In 1997 American Orient Express (AOE) blasted on to the scene like a oasis in the desert of passenger train travel. With it's train set of heritage equipment that has had the interior restored with rare woods to the standards of late 19th and early 20th century. The outside has been painted a lavish cream, gold and blue scheme, heartening back to glory days of the named trains.

American Orient Express (AOE) started out as American European Express (AEE) on November 15, 1989. Attached to Amtrak's regularly scheduled trains 29 and 30, the Capitol Limited, the service, marketed as a luxury train for business passengers, never took off. Soon the schedule was tweaked, offering vacationers a deluxe journey from Chicago to New York via West Virginia's New River Gorge, with optional overnight stays at the Greenbrier.

This was a step in the right direction, but even as the ridership increased, the train was taken out of service that same October. Then, after a train derailment on June 21, 1991 which wiped out nearly half of its eleven car-fleet, AEE ceased operations.

After a failed attempt to convert the train into a transport service for country music enthusiasts traveling between Texas and Branson, Missouri, the renamed American Orient Express was leased and marketed by TCS Expeditions of Seattle. This time the concept of "cruising by rail" really took-off and the train was promoted as a unique alternative to ship cruising.

Beginning in late 1997 TCS spun off AOE to Henry Hillman Jr. Hillman, founder of the athletic apparel company Avia, is also a director of the family-owned Hillman Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Portland, Oregon based entrepreneur's wealth originates from the Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical industrial empire built by his grandfather, John Hillman, who died in 1959. The Hillman Company provided early funding for a large number of venture capital and management buyout organizations.

"The idea came to me in 1994 aboard a Seabourn ship, on a cruise to Normandy," says Hillman. "I had a great time on the ship, and it got me thinking that I'd love to see the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and lots of other great places in the United States - in this same style."

This led to the acquisition of the train and its operation. Hillman formed Oregon Rail Holdings, LLC of Portland, Ore., which also owns the American West Steamboat Company of Seattle Wash.

AOE's rail cruise's differ from the name trains in that they operate as rolling hotel. The train is taken as close as they can get to their destination by rail, and then passengers board bus es for the final leg of their tour. On some cruises they may overnight in a hotel, such as Historic Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn. And unlike the original Orient Express, where passengers generally dress up, on AOE dress is casual.

AOE's operations in Idaho currently consist of two seasonal trains, exclusively on Union Pacific tracks. Both trains use the same train set of equipment. The tours are generally run with a reverse itinerary, making it much like a large loop. This means that it the ending city of one tour will generally be the beginning city of the next.

The first train is The Great Northwest and Rockies (TGNR). It's Itinerary is Seattle to Glacier National Park, Helena, Great Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Salt Lake City. Some of the highlights of this trip, beyond the obvious, is a tour of Seattle, the Flathead Indian Reservation lands, the Charles M. Russell Museum, and the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and Interpretive Center. TGNR runs through midsummer and into the fall.

The second train is the National Parks of the West (NPW), which in many ways can trace it's roots back to Union Pacific's Yellowstone Special and the Santa Fe's Grand Canyon. It's Itinerary is Sante Fe NM, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Salt Lake City. NPW has more trips then TGNR and start in the spring through midsummer then has a few more trips in the fall.

Sidebar: For more information on AOE's land cruise schedule, see here.

Idaho Falls, Idaho is AOE's jumping off point for Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Arrival is usually in the morning or late evening, and AOE uses the old railroad station to offload and load the passengers. The train is usually parked in Idaho Falls for two or three days, while the passengers are touring the parks, and this layover is used by the crew of the train to service the train. While the TGNR goes onwards, the NPW turns on the Idaho Falls yard wye, and this is done usually the day before departure.

Of the country AOE travels through in Idaho, the most picturesque is in southern and northern, eastern Idaho. The southern part is from Pocatello to the Utah border, including the Portneuf Gap, a large pass for Union Pacific. The northern part is Moida pass and its picturesque Beaver canyon, Union Pacific's entry point into Montana. Moida is home to near ghost towns such as Monida, Montana, and the total ghost towns like Humphreys, Idaho, once one of Union Pacific Railroad's largest ice manufacturing plants.

While passenger train travel for many of us is long gone into the glory days, AOE gives us a look into a window on the past. If one gets a chance to see this special train on outside or inside I would recommend you do it.

Idaho Falls resident Steve Spring is a frequent contributor to NWOR, and additionally is VP of the Eagle Rock Railroad Historical Society. More of his photography can be seen at his PBase gallery. The author would like to thank Layne Hanson for his help in editing this article and Ben Ostenson for his knowledge of Montana Sub. Steve can be reached at lazarus@ida.net.