The 1974 Preamble Express

TIMELINE for the 1974 PREAMBLE EXPRESS

The 4-Car Preamble Express scouted the route of The American Freedom Train, providing a venue to meet with local community leaders about preparing for the AFT's visit. The meetings were held in Car 4, which was set up as a classroom, and equipped with an audio and video system. The Preamble staff presented the exhibit and display plans for the AFT, and showed the 16 MM film 'All Aboard America' projected on a screen at the rear end of the car. The film featured the song entitled All Aboard America, Here Comes The Freedom Train by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. Each guest received an AFT Press Kit with promotional material about the AFT, and a 45 RMP copy of the Wagoner/Parton recording. After the meeting wrapped up, everyone adjourned to Car 2, the dining car. Here, a full-course hot dinner prepared by a former NYC chef in the Power Car kitchen was served to the guests. At first, dinner meetings with the local Bicentennial committes were held at each stop. Starting in Denver, the meetings were held over breakfast though the rest of the trip.

This list is a work-in-progress. Any additions or corrections, please email. Many thanks go to Keith Muldowney and Lou Arcuri for all their research and notes. Keith and Lou were the mechanical crew, and traveled with the Preamble Express for its entire 48-state journey.

Date	Stop	Place	Notes
*July 5, 1974*	*	NJ	The Preamble Express, led by locomotive Delaware & Hudson locomotive #2313, leaves Lebanon, NJ. The train visits the Central of New Jersey's Elizabethport shops enroute to Cranford, NJ.
*July 6, 1974*	*	*	*Travel to Boston over the Penn Central.*
*July 8, 1974*	1	*Boston, MA*	*Meetings at Boston's North Station.*
*July 9, 1974*	2	*Manchester, NH*	*Arrived via the Boston & Maine RR. Parked near the Manchester Locomotive Works.*
*July 10, 1974*	3	*Portland, ME*	*At the site of the former Union Station, now the site of Union Station Plaza Shopping Center.*
*July 11, 1974*	4	*Burlington, VT*	Arrived at Vermont Railway yard over the B&M through New Hampshire to White River Jct. (much of this now a trail), then to CV trackage to Burlington where the train joined the Vermont Rwy (ex Rutland).
*July 12, 1974*	5	*Albany, NY*	*Arrived at at Albany Yard via Rutland on VTR and the D&H tracks.*
*July 13 - 15, 1974*	6	*Rochester, NY*	*NYC Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 16, 1974*	7	*Buffalo, NY*	*Union Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 17, 1974*	8	*Cleveland, OH*	*Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 18, 1974*	9	*Pittsburgh, PA*	*PRR Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 19 - 20, 1974*	10	*Columbus, OH*	*Union Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 21, 1974*	11	*Cincinnati, OH*	*Amtrak Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 22, 1974*	12	*Louisville, KY*	*L&N Station. Arrived via L&N.*
*July 23, 1974*	13	*Indianapolis, IN*	*Union Station. Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 24 - 27, 1974*	14	*Detroit, MI*	*Michigan Union Station. Arrived via Norfolk & Western.*
*July 28, 1974*	15	*Kalamazoo, MI*	*Arrived via Penn Central.*
*July 29, 1974*	16	*Peoria, IL*	*Rock Island Station. Arrived via South Bend and Kankakee on the Penn Central and Gilmanon the ICG and TP&W.*
*July 30-31, 1974*	17	*Chicago, IL*	*LaSalle St. Station. Arrived via Joliet on the Rock Island. A meeting of the sponsors was planned for the 31st, later but cancelled.*
*August 1, 1974*	18	*Milwaukee, WI*	*Union Station. Arrived via C&NW tracks.*
*August 2 - 4, 1974*	19	*Minneapolis, MN*	*Union Station. Arrived via Madison on CMSP&P tracks.*
*August 5, 1974*	20	*Fargo, ND*	*Fargo Station. Arrived via BN tracks.*
*August 6, 1974*	21	*Sioux City, IA*	*Arrived via West Minneapolis on BN and C&NW tracks.*
*August 7, 1974*	22	*Sioux Falls, SD*	*Arrived via CMSP&P tracks.*
*August 8, 1974*	23	*Des Moines, IA*	*Arrived via CMSP&P tracks.*
*August 9-10, 1974*	24	*Omaha, NE*	Union Station. Arrived via CMSP&P tracks. Locomotive #2313, a GE product, is switched out for Union Pacific locomotive #951, a GM product. GM had recently come on board as a million-dollar sponsor of the AFT.
*August 11 - 13, 1974*	25	*Denver, CO*	*Union Station. Arrived via BN tracks. Ultimately, Denver did not host the American Freedom Train. But Colorado Springs did.*
*August 14, 1974*	26	*Casper, WY*	*Arrived via BN tracks. Ultimately, Casper did not host the American Freedom Train even though tickets were printed up for Casper. Cheyenne did host the train.*
*August 15 - 16, 1974*	27	*Billings, MT*	*Arrived via BN tracks.*
