Nostalgia & History > Sunset Limited w/ Southern FP7 #6148 -- Aug 77

(1) The Sunset Limited is headed east at Eagle Lake,Tx (about 70 miles west of Houston).
I was headed through town when all of a sudden there was the Sunset so this wasn't exactly the spot I would have picked with weeds and signs,but at least the sun was good.

(2-3) A surprise this day was one of the Southern FP7 units that had been running in the northwest (Seattle-Portland?) due to restrictions with SDP40F units.
It was being returned to the Southern at New Orleans.

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(4) A classy end to the train was ex-CZ observation Silver Penthouse

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Looks like someone failed to release the handbrake on that second unit?
JB

Yes, after discontinuance of trains 5/6 and 7/8, Southern had an excess of FP7s. Some were used for a short time in the Pacific Northwest.

Pretty sure the 2nd unit is producing steam.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

Looks like vapor. Maybe the blow down was stuck or the connection between the units had a bad leak.

Nudge

I think this FP-7 is the first cab unit I've ever seen with that type spark arrestor!

Operating crews on the Amtrak Sunset Limited at the time the shot were taken in Eagle lake, TX in August, 1977 were old SP operating crews that were based out of San Antonio and worked between San Antonio and Houston.

boejoe Wrote:
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> I think this FP-7 is the first cab unit I've ever
> seen with that type spark arrestor!


Never saw any of this type spark arrestor either on Southern FP-7's.