Steve Danko

Original Photographer Unknown, Jacob Patterson Collection Slide.