Uniq. Eqpmt Sightings: Private Varnish (PV's), Charters, etc

have no idea where this goes, so i'll start here

this morning (1/20) at about 715 a LONG (10+ cars) NJT bi-level train was heading south on the corridor just south of Cottman Avenue in NE Philadelphia
I couldn't tell which track from my car on 95, but based on it's speed I'm guessing the inner (AMTRAK)

I assume this is Amtrak borrowing rolling stock and motive power to take people to the inauguration



anyone have any info on this train?
did it make any stops or was it a "charter"?
was it from NYP or Newark?
did Amtrak borrow any other equipment for today as well?

are those cars "equipped" to take passengers from NYC/Newark to Washington Union Station?
in other words, do they have loos? because no SEPTA cars do that I am aware of.

good to see people off of 95 and great to see bi-levels in SEPTA territory

cheers

You saw the NJT leased equipment train correct.

I photographed it from Grays Ferry Ave bridge.

great shots, well done

Tadman wrote:GBN, weren't those Army cars modernized by Monon for streamlined passenger service in the late 1940's? I'm pretty sure Monon never bought any new lightweight cars, and what appeared to be lightweights were all really Army cars one 6-wheel trucks. The Monon is one of my favorite fallen flags. I'd also be interested to learn if that CSX car seen on the Silver train was Monon-L&N-Seaboard-CSX or some other more circuitous route. Monon got out of the passenger business before A-day and I've no idea what the road did with passenger rolling stock.

CSXT 994315 "INDIANA" is a former US Army 89500 series lightweight hospital car built by St. Louis Car Company in 1952-1953.

It came to the CSX roster thru the West Virginia Rail Authority and C&O / Chessie System.

Is it as ugly on the inside as it looked on the outside in that photo? It sure looked rode hard and put away wet.

For anyone who might be taking 95 this morning, it's got one of those cafe cars which is half business class on it, but anyone can sit there.

railaw wrote:For anyone who might be taking 95 this morning, it's got one of those cafe cars which is half business class on it, but anyone can sit there.

nice I always look for those cafe cars on the ner. those seats are nicer than the business class seats.

The Boston Section of the LSL had 3 locos yesterday: two Genesis and some other Freightlooking but Amtrak Painted one (sorry I'm a steam fan even at the age of a quarter of a century), maybe an SD soemthing or other. I assume it was deadheading?

This morning's SB Vermonter, from St Albans VT to Washington DC is running with a "Northeast Regional" consist of 3 coaches, a full cafe/dinette labelled "Northeast Regional", and 2 additional coaches. This was due to an equipment issue yesterday with the NB Vermonter. Usually the Vermonter runs with 5 cars - 4 coaches and a cafe/business class.

Heads up down south...

Jscola, when we're talking Amtrak-painted freight-looking, we're talking either the 8-32BWH or GP40TC. Any guesses?

Dash 8, a 3rd-gen fast freight unit hybrid-ized for passenger trains: http://www.mineun.com/NorthernPacific/amtrak507.jpg

GP40TC, a 2nd-gen freight unit hybrid-ized for passenger trains: http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtGP40/amt520.jpg

Defintely the GP40TC

Even though it was dark, I did see a P42 pulling a lone Superliner (there might have been other cars but it was night-time) through Springfield, Virginia on the old RF&P mainline just north of the Virginia Railway Express' Franconia Springfield station. Maybe an Auto Train equipment move from Lorton? Two or three days ago.

vreenthusiast01 wrote:Even though it was dark, I did see a P42 pulling a lone Superliner (there might have been other cars but it was night-time) through Springfield, Virginia on the old RF&P mainline just north of the Virginia Railway Express' Franconia Springfield station. Maybe an Auto Train equipment move from Lorton? Two or three days ago.

maybe I assume that they have non-revenue moves between the cap. and the AT fairly regularly for maintenance (time was that they would use the sunset).

The San Joaquin's were rerouted between Stockton and Sacramento this week onto the old WP trackage. Not a bad ride as compared to the usual trek through Lodi in the ex-SP. Train did a backup Y just north of the American River bridge to head over the mile to the Amtrak depot. Travel time increased by about 15 minutes total. Hadn't ridden that trackage since my last ride on the original CZ when I was, uh, seven.