*August 17, 1974*	*	*Butte, MT*	*Service stop on the BN.*
*August 18 - 19, 1974*	28	*Salt Lake City, UT*	*Arrived via UP tracks.*
*August 21, 1974*	29	*Boise, ID*	*Union Pacific Station. Arrived via UP tracks.*
*August 22, 1974*	*	*Hinkle, OR*	*Service stop on the UP.*
*August 23 - 25, 1974*	30	*Spokane, WA*	*Arrived via BN tracks.*
*August 26, 1974*	31	*Seattle, WA*	*Arrived via BN tracks.*
*August 27, 1974*	32	*Portland, OR*	*Arrived via Southern Pacific tracks.*
*August 28, 1974*	33	*Eugene, OR*	*Arrived via SP tracks.*
*August 29, 1974*	*	*Klamath Falls, OR*	*Overnight service stop on the Southern Pacific.*
*August 30 - September 2, 1974*	34	*Reno, NV*	*Arrived via SP tracks.*
*September 3, 1974*	35	*Sacramento, CA*	*Arrived via SP tracks.*
*September 4, 1974*	36	*San Francisco, CA*	*Arrived via SP tracks.*
*September 5, 1974*	37	*Fresno, CA*	*Arrived via Santa Fe tracks.*
*September 6, 1974*	38	*Los Angeles, CA*	*Arrived via SP tracks. Ultimately, Los Angeles did not host the American Freedom Train. But Long Beach, Anaheim, and Pomona did.*
*September 7-8, 1974*	39	*San Diego, CA*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 9, 1974*	*	*Yuma, AZ*	*Service stop on the SP.*
*September 10 - 11, 1974*	40	*Phoenix, AZ*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 12, 1974*	41	*Winslow, AZ*	*Arrived via SF tracks. Ultimately, Winslow did not host the American Freedom Train.*
*September 13 - 15, 1974*	42	*Albuquerque, NM*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 16, 1974*	*	*El Paso, TX*	*Overnight Service stop.*
*September 18, 1974*	43	*Austin, TX*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 19, 1974*	44	*Houston, TX*	*Arrived via Rock Island tracks.*
*September 20, 1974*	45	*Ft Worth, TX*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 21-22, 1974*	46	*Dallas, TX*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 23, 1974*	47	*Oklahoma City, OK*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 24, 1974*	48	*Wichita, KS*	*Arrived via SF tracks.*
*September 25, 1974*	49	*Kansas City, KS*	*Arrived via ICG and N&W tracks.*
*September 26 - 29, 1974*	50	*St. Louis, MO*	*Arrived via Missouri Pacific tracks.*
*	*	*Poplar Bluff, MO*	*Service stop on the Missouri Pacific.*
*September 30, 1974*	51	*Little Rock, AR*	*Arrived via Rock Island tracks.*
*October 1, 1974*	52	*Memphis,TN*	*Arrived via ICG tracks.*
*October 2, 1974*	53	*Jackson, MI*	*Arrived via ICG tracks.*
*October 3 - 6, 1974*	54	*New Orleans, LA*	*Arrived via Southern tracks.*
*	*	*Meridan, MS*	*Service stop on the Southern Railway.*
*October 7, 1974*	55	*Birmingham, AL*	*Arrived via Southern tracks.*
*October 8, 1974*	56	*Nashville, TN*	*Arrived via L&N and Southern tracks.*
*October 9 - 11, 1974*	57	*Atlanta, GA*	*Arrived via Southern tracks.*
*October 12 - 13, 1974*	58	*Jacksonville, FL*.	Arrived via Seaboard Coast Line tracks. At Jacksonville, someone added a large round Jacksonville Bicentennial sticker to the nose of the locomotive. The sticker stayed on until Miami, where it was gently removed.
*October 14, 1974*	59	*Orlando, FL*	*Arrived via SCL tracks.*
*October 15, 1974*	60	*Tampa, FL*	*Arrived via SCL tracks.*
*October 16 - 17, 1974*	61	*Miami, FL*	*Arrived via SCL tracks.*
*October 18 - 19, 1974*	62	*Jaxksonville, FL*	*Arrived via SCL tracks.*
*October 20, 1974*	63	*Savannah, GA*	*Arrived via SCL tracks.*
*October 21, 1974*	64	*Charleston, SC*	*Arrived via Southern tracks.*
*October 22, 1974*	65	*Charlotte, NC*	*Arrived via NS tracks.*
*October 23, 1974*	66	*Raleigh, NC*	*Arrived via Southern tracks.*
*October 24 - 27, 1974*	67	*Roanoke, VA*	*Arrived via N&W tracks.*
*October 28 - 29, 1974*	68	*Charleston, WV*	*Arrived via Williamson, VA on the N&W and Kenova, WV on the C&O.*
*October 30, 1974*	69	*Richmond, VA*	*Arrived via C&O tracks through Covington, VA and SCL tracks.*
*October 31, 1974*	70	*Norfolk, VA*	*Arrived via Petersburg, VA on the N&W, SCL and RF&P and then N&W again.*
*November 1 - 5, 1974*	71	*Baltimore, MD*	*Arrived via PC tracks.*
*November 6, 1974*	72	*Wilmington, DE*	*Arrived via PC tracks. Half day visit. No overnight stay.*
*November 6 - 7, 1974*	73	*Philadelphia, PA*	*Arrived via PC tracks.*
*November 8, 1974*	74	*Trenton, NJ*	*Arrived via PC tracks.* *Half day visit. No overnight stay.*
*November 8 - 11, 1974*	75	*New York, NY*	*Arrived via PC tracks.*
*November 12, 1974*	76	*Hartford, CT*	*Arrived via PC tracks. Ultimately, Hartford did not host the American Freedom Train.*
*November 13, 1974*	77	*Providence, RI*	*Arrived via PC tracks.*
*November 14, 1974*	*	*Baltimore, MD*	*End of the run -- Camden Station.*
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