Amtrak wall calendar, 1984.

Since 1974, Amtrak has been involved with the publication of an annual wall calendar that generally features a name train, new equipment or important pieces of rail infrastructure—and sometimes all three. The upper third of the calendar has featured artwork by noted railroad artists such as Gil Reid, Ted Rose and J. Craig Thorpe in mediums including watercolor, oil-on-canvas and photography.

In this image, Reid depicts the new Auto Train (Lorton, Va.-Sanford, Fla.) passing the Silver Meteor (New York-Miami). In 1969, Eugene Garfield founded the Auto-Train Corporation to transport passengers and their motor vehicles by rail. Auto-Train service began on December 6, 1971, with daily trips in both directions. The company would provide this service until it ceased operations in 1981.

Amtrak conducted a feasibility study to investigate a restoration of the popular Auto-Train, and service began in October, 1983, under the name Auto Train (no hyphen). Today, the train consists of locomotives, bi-level Superliner cars and auto-rack rail cars; considered the longest passenger train in the world, it often measures about ¾ of a mile long.

Artist: Gil Reid (American, 1918-2007) for Amtrak.

From the W. Mike Weber Collection.