Amtrak's Holiday Specials

Any word on if Amtrak will use NJT/SEPTA equipment for revenue service in the coming months as holiday special trains? If so, include details.

My experience last year, and so far this year, as I have already booked my Thanksgiving travel, is that Amtrak has not yet added the Holiday Extras to the reservation system at this point. Only the regular timetable was showing up when I booked my Acela tickets a couple of weeks ago.

Here are some Amtrak holiday extras using leased equipment photographed last November in Philly:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/101 ... 6946dBYRKL

http://community.webshots.com/photo/101 ... 0091GnZjoF

http://community.webshots.com/photo/101 ... 7400kofWre

And Keystone train #612 used SEPTA AEM7 #2304:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/101 ... 8218brlFdh

SEPTA has AEM7's too? Used where? And what's with the MARC HHP-8?

Too bad it takes a grossly underused SEPTA AEM-7 to get electric service to Harrisburg. They only make 1 roundtrip per weekday, and most don't get up to speed in the same way Amtrak's do.

F40 wrote:SEPTA has AEM7's too? Used where? And what's with the MARC HHP-8?

SEPTA has 7 AEM7s and 1 ALP44. They are used with Bombardier coaches for rush hour service on R7 (and I believe R5).

MARC purchased HHP-8s for their NEC (Penn Line) service.

Which Bombardier coaches does SEPTA use? So far, I've only noted the MU's, speaking of which what are their names and how did SEPTA derive them for service?

If anyone has inside information about Amtrak using another RR's equipment for service, please post.

i have seen a MBTA train use a Amtrak F40 unit before, here is the pic:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20040 ... n&BOOL=ALL

"I have seen a MBTA train use a Amtrak F40 unit before, here is the pic"

Just FYI, that photo of Amtrak F40 278 with MBTA cars shows a situation that's different from the original topic of this thread. On a couple occasions in recent years, the MBTA long-term leased a couple Amtrak F40s to fill in for MBTA locomotives that were away being refurbished. The holiday loans in MBTA territory, on the other hand, have involved MBTA trainsets that were typically rented for just a day to run as advance sections of Northeast Corridor trains during peak travel periods.

Probaly the Friday after thanksgiving, I will head down to either Princeton or Trenton although there is a slim chance foreign rolling stock and power will be used that day. Where I go to college, Mercy in Dobbs Ferry, NY. There is not that much. I remember looking at pictures in Railpace back issues of CDOT SPVs on specials. Last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I photographed at Ardsley-on-Hud sta. Just regular Amfleet equipment.

Where is Canton Junction? And are F40's usu. used for long distance runs or just any unelectrified line in general? Are Amtrak's F40's different compared to NJT F40's?

SEPTA has two versions of the push-pulls as they like to call them. They have the 2 door version like NJ Transit's Comet II's and the version with the center door that were part of MN's Shoreliner III? order a few years ago. They have fixed seats that are quit comfortable, dirty, but comfortable. For which line they run on see the SEPTA forum, there is a recent thread about which lines and which trains are running them. chuchubob has plenty of photos on his website.

If I was paying Amtrak fares from DC to NYP, I without a doubt would want to be in SEPTA push-pull equipment over any NJT equipment for the more comfortable seat.

The way to tell if a foreign railroad's equipment will be used is generally by the train number. On the NEC main line, any train that is of a 3000 series generally uses a foreign railroad’s equipment. That is a GENERAL rule, not in stone. Also, any train that says there are no restrooms is more than likely using SEPTA equipment. Also look for no food service.

I know they tend to use the commuter equipment on the shorter runs (NY-DC, Keystone, Springfield shuttles, etc), and keep the more desirable equipment for longer runs (BOS-DC/NPN, etc).

F40 wrote:Where is Canton Junction? And are F40's usu. used for long distance runs or just any unelectrified line in general? Are Amtrak's F40's different compared to NJT F40's?

They are. Read the NJT board -- search for Amtrak F40's... the differences were discussed at length.

Amtrak no longer uses F40's, however.