of diesel locomotives at Erie, Pennsylvania, during the period 1993-2001. Amtrak purchased 44 P40's, 207 P42's, and 18 dualmodes (the latter with New York State support for Empire Services). They are now Amtrak's longest-serving diesels. Even the newest ones are now 20+ years old and are eventually due to be replaced by Siemens Chargers.
2021 RAILFANNING AT ESSEX MONTANA
Check out a camper at Essex, Montana near the Amtrak stop and Glacier east entrance. If interested in renting, please hit us up with a message from the green page link. Handy to Issac Walton, trainwatching on the High Line, and of course Glacier National Park. The Empire Builder is expected to be back in daily service by the end of May. Comfortable unit in a nice commercial RV park with most amenities (including slow internet), operating May-September 2021.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
For new viewers, perhaps if you just found this page, here is our mission: To track as well as possible the movements of Amtrak's ancient P42 Genesis locomotive fleet, along with those few even older P40's that are still active at Amtrak. From time to time we may also have some general comments about the future of transportation in North America.
FOUR MORE SPECIAL PAINT GENESIS UNITS
Amtrak turned 50 last year, as President Richard Nixon signed the authorizing law in October 1970 at his home in San Clemente, California. Two of the 40 year anniversary special paint engines (130 and 145) are still in service. 130 was a late entry, replacing wrecked #66. We don't know what's up with 156 (at Beech Grove) and 184 at Chicago, but they could come back with refreshes.
Four more P42/P40 special paint units have been announced for the anniversary. Actually five, if you count #46, which is already out with a large decal over standard paint job (and is shopped at Renssy).
Rumor has it that #100 will go into the midnight blue. There are some other Beech Grove units that are possible candidates to return to service if new Chargers are not put to work first:
42 - If they can cure the other glitches
57
68
156 - Maybe just a paint refresh?
160
161
191
195
Two more P42's went to Beech Grove overnight April 10-11, #25 and #138 (with shuttle 68 and the two Connecticut shorline units). 25 led the hospital train portion back to Chicago on Monday morning.
A new company-owned Charger, #301, is also scheduled to move east from Florin (possibly on train 6?) to Rensselaer or Philadelphia in the next few days, also in a special paint scheme. If you get a heads-up on this, please let us know. Engine #300 is actually the first Amtrak-owned unit, but seems to be in standard paint. It will be a big deal when it comes east.
VIEWLINER SLEEPER CARS
It looks like 62002 was the first sleeper to go on the re-started Washington-Boston regional twilight service in April. Here are the low level sleepers we have not heard about in a few weeks:
62005 - Now reported T91-10 - Cape View / Calumet River
62006 - College View / Catawba River
62010 - Forest View / Christina River
62012 - Harbor View / Coosa River
62017 - Majestic View / Deep River
62019 - Metropolitan View / Elizabeth River
62022 - WAS shop 4-4 - Mountain View / Enoree River
62023 - Mystic View / Gauley River
62026 - Ocean View / Hackensask River
62027 - Orchard View / Harlem River
62030 - Patriot View / Hudson River
62036 - Skyline View / Kankakee River
62038 - Spring View / Leaf River
62039 - Stream View / Maumee River
62040 - Summer View / Miami River
62041 - Summit View / Middle River
62048 - Wayside View / Patapsco River
62501 - Potomac River
62503 - Rappahannock River
62505 - Reedy River
62508 - Rocky River
62509 - Now Reported T91-10 - St. Johns River
62512 - Saluda River
62515 - Savannah River
62516 - Schuylkill River
62517 - Seneca River - Delivered Hialeah 3-20-21
62518 - Susquehanna River - Delivered Hialea 3-20-21
62519 - To Be Delivered? - Talapoosa River
62520 - To Be Delivered? - Tiffin River
62521 - To Be Delivered? - Tombigbee River
62522 - To Be Delivered? - Trout River
62453 - To Be Delivered? - Wabash River
62524 - To Be Delivered? - Westfield River
HEDGE FUNDS AND THE KCS
The same hedge fund that ruined JC Penney, moved Oreo cookies to Mexico, etc (at the cost of 1000's of US jobs), and brought Hunter Harrison and "PSR" (POS railroading, some would say) to the Canadian Pacific, is now attempting to take over the KCS. We hope no matter how emasculated the Surface Transportation Board may continue to be, that a serious look is taken at the proposed deal. It is time for government to reconsider its deregulatory stance in order to protect employee jobs and preserve service to customers. Excessive executive pay is something else to look at in cases where maintenance, safety, institutional knowledge, and job security of experienced employees is being compromised in order to foster ever-higher CEO compensation.