All aboard the Amtrak Exhibit Train!

The public and railroad buffs are invited to take a self-guided tour in Whitefish through the history of Amtrak beginning in the 1970s and ending with the future of railway transportation.

Artifacts, memorabilia and interactive exhibits line the cars from posters, time tables, maps, dinnerware, menus, seats, uniforms, mechanics and a two-passenger bedroom.

The Amtrak Exhibit Train was created in 2011 to celebrate Amtrak’s 40th anniversary.

“We serve over 500 stations and communities, so we have the ability to come to communities like Whitefish and thank them for their dedication,” said Rob Eaton, senior manager of government affairs for Amtrak. “More than 60,000 people get on the train here in Whitefish. And it does tell our story — where we started in 1971 and where we’re going in the future as you travel down the train.”

In one entrance, the first sight is a train hostess uniform featuring the eye-catching trends of the 1970s — a red jacket with bold white stripes, black skirt and white go-go boots. And yes, hot pants were an option. The uniform is a departure from today’s modest, solid navy blue suits on display farther down the train.

During a preview on Friday, Amtrak Train Master Steve Ostrowski, who also is a locomotive engineer explained a miniature replica of multicolored railcars he called the “rainbow train.”

Before Amtrak, freight trains also had passenger cars. When the passenger cars didn’t bring in profits, the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 created Amtrak, which took over the freight train passenger cars that came in different styles.

“We took over the passenger aspect of all the freight railroads, so in the beginning our trains looked like this because we didn’t have a paint scheme yet, so we took whatever cars we had. Some were from Southern Pacific, some were from Burlington Northern, some were from Penn Central, that’s why in our first years we called it a rainbow train,” Ostrowski said.

Today’s travelers take the train for a variety of reasons. Some people take the train as to avoid shrinking airplane seats. Other people take the train for the nostalgia or to relax during a commute. Many choose the train to see America’s landscapes roll by.

“When you’re on a plane you get from L.A. to New York in five hours. When you do it on a train it takes four days, but you get to see America,” Ostrowski said.

Train Days in Whitefish are today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday before heading to the next stop in Philadelphia.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.