Nostalgia & History > Another National Ltd goodie!

As a follow-up to yesterday’s KCMO ‘trench shot’, here’s another look at Amtrak’s unique but ill-fated National Limited. Photographer John Wegner once again had to put up with crummy weather. Every railfan photographer knows you have to take whatever opportunities you can when you work, or go to school full time. But in getting this shot John must have something right in the recent past leading up to it. He told me on the phone that bagging the Mop business car on the rear end was a total surprise. Good thing he was set to take an ‘away’ shot…

1. & 2. AMTK 318, still Penn Central black leads train #30, the eastbound “National Limited” in this early 1970s shot near Independence, MO. The train is eastbound, but is running in a SSE direction underneath 51st St. A Mop business car, number unknown, graces the rear end.
(Original Kodachrome slide by John Wegner)

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
John Wegner (chiefbuilder)

Added: It can be sorta tricky when you try to use Google Maps' current street views to nail down a location for a photo that was taken 4+ decades earlier. In conference with John about these 2 images he had strong memories of having taken the shots near Lee's Summit, MO. But getting a chance to look at our thread on his home screen he's now sure the location was actually from the 51st St overpass a bit further north in Independence, MO. Sometimes the ability to accurately amend posted information can provide as much satisfaction as posting the images themselves...   Lance



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/22 03:16 by santafe199.

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Wow! Great shot. The train of my youth - probably rode the National more than any other train during my college and early employment years. The MoPac business car is bonus. First time I met Dick Davidson was in coach on the National after his business car derailed at St Louis.

I forgot there was a world west of Harrisburg on 30/31. My favorite train especially since my Dad was Conductor on it for 4-5 years.(PC HBG DIVISION)Hard luck train but always a great ride. Wonderful pictures!!

Posted from iPhone

Great views, Lance and John, indeed main a fine catch with the the MoPac business car on the tail. Always enjoy views of the National during its Amtrak lifetime.

Been over this ground before, but I'll say it again: the National Limited was one train that should have never died on Amtrak. It was the east-west link that bypassed Chicago in Amtrak's national system, and it deserved better overall support and promotion than it received. It's the one train I would bring back were it possible, obviously on different routing in Ohio (due to the unfortunate loss of the PRR Panhandle route). All that said, I know there's zero chance of that ever happening, particularly in the current Amtrak administration. But that shouldn't get in the way of a recognition of its value to the network in the past, and potential value today....if you are at all willing to recognize the importance of the national network -- as I am very willing to do.

Thanks again, Lance and John, for some worthwhile images.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/19 11:34 by ironmtn.

ironmtn Wrote:
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> Great views, Lance and John, indeed main a fine
> catch with the the MoPac business car on the tail.
> Always enjoy views of the National during its
> Amtrak lifetime.
>
> Been over this ground before, but I'll say it
> again: the National Limited was one train that
> should have never died on Amtrak. It was the
> east-west link that bypassed Chicago in Amtrak's
> national system, and it deserved better overall
> support and promotion than it received. It's the
> one train I would bring back were it possible,
> obviously on different routing in Ohio (due to the
> unfortunate loss of the PRR Panhandle route). All
> that said, I know there's zero chance of that ever
> happening, particularly in the current Amtrak
> administration. But that shouldn't get in the way
> of a recognition of its value to the network in
> the past, and potential value today....if you are
> at all willing to recognize the importance of the
> national network -- as I am very willing to do.
>
> Thanks again, Lance and John, for some worthwhile
> images.
>
> MC
> Muskegon, Michigan

Thank you for your national interconnected network remarks, this is something the individual railroads were very aware of, and poor old Amtrak never was clear on that concept.  Perhaps handing NARP over to an airline guy in '71 was not the way to go.

And, a big thanks to the photographer for shooting both ends of the train.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

During Amtrak's early years, riding the eastbound National Limited was the only way a traveler could ride around the Horseshoe Curve during daylight for most of the year.

My first Amtrak ride west of Harrisburg was a Harrisburg - Lewistown trip on the National.

love this picturemy first amtrak trip after viet nam was on bational ltd from kc to sedalia in june 1972

Horrible equipment, even worse track, timekeeping impossible per 60 minutes in the early 70s