Amtrak Diesels.

[Amtrak Railfan]

Hello there I want to get information on Amtrak Diesels please. My first thing to ask is about the GP40PH please. Thank you.

 

[P40Power]

Ex GO units built in 1966, bought by Amtrak in 1988. There were 10 units numbered from 190-199. They were originally called GP40TCs by Amtrak, only recently they have been started to be called GP40PHs. Amtrak originally put them to work on the Chicago corridor routes during the first year or so then they shifted east to routes out of Albany where they worked fairly often out of there until 96 or so. After that they became more of a switcher since the new P42s had eased the F40PH crunch enough so they could replace the odd GP40TCs on routes out of Albany.

After they were bumped from Albany, the units scattered around to various points around the East coast as switchers and work units. Many could be seen powering work trains in and out of Boston on the corridor. In 2000 or 2001 they were renumbered out of the 190 series due to the new P42 order. They are currently numbered in the 520 series. Not all 10 are active anymore, for the most current roster info on these units check out the on-track-online roster page.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

What is the Web site for that roster?

 

[P40Power]

On Track On Line - They have the best Amtrak roster on the net for locomotives, passenger cars, and express cars.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Can I find the P42s on the Michigan Routes from Chicago IL,Detroit MI to Toronto ON?

 

[P40Power]

You can find P42s on EVERY route execpt: Northeast corridor electified lines (occasionally they are on Silver Service though), Auto Train (P40s), Empire Service (P32 Dual Modes, though P42s often run trains beyond Albany North and west of there), Select diesel Northeast routes (may be operated by remaining P40s in area), Cascades (F59PHI), and All California Corridor routes (F59PHI).

So to answer your question, P42 operate on the Michigan routes. A special group of P42s are assigned to it, nos 28-36, 4 of which are left in the original Phase III paint scheme.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

So I can still see the P40s today?

 

[P40Power]

Yep on the Auto Train and select Northeast routes. I saw a picture taken recently (June 17) of P40 #840 on a Hiawatha train out of Chicago, which is odd. It must have strayed away from its Auto Train assignment. The picture was on the Amtrak Photo Archive site.

 

[P40Power]

Stray P40 in Chicago - 840 in Chicago

 

[tp49]

You can find P42s on EVERY route execpt: and All California Corridor routes (F59PHI).

recently one has appeared on Capitol Corridor service (it was on the San Joaquin route until they pulled it) I believe it is #152 I saw it yesterday morning on the way to work. Looks strange with the California cars as it is shorter than the F59PHI.

 

[P40Power]

Well of course there will be exceptions, that P42 was probably filling in for the 2001 unit which got plowed by a UP train into recently during the layover. The Genesis series are long units, but they are short as you say and dont match up like the tall F59PHIs like you said TP49, but the Genesis series will fit into some tight eastern clearences unlike the tall F59PHIs.

 

[P40Power]

Speaking of #152, I had just seen that unit July 16th leading 448 into Pittsfield. Also 2001, the unit that got plowed into by the UP freight is the number of my lone model F59. . . its kinda odd how those two units came up together in this discussion I think.

 

[battalion51]

Yep on the Auto Train and select Northeast routes. I saw a picture taken recently (June 17) of P40 #840 on a Hiawatha train out of Chicago, which is odd. It must have strayed away from its Auto Train assignment. The picture was on the Amtrak Photo Archive site.

WHAT THE HECK IS A P-40 DOING ON HIAWATHA SERVICE!?!? :angry: Those P-40's should never stray beyond Lorton, New Orleans or maybe Philly (if a P-42 dies on Silver Service). I would like to find the lunkhead in NOL that sent 840 to Chicago and smack him.

 

[P40Power]

WHAT THE HECK IS A P-40 DOING ON HIAWATHA SERVICE!?!? :angry: Those P-40's should never stray beyond Lorton, New Orleans or maybe Philly (if a P-42 dies on Silver Service). I would like to find the lunkhead in NOL that sent 840 to Chicago and smack him.

