Been thinking about our ages....

[tp49]

I'll bet those guys haven't set up shop under a railroad trestle since, no matter how good the fishing is

My first Amtrak experience was as an eight year old in 1984. My aunt took me from NYP to Philadelphia (mainly because I kept pestering her for a ride on Amtrak) on a Friday afternoon Clocker. This was during the period where it seemed that every day there was a major derailment on the NEC. I remember the train was so packed that we couldn't sit together. I guess I was somewhat of a chatterbox pointing everything out that I could see from the window. After about 15 minutes (as my aunt tells the story) the woman begged to switch seats with my aunt.

I always told my aunt that she should have held out for a cash offer before switching seats

Before that though I all of my train riding was the LIRR and the NYC Subway.

 

[battalion51]

The "Big Boy" had the largest boiler ever built and carried over 1200 gallons of water. Even with that capacity, it only had a range of of 100 to 150 miles, before having to pick up water.

Oh the horrid memories. At my first NRHS meeting we watched a two hour video on the Big Boy, the first half hour was interesting. After that it was shots of each individual Big Boy. Imagine what it'd be like if we did that with every Genesis. Oy Vey!

 

[Miami Joe]

I saw the "Big Boy" on Trains Ahead and they showed it in UP colors, pulling about twenty cars at full throttle!!!!

I'm trying to find out when UP pulls it out of the roundhouse and runs it. I can't remember if it was annually or bi-annual.

Now that I think about it, I'm going to the see if they mention it on UP's website.

Bye!!!

B)

 

[Amfleet]

Ya, but the Genesis sereis can be found in about 6 different schemes (III, III faded, IV, IV NEC, Va, Vb) which mkes it a little more interesting.

 

[Viewliner]

Va and Vb?

 

[Amfleet]

If you look closely some phase V locomotive paint was aplleid differently around the bottom. Compare 123 to 200 in the Photo Archive and you'll se what I mean.

 

[Viewliner]

Ok I see what you mean.

 

[Viewliner]

In fact 133-168 all have the blue on the bottom, while the 169-207 have the "other" Phase V

 

[Amfleet]

My guess is Warington ran out of money so he had to sacrafice on paint or it was just another "No, No, it just doesn't look right"

 

[Coach34135]

I'm 1971 kid, grew up in the 80s and all that, never thought of Amtrak. I used to watch em going by at the beach as a kid, did the usual bad things putting quarters on the rail. Nothing more than that. San Clemente, the San Diegan aka Pacific Surfliner aka Santa Fe Surfline.

Then I experienced a 1000 foot drop in a plane, an A310. FORGET FLYING!

And I'm a kid who's flown from SoFla to SoCal and back many times by myself! Haven't been in a stupid plane in 12 years.

From now on, if I can help it, Amtrak all the way!

Rode the Surfline a few times so far...

Sunset Limited was my first long trip, LOVED IT! My son, 7, would rather be ON the train than watching it! So I'm making sure he has an appreciation of rail travel. (my avatar IS my coach car on the SL-I had the car both ways too!)

I feel safer on the rails than up in the air, if you derail, seems like most of the time there are injuries. If you loose an engine in the train, they shut it down and drag it, In a plane you're dead if you loose an engine.

 

[Viewliner]

This P-42 (#47) Has no logo in front

 

[Amfleet]

That's a repaint from a P-42 that was in Phase III or IV. Notice the #47. The lack of a logo on the front was probably because the decal just ran out or the locomotive needed to be put on the road imedietly because of equipment restraints.