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This
list is a work-in-progress. Any additions or corrections,
please email. |
DATE |
EVENTS |
Nov 15, 1989 |
Bill
Spann starts American-European Express. The first car is ZURICH. Two sets of cars are attached to Amtrak's Capitol Limited trains offering luxury service between Chicago and Washington, DC. Inaugural run in November 15.. |
March 1, 1991 |
The Greenbrier Limited makes its inaugural run. This new concept for the AEE has all the cars running together in their own train and stopping at the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV. |
June 21, 1991 |
A mishap
-- 11 cars were damaged by a flatbed truck on the railroad tracks. MONTE CARLO got the worst of it, but is soon repaired. |
September 12, 1991 |
A second mishap
-- two people trespassing on the Northeast Corridor are struck by a press preview of the proposed AEE winter service between Washington DC and Miami. The AEE cars are mothballed in Florida, later stored in Atlanta. |
October 14, 1991 |
The last run of the American-European Express. The AEE cars were then mothballed in Florida, later stored in Atlanta. |
1994-1995 |
Rebirth
of the concept as the American Orient Express. The cars run in service on 17 trips from San Antonio, TX to Branson, MO. |
1996 |
From this year the AOE is turned into a true land-cruise tourist operation. Bookings take off. Growth actually becomes an issue as the train gets too long for station platforms. |
2002-2004 |
Introduction
and operation of the AOE II, splitting the cars of the AOE into two nearly-identical trains. |
2006 |
AOE sold
and rebranded GrandLuxe Express |
August
2008 |
GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys ends operations amid the deepest recession since the Great Depression. |
June 2009 |
GrandLuxe
Express cars sold to American Railway Explorer project and other buyers. |
2011 |
American Railway Explorer cars sold - mostly - to Greenbrier
Presidential Express project. Some of the cars would have been on familiar rails from 20 years earlier, as the Greenbrier Presidential Express was planned to run over some of the same routing as the 1991 American-European Express/Greenbrier Limited. |
2014 |
Greenbrier
Presidential Express cars sold to a variety of new owners. |
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