Hi everyone!

This is Eddie K, Your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page. Coming to You from the city of Chicago Illinois USA.

Being a lifelong Chicago railfan born in 1962 from the near southwest side of Chicago, one of My childhood memories were seeing the early Amtrak trains passing through town.

In the year of 1970, The now late United States President Richard M. Nixon signed in to law, The National Rail Passenger Service Act. Begining during the mid to late 1950's, the individual railroads who had operated their own passenger trains from the begining, had been gradually phasing them out or greatly reducing their passenger operations. America was in danger of eventually losing all of the long distance, regional and intercity passenger trains all together.

Amtrak began operations on May 1st, 1971. I especially remember how the early Amtrak trains during the first few years of operation, were a mix of second hand equipment and color schemes from several railroads. This was known as Amtrak's "Rainbow Era".

I remember how much I had hated seeing this "Hodge Podge" arrangement of color schemes as a kid, but somehow ended up incorporating an H.O Scale rainbow era Amtrak train during the 1980's on one of My model railroads using Athearn and Con Cor equipment.

Happy memorys today.

Eddie K.