Inaugural Pioneer at Shoshone, Idaho, 1977.

Black and white photograph from the June 15, 1977, issue of Amtrak NEWS.

Inaugural <i>Pioneer</i> at Shoshone, Idaho, 1977.

Photograph Details

Date Archived:: October 18, 2013
Geography:: West
Decade:: 1970s
Data Format:: Image
Route:: Pioneer
Date Created:: June 1977; Download the full-sized version of this photo

The inaugural special of the Pioneer (Seattle-Salt Lake City) ran from June 4-6, 1977. Members of the press and state and local political and transportation officials rode aboard the train, and at each stop, the general public was invited to tour the new Amfleet equipment. According to an article in Amtrak NEWS, the busiest stops were at Boise, Idaho and Pendleton, Ore.—each had more than 3,000 visitors. The special consisted of two F40PH locomotives, two Amdinettes and four Amcoaches; regular revenue service began on June 7th. At Shoshone, various regional leaders addressed the crowd. From left to right are Idaho Governor John Evans; Mrs. Bethine Clark Church; Amtrak President and CEO Paul Reistrup; Senator Frank Forrester Church III; and Amtrak Board Member Joseph MacDonald. Commenting on the trip, Senator Church noted, “I’d almost forgotten how nice it is to see the landscape, to see the communities, to have contact with the country you’re riding through.” Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak.