Amtrak’s Pinch Hitters: Part 3

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

…Continued from Part 2.

Amfleet I & Horizon Cars on Holiday Specials - Thanksgiving 2008

B32-8WH #507 at Vancouver, Washington on November 30, 2008

Due to high demand during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Amtrak runs additional trains between Portland and Seattle during this time. In 2008, these trains used Amfleet I coaches and Horizon food service cars.

The following trains were added to the schedule, in addition to the regularly-scheduled Cascades trains using the Talgo cars:

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Train Number	Departure Station	Departure Time	Arrival Station	Arrival Time
511	Seattle	1:30 PM	Portland	5:45 PM
514	Portland	7:00 PM	Seattle	11:15 PM

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Train Number	Departure Station	Departure Time	Arrival Station	Arrival Time
502	Portland	8:00 AM	Seattle	12:15 PM
505	Seattle	8:30 AM	Portland	12:45 PM

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Train Number	Departure Station	Departure Time	Arrival Station	Arrival Time
502	Portland	8:00 AM	Seattle	12:15 PM
511	Seattle	1:30 PM	Portland	5:45 PM

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Train Number	Departure Station	Departure Time	Arrival Station	Arrival Time
511	Seattle	1:30 PM	Portland	5:45 PM
512	Portland	1:45 PM	Seattle	6:00 PM
514	Portland	7:00 PM	Seattle	11:15 PM
515	Seattle	7:00 PM	Portland	11:15 PM

Although I did not include them, these trains made all the intermediate stops made by the regular Cascades trains.

B32-8WH #507 at Vancouver, Washington on November 30, 2008

A total of eight cars were used, six Amfleet I coaches and two Horizon food service cars, labeled "CAR A" to "CAR H." I think on November 26, all the cars were coupled together and used as one train, but on the 27th, they had been split into two 4-car trains and remained that way through the weekend. The trains were powered by B32-8WHs 505 and 507, with an NPCU on the other end. The consists were as follows:

B32-8WH #507

CAR A

Amfleet I Coach #82720

CAR B

Horizon Club-Dinette #58108

CAR C

Amfleet I Coach #82540

CAR D

Amfleet I Coach #82710

NPCU #90251

NPCU #90278

CAR E

Amfleet I Coach #82500

CAR F

Horizon Café Car #58106

Car G

Amfleet I Coach #82630

CAR H

Amfleet I Coach #82570

B32-8WH #505

Locomotive 507's consist did not have an NPCU on the morning of the 27th, but by the next day it was running with NPCU #90251 and kept in through the weekend.

Amtrak B32-8WH #507 departing Portland with a northbound Thanksgiving Holiday Extra Train of Amfleet I & Horizon Cars on the morning of November 27, 2008.

There was no NPCU on the rear of this train.

NPCU #90278 in Kelso, Washington on November 27, 2008

B32-8WH #505 in Kelso, Washington on November 27, 2008

NPCU #90251 in Kelso, Washington on November 29, 2008

NPCU #90251 in Vancouver, Washington on November 30, 2008

B32-8WH #507 in Vancouver, Washington on November 30, 2008

Also during this time, P42DCs #100 and #166 were substituting for Cascades F59PHIs on some regularly scheduled Cascades trains.

P42DC #100 in Kelso, Washington on November 29, 2008

P42DC #166 in Kelso, Washington on November 30, 2008

P42DC #166 in Kelso, Washington on November 30, 2008

The following video shows several Holiday Extras and regularly-scheduled Cascades trains during the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

 

Amtrak Cascades: Thanksgiving 2008

Amtrak’s Pinch Hitters

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

Amtrak B32-8WH #507 with Amfleet Cars & P42DC #23 with a Cascades Talgo in Portland, Oregon on September 30, 2007

Amtrak trains in the Pacific Northwest typically fall into two categories. First, there are the long-distance Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, which typically use General Electric P42DC locomotives and double-deck Superliner cars. Second are the Cascades trains, which typically use articulated Talgo trainsets with an Electro-Motive F59PHI on one end and a Non-Powered Cab Unit (NPCU) rebuilt from a retired F40PH locomotive on the other, all painted in the unique Cascades paint scheme. However, there are times when Amtrak has to occasionally substitute different equipment on these routes, due to maintenance issues or short-term increased demand. This page shows some examples of these "pinch hitters."