Thats what I said, I was shocked to see that picture of 840 on the Hiawatha. I mean after all they rebuilt that group of P40s, the most awesome units on Amtrak's roster, pretty much just for the Auto Train.

I can see it ending up in Chicago after going through New Orleans, but they should have sent it right back!

 

[battalion51]

Well I know why 840 is in New Orleans, it was most likely the last road power to take the Sunnyset from Sanford to New Orleans. From there it should have been sent on the Crescent to Washington where it could be returned to Sanford on the SB Silver Star or Meteor. What should happen now though is that 840 is taken off Hiawatha, sent to Washington on either the Capitol Ltd or Cardinal and then back to Sanford. I'll see if I can't get a call into Mechanical in Sanford tomorrow to alert them of 840's status. <_<

 

[Amfleet]

I'm just wondering what the big deal is that a P-40 made it up to Chicago. Maybe it went there for heavy repair or there was shortage of locomotives or the City of New Orleans needed a quick replacemet for power and only 840 was avalible. Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture, but a locomotive is only a locomotive.

 

[P40Power]

True, it is only a locomotive. And since the picture was taken June 17th, isnt possible that 840 is back to its normal rompin grounds? If not, just fire up good ol 803 sittin around up Wilmington have that beast fill in for 840 B)

 

[battalion51]

Let me try to explain this as best as I can. When David Gunn made the move to store all the P-40's he wanted to store the AT P-40's as well. This was not Kosher with AT management, Engineering, or Mechanical. They made their case to Gunn that the P-40's were better suited for AT than P-42's were. So David agreed to let AT keep their 10 P-40's but the locomotives would only be used for Sunset power (to NOL), Auto Train, and Silver Service emergency power (P-42 dead in water). AT management accepted this along with the rebuilds for the P-40's. When the P-40's became exclusive to Sanford it was understood that those engines don't go further north than Philly or further west than New Orleans, period end of statement. One of the major things with a P-40 going astray is that it falls into bad mechanincal hands. See the difference between Sanford mechanical and the rest of the country is that Sanford actually takes care of its equipment, unlike other mechanical departments. When something gets written up in Sanford it is taken care of before that engine/car leaves the yard again. Also, I would like to make the comparison of the P-40's to a Deluxe Sleeper or an Auto Train lounge, IT NEVER LEAVES SANFORD MECHANICAL! That's the way we think of the P-40's.

 

[P40Power]

Speaking of P40s, I downloaded the full 5 year plan just yesterday and was very relieved that there were no plans on getting rid of the P40s, even the stored ones

 

[battalion51]

It's too bad that there aren't any Transit agencies that would lease the stored P-40's, at least that way Amtrak could make some cash on units they aren't using. (That money could be used to help pay off loans on the P-42's.)

 

[Amfleet]

I rather see the P-32-8s be sold than the P-40s in storage, but there must be a story behind all this.

 

[AlanB]

I rather see the P-32-8s be sold than the P-40s in storage, but there must be a story behind all this.

Well then obviously, you are overlooking the fact that Amtrak only carries Pepsi products on their trains. Therefore they can't sell off the Pepsi Cans. :lol:

Right?

 

[battalion51]

You hit the nail on the head Alan, :unsure: . But I think that because the DASH8's are due to be retired by 2008 <_< :angry: :blink: :huh: h34r: the move to store the P-40's is a good idea. Also look at the type of service the DASH8's are doing, switching and MOW, the P-40's could NEVER do that on a regular basis, the P-40's are a road unit.

 

[tp49]

If they sold the pepsi cans we'd be out at least two locos out here as you can regularly see them on the caps.

P42 funny you mention the CDTX 2001, the trainset with the P-42 was on one of the depot storage tracks when the accident occurred (and I don;t think they'll ever fix the platform damage from the wreck either).

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

On Amtrak's Pennsylvanian from New York Penn Station to Philadelphia 30th Street Station what kind of Power does the Train have? And how many P42 Diesels can I see on the Pennsylvanian from Philadelphia 30th Street Station to Pittburgh PA?