How ironic

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I was once on Train #5 and there were five people in the lounge car at the same time. It was so cool! Then somebody left. I was sad.
 
Dose Amtrak assign power for aout bound trains or do they just pull togethor a few units sitting in the yard for a run. I know the auto train has a fixed fleet of P40's.
 
I had 98 on 98 once. And as far as that "fixed" P40 fleet goes, its slowly starting to evaporate. Some of the P40s have found there way to intercity units ( :angry: thanks NOL), and 42's have begun to be regulars on the Auto Train, but they do still try to go all P40 when possible since the 40's, while less powerful are more reliable.
 
battalion51 said:
I had 98 on 98 once. And as far as that "fixed" P40 fleet goes, its slowly starting to evaporate. Some of the P40s have found there way to intercity units ( :angry: thanks NOL), and 42's have begun to be regulars on the Auto Train, but they do still try to go all P40 when possible since the 40's, while less powerful are more reliable.
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That's true. When I rode the Coast Starlight earlier this month, the second engine was P-40 #843.
 
I've seen 48 on 48 once and 49 on 49 twice over the years. In fact I once had both 48 & 49 on train #49. Otherwise no other oddities. :)
 
battalion51 said:
since the 40's while less powerful are more reliable.
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I thought the 40's based in sanford were rebuilt to 42 specs meaning they have teh same horsepower. ;)
 
engine999 said:
battalion51 said:
since the 40's while less powerful are more reliable.
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I thought the 40's based in sanford were rebuilt to 42 specs meaning they have teh same horsepower. ;)
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Some were indeed upgraded to P42 status.
 
I do recall that they were "upgraded in status," but to everyone out there they're still a P-40. The engines have some minor differences in the way that they're set up, plus those that are numbered below 832 couldn't get out of their own way (thanks to poor maintenence).
 
Yeah there still called p40's I belive most of the visible differences have been reomoved.
 
There were very few differences to begin with. One being the Phase III scheme, with the scheme trailing off towards the rear of the unit, another being the window in the helicopter room at the rear of the engine on the firemans side, another being the strobe lights, final difference being the installation of strobe lights. All these features have been removed, making them nearly identical to their P-42 sisters (a few mechanical differences still exist). I just wish they would've left the strobes in, strobes are just so frikin cool (sorry I'm a lighting freak).
 
This picture shows the location of the strobes pretty well. The strobes were removed after the FRA said that only one type of auxilary lights (ditch required anything else was extra), so to save a couple of bucks in Maintenece costs Amtrak removed them.
 
I think the strobes were either an FRA or Amtrak safety requirement before ditch lights were required in the early '90's. I think they strobes are pretty cool as well and I still get to see them on the AEM-7s (whether or not they are working is another issue). :p
 
Amfleet said:
I think the strobes were either an FRA or Amtrak safety requirement before ditch lights were required in the early '90's. I think they strobes are pretty cool as well and I still get to see them on the AEM-7s (whether or not they are working is another issue). :p
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Those strobes are not worth a crap to warn people at grade crossings.The FRA made ditch lights a must on all new engines i belive in 1996 i could be wrong on the year. :)
 
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