Nostalgia & History > Amtak Hospital Train

August 03 2003 Brighton Park on the CN/IC Joliet Sub. A hospital train going from Chicago to out east somewhere. This would be the last time these cars will see Chicago.

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Please elaborate...I've been a fan for 50 years and don't know what this movement is...THX, Steve

cars were banned from pass trains, some of them went to mow duties, others sold

WOW,they still have blades protecting that crossing!!!!

dan Wrote:
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> cars were banned from pass trains, some of them
> went to mow duties, others sold


What was it about the cars that caused them to be banned?

search "amtrak MHC" or MHC

bagg cars and engines often don't get along, these cars had a problem at higher speeds, many of these cars used trucks from old rea cars, so they tested them and found a problem , they were gone

The second unit is a cabbage car, an F40PH converted to a cab and baggage car. This train may have been going to Indianapolis. Gerry

From what I remember they were heading to the east coast. They were in storage at the Amtraks Brighton Park for a long time before they were move east.

The crossing looks to be Brighton Park Interlocking, which was protected by semaphores until just a few years ago.

My guess is that the regular move between Chicago 14th St Yard and Chicago Brighton Park maintenance facility usually went with a diesel and a cabbage car, so that there could be a leading end in both directions. The engines probably ran around whatever equipment they went out there with and returned with. If I remember it right, Brighton Park maintenance facility had been the old maintenance facility for the Turboliners, stood vacant for several years, and then Amtrak reopened it as a periodic-maintenance facility for cars. This necessitated an equipment move between 14th St. Yard, the main yard by the river near Union Station, and Brighton Park.

The MHCs ran at 110 mph in the Northeast Corridor for about 20 years without any problems at all. They ran at 90 mph on former Santa Fe track without any problems at all. There was a derailment which implicated them, and they were restricted to 60 or 70 mph. Then Amtrak under David Gunn made the decision to get out of the Mail & Express business entirely, and that was the end.

You'll see many of the cars in pictures taken at Northeast Corridor track-maintenance facilities. I think that the Engineering people like them because they can run as tool cars in the tight restrictions of the Northeast Corridor, including through the New York tunnels and they don't foul any clearance envelopes. I've also seen pictures of them on various shortlines and being used as storage containers.

This was a special move with a extra broad crew on it. Yes this was Brighton Park. Amtrak still runs a job at night from 14th Street to Brighton 5 nights a week. This job runs with one 500s only.