Passenger Trains > Strange Cab Car On #48

This photo was taken at Utica, NY today, of an ex-F40PH cab car, which was running behind the three road engines on #48.

Sorry for the poor picture quality (it's from a cell phone), but it clearly shows that this Cab Car has had a section of the former engine compartment roof removed and two white satellite receiver domes have been installed on the resulting flat area.

I have never seen anything like this before. Does anybody have any idea what's up?

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Looks like a gigantic Lego piece slapped on there.

That's bizarre.

What were you doing in Utica today?

I thought you were not going down that way until Sept 8.

Inquiring minds want to know -

And, what is that cab car about?????

A Homeland Security experiment gone horribly wrong?

The shops at Albany-Renselear (spelling) often do some work on these F40 cab units. I've seen some in the maintenance facility here. Not sure if they service the Downeaster cab units, but I am not surprised if they are shuttled to/from the Midwest and East Coast via the Lake Shore Limited.

Since Amtrak's fuel awareness record ain't so hot today, maybe those things are a new kind of solar generator... ;-)

Maybe the next part of this transformation is a repaint into NASA colors.

Then Amtrak will go to congress for more money.

perhaps a VERY old GPS bought from surplus? ;)

According to gobytrain.us, this would appear to be the #90225.

Legoland near Shaumburg, IL must have needed some pieces.

I've heard that this "locomotive" (cab-baggage F40 #90225) will be used for a series of live telecasts from the Empire Builder for Good Morning America. The domes are the satellite links for the live broadcasts. It was recently modified at Beech Grove.

Yes, this all makes sense now...

Word has it that ABC's 'Good Morning America' has chartered an Amtrak train for the week of 9/15-19, for a series of live broadcasts each morning from different locations in the east.

Reportedly, the train will be broadcasting from the Whirlpool Bridge at Niagara Falls, NY/ONT on the morning of Tuesday, September 16, after arriving from the east on CSX the night before. It's to head west from Buffalo on the NS ex-NKP line later that day.

Consist rumored to be ~8 Superliners and 2 PV's, in addition to this 'Satellite' Unit it would seem.

Hopefully some great publicity for Amtrak...

I hope they remember to stock the cars with food. And fuel the locomotives. And........

;-)