MORE ON AMTRAK #2 Beginning in 1975, Amtrak began replacing its diesel fleet and re-designing its passenger cars to operate with head-end electrical power provided by an on-board generator (the early days also saw some dedicated "generator cars" for a brief time). The lions share of the locomotive work went to EMD, who provided the famous "F40." They are characterized by red white and blue horizontal "bicentennial"stripes. By 1995 once again it became clear that the second-generation EMD's would need to be replaced. Enter GE. First, modified "dash-8" locomotives were purchased, arriving in 1991 in "pepsi-can" scheme. General Electric won the bid, with its Genesis 4200 horsepower design. One new GE could in theory replace two old EMD's. GE's P40's and P42's comprise Amtraks third generation of diesel locomotives. The road number 2 at Amtrak was evidently not used before being assigned in 1996 was GE serial number 49321. It showed an August 1996 build date and served faithfully until 2023. In May it had a run-in with a semi-truck truck trailer in Florida. Moved to Beech Grove by freight train in July, 2023, it is not known whether it will be repaired and returned to service. Over the years, we have seen visual changes to the fleet of Genesis locomotives working at Amtrak. Most obvious, headlight lenes were removed, and later noses modified from steel to bolt-on composite panels. Eventually the old rectangular headlight box gave way to a scoop design for the headlight. As engines were damaged or overhauled, builder stickers were lost, and when eventually Amtrak got around to replacing them, only the engineer side received one. An outward looking camera was added to the fireman side windshield after 2010, and much more electronic gear has been added. After 2020, positive train control equipment became manditory. In our first group, #1-9 road numbers, we note that all wore the three basic paint schemes. Engine #2 wore its circa 1993 livery until the summer of 2000. Typically P42's receive an overhaul and/or paint refresh at around three year intervals, although it can be sooner or later depending upon the number of hours of use. Wreck damage may cause it to happen prematurely as well. After 1998, Amtrak started repainting its diesels in a "northeast direct" livery, and that seems to have been more of a marketing inspired change for engines #1-28, as some were taken sooner than one might have expected. So #2 was probably taken in earlier than would have happened in subsequent years. This paint scheme was initially applied only to locomotives #101-111, which had "Northeast Corridor" stenciled on them as well. Its use expanded to include some of the western fleet only until the year 2000, after which time a new "millenium" bluenose paint scheme was introduced. Engine #2 evidently received that repaint in the summer of 2003. It was the "low skirt" variant, which had by then become the system standard for P42s. THE FLORIDA INCIDENT Locomotive #2 received front end damage on the Silver Meteor, train 98 of May 18, 2023 in Volusia County, Florida. Trailing was another P42, engine #40, along with nine cars. A private crossing was occupied by a semi-tractor/trailer combination at MP 728.32 on the CSX Sanford subdivision, at Seville, Florida. The owner of the private road is generally responsible for safety improvements. In this case evidently only the standard cross-bucks and private crossing signs were posted. The front end of #2 sustained damage, including to the coupler and windshield, when it split the trailer in half. The engine was set out and moved eventually to Sanford (the Autotrain base) and evidently remained there for six weeks. Moved in freight service to Beech Grove, Indiana during July 2023. There were no reported injuries to the truck driver or anyone on Amtrak 98. Following are the last reported movements we had for #2 prior to the accident: #2 - Serial 49321 (August 1996). Train 20 of January 22, 2023. Then reported on train 1 of February 4, 2023 headed to Los Angeles. Train 2 of February 8 to New Orleans. Train 2 February 22(w/7). Train 4 Feb 27(w/134). Train 4 Feb 27(w/134). Train 5 Mar 3 (w/81). Train 6 Mar 4(w/81). Iowa Mar 7(w/81). Train 5 Mar 13(w/167). Train 6 Mar 14(w/167). Train 5 Mar 17(w/167). Train 4 Mar 20(w/167). Train 3 Mar23(w/160+167). Train 4 Mar26(w/180). Train 3 Mar29(w/180). Train 2 April 2(w/180). Train 1 Apr5(w/180). Train 2 Apr7(w/180). Train 1 Apr10(w/180). Tr4 Apr21(w/137). CHI-BEE Apr25/27(w/68+103). BEE-CHI Apr26/27. Chicago April 27-May 11. T50 May11/12. T153 May13. T88 May14. T29 May14/15. T30 May15/16. T97May17/18(w/40). Road crossing damage in Florida Train 98 May 18, 2023(w/40 trailing). Moved by freight to Beech Grove in July 2023. Trailing on M222 of July 12, Sanford to Birmingham. July 14, 2023 Update from 4rr.com