Amtrak's Vermonter.

[battalion51]

Don't forget Arizona Alan. Arizona makes a small contribution (2-3%) of the natio's Oranges.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

When was the first run of the Vermonter?

 

[P40Power]

April 2nd (Im pretty sure the 2nd), 1995. It replaced the overnight Montrealer, which ran on a slightly different routing, mainly between Palmer, MA and New London, CT.

 

[battalion51]

If I'm not mistaken theMontrealer stayed on the New England Central from Palmer to New London. The New England Central was also used between St. Albans and somewhere near the Canadian border. Amtrak decided the train was too expensive to run between St. Albans and Montreal due to the fact that CN has prior rights on the land, and would require a CN Engineer and Conductor on board between St Albans and Montreal.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Will the Vermonter will have lots of Passagers this Afternoon for the Christmas Getaway?

 

[battalion51]

You betya. Spoke with an Engineer from 55-23 he said the train was packed in. He said he staked out his seat for the trip to New York at about 5:00 AM in St. Albans. :lol:

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Was the Vermonter used to have P40s?

 

[battalion51]

Yes like other Northeastern routes the Vermonter, Downeaster, Shuttles, and Regionals (to Boston before electrification, out to Harrisburg, Niagra Falls, and Newport News) all used P40s.

 

[Amfleet]

Yes like other Northeastern routes the Vermonter, Downeaster, Shuttles, and Regionals (to Boston before electrification, out to Harrisburg, Niagra Falls, and Newport News) all used P40s.

Nope, not any more I believe. All P-40s, except for the 8 used in Auto Train service, were stored. All power for Northeastern trains are P-42s.

 

[battalion51]

Key word used. At one time they were all powered by P-40's and P-42 NEC units.

All power for Northeastern trains are P-42s.

That statement's not entirely true. There are still a few P-40's hanging around, they were going out to Niagra Falls and Toronto, they were at one time even going to St. Albans (I know this because my buddy cursed himself up a storm when they had one) within the past three months. So while they aren't out in abundance, there's a couple still floating around out there.

 

[AlanB]

So while they aren't out in abundance, there's a couple still floating around out there.

Well let's hope that they are not really floating, like they are in that picture in the Amtrak literature. :lol: :lol:

Ps. I just saw a 40 in Sunnyside last week.

 

[battalion51]

A diesel non switcher in Sunnyside? Isn't that a little unusual Alan?

 

[AlanB]

A diesel non switcher in Sunnyside? Isn't that a little unusual Alan?

Yes it is odd, and I don't know what it was doing in Sunnyside, although I doubt that it was being used as a switcher. Nonetheless there was an 800 series motor sitting in the yard unattached.

I didn't have time to catch the full number, but I did get the leading 8. All 800 series locos are P40's. It was gone two days later when I rode over the yard again on the #7 train.

For that matter, I'm not even sure how they got it there. Although I'm sure that they could have dragged it through Penn behind some other power source or perhaps it came via Boston.

 

[Amfleet]

Well if P-40s are working on trains out of Albany, then maybe it came down from there.

 

[AlanB]

Well if P-40s are working on trains out of Albany, then maybe it came down from there.

Well that could be, however the 40 would still have to be dragged through Penn by a P32 AC-DM, due to the no diesel rules in Manhattan.

Even then one would have to wonder why they would go through all of that trouble.

 

[battalion51]

My best theory is that a train got stuck dead in the water up near New Haven and the 40 was used to drag it in. If you would've caught the number on it I could've gotten a history on that engine, but oh well.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

When was the Vermonter have the its own Baggage Car?

 

[P40Power]

I have a calender with a picture of the Vermonter going over a bridge in August 1995 and it had its personalized Baggage car, and seeing the train started that April I would say the train had it pretty much from the start. Probably not the first day, but probably a month or two afterwards.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

So far How many Vermonter Baggage Cars is in service?

 

[battalion51]

Three. On Track On Line has many rosters here.

 

[Viewliner]

Three. On Track On Line has many rosters here.

It tells you how many Locomotives, Passenger Cars, Trainsets, etc. Amtrak has...

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

I like the On Track on line Roster Site and think you Battalion 51 to give me the link.