Loco for amtrak cars

[usher42]

I have a  Amtrak pharse 3 cars. but i dont have a amtrak loco ,i only have a f9 Chessie locmotive. Does it make any differce even i dont have a amtrak loco.

[Hunt]

It only makes a difference if it worries you.   

[SteamGene]

Chessie F9?
Gene

[lanny]

You can still find on eBay or perhaps in your LHS or at 'swap meets', the Spectrum F40 PH. That unit would be an excellent one to haul your Amtrak cars ... it is a great runner, nice details, and very reasonably priced. I am not sure, but I think that Bachmann offered it in an Amtrak paint scheme (?). Do a search on eBay for 'F40 PH' and see what you come up with.

OTH, if you enjoy your F9, or whatever diesel you use to pull your Amtrak train, as long as it is fun for you, there is nothing wrong with that. (Besides, you can always 'imagine' that the Amtrak diesel broke down and they 'borrowed' the unit you are using to get the passengers to their destination!   .

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Or get the BLI Reading T1 and have the first "Amtrak Steam Excursion Train."  Other possibilities would be to get the Bachmann N&W J or help me convince Bachmann to make a C&O J-3 numbered 614. 

Gene

[kevin2083]

you can always 'imagine' that the Amtrak diesel broke down

gee, what made you think of that? That or it was late and a replacement was needed...

I have 2 BN passenger cars and an amtrak diesel, so the situation there could be amtrak "recycling" some older cars. As long as it makes sense to you, it works.

[Nigel]

If it really bothers you, you could purchase one or more of these:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Locomotive&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=Amtrak&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

Note that Walthers has three different phases of Spectrum F40PH models in stock.

[lanny]

Hi Kevin,

gee, what made you think of that? Grin That or it was late and a replacement was needed...

About 12 years ago, my wife and I took a trip from Central Iowa on Amtrak, to the West Coast (LA). That was 'doable' at that time because the California Zephyr that comes across Southern Iowa from Chicago on BNSF tracks to Omaha, NE was basically made up of three passenger trains: The 'Zephyr' to San Francisco, the "Desert Wind" to LA, and the "Pioneer" to Portland, OR.

At Denver, the "Pioneer" cars were cut off and continued on their way to the NW. The other two continued to Salt Lake City, where the "Desert Wind" was cut off and headed for LA while the remaining 'Zephyr' went on to SF.

It was quite a site in the summer peak travel season to see Amtrak trains run through. It was not odd to see 25+ Amtrak cars at the station where we boarded, pulled by 3 F40 PH units. The train that left Denver for Salt Lake City had two units, the other pulling the Pioneer to Portland. (they had to stop and start three times at our Iowa station ... one to board Portland travelers, one to board SF travelers and one to board LA passengers)

On that trip, we got up into the middle of the Rockies, about 2 hours out of Denver, and one of the F40s 'burped'. They had enough power with the remaining F40 to pull the train, but Amtrak officials said they didn't have enough power to run all the extra power/utility requirements of the passengers cars, with just one locomotive.

So we sat ... in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, far from highways or habitation, for about 3 hours. It was a beautiful sunny day, and at that altitude, even though late July, it was just gorgeous up there. So quiet and peaceful!

Finally another Amtrak F40PH out of Denver arrived and the three locomotives (with only two working) took us into Salt Lake City. I know that there is supposedly at 79 MPH speed limit on Amtrak trains, but I am sure we were easily exceeding that as we came down grade out of the Rockies ... that 'puppy' was flying trying to make up a little of the lost time. One in area where the track parallels an Interstate highway I notices that the train was literally passing every thing on the road ... cars and trucks. No cars that I can remember, were keeping up with us for about 15 minutes or so.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

He was going down the mountain,
Makin' ninety miles an hour,
When his whistle broke into a scream....


Gene

[Amtrak_Titan]

 If you model your Amtrak train in the Northeast Corridor Bachmann has a good HHP locomotive.

[usher42]

What about Walters # 931- 123,#931- 131 locomotives and which one is best. My locol hobby shop carries both of the locos.

[Stephen D. Richards]

He was going down the mountain,
Makin' ninety miles an hour,
When his whistle broke into a scream....


Gene

....for it's not 38 but Old 97, you must put in Spencer on time!....

Stephen

[Nigel]

What about Walters # 931- 123,#931- 131 locomotives and which one is best. My locol hobby shop carries both of the locos.

They are the same model with different paint schemes!!!  "Best" does not make sense.