Amtrak Continental versus the Amtrak Nor'easter

[winjie]

I see that the Amtrak Nor'easter is now at the hobby shops, I Prefer the Continental especially with Amtrak phase 3 scheme and the F40ph locomotives. It is really a sad that they are getting rid of the F40ph's I love those locomotives.

[jayl1]

The first ones were built in 1976. They have slowly been disappearing for years.  I recall seeing a photo of one that was converted to a "baggage car" with a roll up door on the side.  Yes, they were neat engines.  The Genesis engines and the Dash 8-40BPs are probably more fuel effecient + what are the maintenance costs on a 30+ year old locomotive?

[Paul M.]

Amtrak's Oklahoma City - Fort Worth train the "Heartland Flyer" has an F40PH converted cab and baggage car. Railfans have nicknamed locos of this type "cabbages".

[Conrail Quality]

Amtrak also runs cabbages on the Boston-Portland (ME) Downeaster, the Portland (OR)- Vancouver Cascades, and many of the various Chicago-based city-to-city runs. They're really quite useful, and Amtrak got them with only minimal expense.

Timothy