F59PHIs on the Coast Starlight

F59PHI #463 in Aurora, Oregon on August 15, 2007

Amtrak's F59PHIs were delivered in 1998. Amtrak has two groups: #450-464 are assigned to Amtrak's Surfliner service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo on the Southern California coast. #465-470 are assigned to the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. The two groups of units have similar paint schemes but with different colors: silver and blue for the Surfliners and white and green for the Cascades.

F59PHI #470 in Portland, Oregon on August 19, 2007

Sometimes the Surfliner units are seen in the Pacific Northwest on the Coast Starlight, either filling in for a P42DC, or deadheading to fill in for a Cascades F59PHI. Occasionally the Cascades units are seen filling on on the Coast Starlight as well.

F59PHI #453 in Salem, Oregon on August 27, 2007

F59PHI #462 in Vancouver, Washington on October 4, 2008

B32-8WHs on the Coast Starlight

B32-8WH #507 in Salem, Oregon on April 6, 2007

Amtrak's General Electric B32-8WH's #500-519 were built in 1991 and are Amtrak's oldest diesel locomotives still used on passenger trains, though usually as backup locomotives. They are more often used as switchers. They are sometimes used to replace a P42DC on the Coast Starlight, or are deadheading for use in Cascades service.

B32-8WH #505 in Salem, Oregon on July 3, 2007

B32-8WH #505 in Portland, Oregon on August 19, 2007

B32-8WH #509 in Salem, Oregon on September 8, 2007

B32-8WH #509 in Oregon City, OR on September 17, 2007

B32-8WH #510 in Portland, OR on September 29, 2007

B32-8WH #510 in Portland, OR on September 30, 2007

P42DCs on the Cascades

P42DC #23 in Portland, Oregon on September 30, 2007

The most readily-available replacement locomotives for the Cascades trains are the General Electric P42DCs used on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder. Amtrak has a total of 207 of these locomotives, built between 1996 and 2001, and numbered from #1-207.

P42DCs #188 & #97 in Portland, Oregon on August 17, 2008

P42DC's #97 & #188 can also be seen on the Cascades at the end of the following video, which I filmed on August 17, 2008. (Non-Cacades NPCU #90278 is also in this video.)

Amtrak Trains at Portland Union Station on August 17, 2007.

P42DC #100 in Kelso, Washington on November 29, 2008

P42DC #166 in Kelso, Washington on November 30, 2008

P42DC #169 in Vancouver, Washington on January 17, 2009

Surfliner F59PHIs on the Cascades

F59PHI #461 in Salem, Oregon on April 3, 2007

The Surfliner F59PHIs #450-464 are identical to the Cascades F59PHIs #465-470 except for paint, so they are ideal replacement locomotives for Cascades service.

F59PHI #454 in Vancouver, Washington on January 17, 2009

B32-8WHs on the Cascades

B32-8WH #507 near Canby, Oregon on June 27, 2007

Occasionally a B32-8WH from the #500-519 group will fill in on the Cascades as well.

Non-Cascades NPCUs on the Cascades

NPCU #90278 in Portland, Oregon on June 27, 2008

There are a total of six Non-Powered Cab Units (NPCUs) that were rebuilt from F40PH locomotives specifically for Cascades service: #90230, #90250, #90251, #90252, #90253 & #90340. Amtrak has other NPCUs in use in other parts of the country that wear standard Amtrak paint and have a roll-up door in the sides for baggage. In 2008, Cascades NPCU #90230 went back east and was replaced by standard NPCU #90278. 

NPCU #90278 in Vancouver, WA on October 4, 2008

NPCU #90278 in Vancouver, Washington on January 17, 2009

NPCU #90278 in Vancouver, Washington on January 17, 2009

The following video includes several examples of Amtrak locomotives filling in, including P42DC #193 on the Cascades, Surfliner F59PHI #462 on the Coast Starlight and Non-Cacades NPCU #90278 on the Cascades.

Amtrak Trains in Vancouver, Washington on October 4, 2008.

Continue to Part 2…