Nostalgia & History > Amtrak Auto Train w/P30CH's - 1988

Here is a short video I took in 1988 of the Auto Train pulling out on the RF&P mainline at Lorton, VA for a brake test and southbound departure.

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Impressive video. I counted 41 cars, what kind of lengths does this train run now?

Posted from iPhone

40-50.

More, please!!

really enjoyed the vid ... thanks for posting ... 38 years at Amtrak and i never rode this train ...

Posted from Android

Very nice!! Never knew that there were any P30CH's painted with the "Amtrak" lettering off to the side on the nose. You caught one of the prototype Viewliners, too.

RutledgeRadio Wrote:
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> Very nice!! Never knew that there were any P30CH's
> painted with the "Amtrak" lettering off to the
> side on the nose. You caught one of the prototype
> Viewliners, too.

Yes, that was the Viewliner sleeper prototype.  It ran on Auto Train for a while.  Glad you liked the video, I'm finally getting around to digitizing my old VHS videos.

I had no idea that Amtrak ran dome cars on the Auto train.  NEAT
-James

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> really enjoyed the vid ... thanks for posting ...
> 38 years at Amtrak and i never rode this train ...
>
>
> Posted from Android


Same here and back in 94 i took pics of 52 heading up through Florida and almost had a chance to do it one time but never did it! If I stayed in the Navy I would've used it since the ship I was on was gonna get drydocked at Norfolk and it would save me a lot of miles on my car, oh well!

Amfreight!!!!

Awesome ... thanks.

Miss those GE Pooch's.....I remember being on the Cardinal in 1979 and we had a Pooch.....I did not realize viewliners where around in 88, was that the sleeper or the diner? I thought it was the 90's when they arrived....boy time flies....

Steve

Super video!  It's always a treat to see Auto Train, and Phase 3 Amtrak.

Andy

I loved those GEs. Loud as all hell

Posted from iPhone

Man, they were really giving that engineer a hard time...

Posted from Android

Interesting to see the vestibule door open on the lead coach and the vestibule steps open on the rear of the lounge car.  Also never knew that a Viewliner sleeper operated on Auto Train.  The shorter autoracks were bi-levels, I think, and the taller ones were tri-levels.  When Amtrak wanted to repaint the tri-levels at its shop in Bear, DE, it moved them in freight to Litte Creek, VA, on the northeast side of Norfolk, then by carfloat across Chesapeake Bay to Cape Charles, VA, then up the Eastern Shore to Pocomoke City, MD, where Conrail picked them up and took them to Bear.  Reverse route return to Auto Train.