Amtrak Cascades Tuts Up

[NW cannonball]

I've been meaning to ask...is that cowcatcher/snowplow thing on the front of the loco standard equipment that I've just never noticed before without the gold paint job? Or is it new?

It's standard. Google the photos of F59-PHI locomotives.

Geez I never noticed it either until the gold paint, and that is my typical engine. Well actually I don't see it that much since pulling into SOL and VNC in my boarding direction it is cab-forward, but I have never seen that... I did google it and I am surprised that that is typical.

Actually it is almost universally typical of locomotives to have some type of snowplow on it.

"Cowcatchers" have been on locos for a long time. A FOAF who was forced to abandon his pickup on the BNSF mainline (poor maintenance on his part) learned that his car insurance got a claim from the railroad for "re-painting front of locomotive". His pickup was totally demolished.

Don't "" with King Tut.

 

[fairviewroad]

A FOAF who was forced to abandon his pickup on the BNSF mainline (poor maintenance on his part) learned that his car insurance got a claim from the railroad for "re-painting front of locomotive". His pickup was totally demolished.

OK, this is admittedly off-topic, but how does one get into a situation where they are "forced to abandon" their vehicle on a mainline railroad? Was he "forced" to get onto

the tracks in the first place? Or was this some sort of freak incident where his truck stalled on a grade-crossing and he didn't have the time/help needed to push

it off the tracks before the first train came through?

 

[oldtimer]

A FOAF who was forced to abandon his pickup on the BNSF mainline (poor maintenance on his part) learned that his car insurance got a claim from the railroad for "re-painting front of locomotive". His pickup was totally demolished.

OK, this is admittedly off-topic, but how does one get into a situation where they are "forced to abandon" their vehicle on a mainline railroad? Was he "forced" to get onto

the tracks in the first place? Or was this some sort of freak incident where his truck stalled on a grade-crossing and he didn't have the time/help needed to push

it off the tracks before the first train came through?

In my years of railroad experience I can tell you that stalling or becoming stuck on the tacks is not uncommon. I personally have been on trains that have had at least 10 of these incidents.

PS that "cow catcher" thing is called a pilot.

 

[AlanB]

As my driver Ed teacher in high school told us, "one should never go over a RR crossing at a speed less than 5 MPH. At 5 MPH, even if your car stalls, you'll still have enough forward momentum left to clear the tracks."

If you're stuck on the tracks, then you're doing something wrong!

 

[NW cannonball]

A FOAF who was forced to abandon his pickup on the BNSF mainline (poor maintenance on his part) learned that his car insurance got a claim from the railroad for "re-painting front of locomotive". His pickup was totally demolished.

OK, this is admittedly off-topic, but how does one get into a situation where they are "forced to abandon" their vehicle on a mainline railroad? Was he "forced" to get onto

the tracks in the first place? Or was this some sort of freak incident where his truck stalled on a grade-crossing and he didn't have the time/help needed to push

it off the tracks before the first train came through?

In my years of railroad experience I can tell you that stalling or becoming stuck on the tacks is not uncommon. I personally have been on trains that have had at least 10 of these incidents.

PS that "cow catcher" thing is called a pilot.

Yes off-topic but important safety issue - so --

The story as I heard it was the pickup driver knew his starter had intermittent failures. He was last of a string of cars crossing the tracks when the car ahead of him hit brakes hard (for unknown reasons). He panic-stopped from low speed, stalled, starter failed. Bell starts ringing, gates coming down, so he very reasonably left the vehicle and ran away from the tracks.

The safety message is -- when crossing at grade -- make sure there's plenty of room on the other side of the tracks before you start crossing. The driver ahead you might brake for butterflies.

The only relevance to the Tut photos is that the insurance claim for the repaint job would be a lot bigger. And maybe the ascended soul of king Tut would give you really bad luck if you defiled his image by getting in its way with a motor vehicle or your body or anything else.

Thanks to all for posting the photos.

 

[fairviewroad]

The only relevance to the Tut photos is that the insurance claim for the repaint job would be a lot bigger. And maybe the ascended soul of king Tut would give you really bad luck if you defiled his image by getting in its way with a motor vehicle or your body or anything else.

 

[CHamilton]

And maybe the ascended soul of king Tut would give you really bad luck if you defiled his image by getting in its way with a motor vehicle or your body or anything else.

