Amtrak's Southwest Chief

[micaelcorleone]

Here is something I must share with you all.
It's a great capture of the Southwest Chief on it's way from Chicago to L.A.
The shots are absolutely professional and stunning, a must-watch. Some wigwags and semaphores remain and one can see the whole beaty of the prairie.
I can't wait to run the Chief myself in RW when the Superliners come (and hopefully a Genesis from RS.com).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPSOZIa824&feature=channel_video_title
(The uploader also has a lot of other great railfanning videos and even videos of NASA launches.)

[styckx]

Is the need for 3 locomotives purely for HEP? Surely one of those would have no issue pulling that little consist around.

[arizonachris]

Is that what The Chief is these days? Wow, long time has passed since the F7's and the Domeliners that I rode on. What locomotive is that?

[styckx]

Wow.. Was I asleep while posting this mornin? It only has two locomotives.

Chris, they are the widely hated GE Genesis P42s

[micaelcorleone]

Is that what The Chief is these days? Wow, long time has passed since the F7's and the Domeliners that I rode on. What locomotive is that?

These are GE P42DC "Genesis" locos. You don't know em?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Genesis

But the ATSF also used a predecessor of the "Superliners" on the Super Chief in its last years? At least I hear about that, but never saw a picture.

EDIT: @styckx What do you have against these engine? I think they look pretty good.

EDIT2: One consit shown in the vid has three engines.

[styckx]

I have nothing against them. I just see a lot of negativity about them for reliabilty and GE haters. :)

Someone should post pics of the entire Heritage fleet. The P42s look awesome painted in Phase III

And ok. I'm wasn't asleep when I saw 3 engines.

[Chessie8638]

Amtrak Facebook page has them: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=94 ... aid=285394
There is another unit painted like #145 that isn't shown. There is also a freshly repainted Phase III F40 sitting in Beech Grove to be used on the 40th Anniversary Train.

[arizonachris]

These are GE P42DC "Genesis" locos. You don't know em?

Nope, never seen one. Last passenger run I was on was The San Diegan about 10 years ago. and it's been 35 years or so since I rode on The Chief. All I see around here is freight. There's a branch line about a mile north of me that runs from LAX down to Long Beach Harbor. I can hear the diesels idling when the crew stops to eat at Spire's restaurant. And the Alameda Corridor is nearby. But all that down there is such a mess.

[SithMurcielago]

Wow they use a Surfliner car at the end of the train. That car could be First Class. I love to see some new Superliner Designs that can be based off the Surflienr Cars.

[arizonachris]

Now, Surfliner is one I have been on several times, Union Station Los Angeles to San Diego and back. Those big seats are like first class in an airliner. And the facing seats (no tables) are way cool. So is the cafe/ bar car. Make mine a Bloody Mary with 3 green olives, please.

Cripes, just noticed, I already said all of this. Well, most of it.