Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train poster, 2011.

Amtrak undertook various projects to commemorate the company's 40th anniversary in 2011. Employees wrote a book chronicling Amtrak by decade; painted five locomotives in historic Amtrak paint schemes ("phases"); produced limited edition model trains; and launched a popular 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train that stopped in 45 communities and welcomed more than 85,000 visitors between May 2011 and May 2012.

Heritage Baggage cars were transformed into a rolling museum on wheels and outfitted with display cases filled with vintage menus, dinnerware, schedules, photographs and other memorabilia representing the company's first forty years. Visitors could also view original uniforms, a display of train horns with audio recordings, an engineer's stand and other exhibits highlighting the day-to-day operations of the railroad. Most of the items on display were lent or donated by retired and current employees.

Read more about the creation of the 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train.