Maybe they should start putting these at grade crossings

 

[SarahZ]

Hmmmm..."Tuts up"....sorry, I mis-read the title and thought it was referring to another cliche about being dead in the water....

Same here. :giggle:

I love the black and gold color scheme. That's really sharp. I wish they'd keep it.

Or, better yet, it would be neat if they had a color/wrap scheme for every train - something that highlights the route and scenery. The Wolverine, for example, could have the Detroit skyline on one end with water along the train and then the Chicago skyline on the other end. The colors could be pale blue sky, darker blue water, black skylines, clouds, and maybe some trees somewhere in the mix.

For the SWC, they could feature the Chicago and L.A. skylines on either end with grassy plains, mountains, and red rocks along the middle.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmmmm..."Tuts up"....sorry, I mis-read the title and thought it was referring to another cliche about being dead in the water....

Same here. :giggle:

I love the black and gold color scheme. That's really sharp. I wish they'd keep it.

Or, better yet, it would be neat if they had a color/wrap scheme for every train - something that highlights the route and scenery. The Wolverine, for example, could have the Detroit skyline on one end with water along the train and then the Chicago skyline on the other end. The colors could be pale blue sky, darker blue water, black skylines, clouds, and maybe some trees somewhere in the mix.

For the SWC, they could feature the Chicago and L.A. skylines on either end with grassy plains, mountains, and red rocks along the middle.

Can you imagine what some trains would look like if they swap out cars last minute, with another route's train set? Imagine the SWC with an EB car (with snowy mountains and/or a moose) somewhere in the middle. :giggle:

 

[SarahZ]

And maybe the ascended soul of king Tut would give you really bad luck if you defiled his image by getting in its way with a motor vehicle or your body or anything else.

Maybe they should start putting these at grade crossings

Oh my gosh... that's hilarious... :lol:

 

[SarahZ]

Or, better yet, it would be neat if they had a color/wrap scheme for every train - something that highlights the route and scenery. The Wolverine, for example, could have the Detroit skyline on one end with water along the train and then the Chicago skyline on the other end. The colors could be pale blue sky, darker blue water, black skylines, clouds, and maybe some trees somewhere in the mix.

For the SWC, they could feature the Chicago and L.A. skylines on either end with grassy plains, mountains, and red rocks along the middle.

Can you imagine what some trains would look like if they swap out cars last minute, with another route's train set? Imagine the SWC with an EB car (with snowy mountains and/or a moose) somewhere in the middle. :giggle:

Even better.

 

[Agent]

Another website has reported that the King Tut unit left the Northwest on yesterday's (9/17) Empire Builder, and is currently traveling across the country to Chicago. There is also a private car on the train. (I suppose I could have made a different thread "Empire Builder Tuts Up")

 

[trainman74]

Another website has reported that the King Tut unit left the Northwest on yesterday's (9/17) Empire Builder, and is currently traveling across the country to Chicago.

If it gets put on the City of New Orleans, it should feel right at home going through southern Illinois, a.k.a. "Little Egypt."

 

[CHamilton]

The King Tut exhibit in Seattle has closed, but Amtrak 470 is still in its regalia, and has been seeing service on the EB. Unfortunately,

King Tut was no match for an Elk... Got set out at Spokane for strike damage.

via Facebook.

 

[jmx53]

The King Tut exhibit in Seattle has closed, but Amtrak 470 is still in its regalia, and has been seeing service on the EB. Unfortunately,

King Tut was no match for an Elk... Got set out at Spokane for strike damage.

via Facebook.

Would an elk carry insurance to cover the paint job? :giggle:

There's a thread on T.O. with a link to an article on the Trains Magazine website...I'm not a member so I couldn't read it: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2970952

 

[jsreeves]

Another website has reported that the King Tut unit left the Northwest on yesterday's (9/17) Empire Builder, and is currently traveling across the country to Chicago.

If it gets put on the City of New Orleans, it should feel right at home going through southern Illinois, a.k.a. "Little Egypt."

I would love to see a photo of it as it passes by the Pyramid in Memphis on the CONO!

I doubt that will happen though since the exhibit ended almost 2 weeks ago.

I'm guessing it won't be around much longer.