Nostalgia & History > Weekly Night Shot #20 - Amtrak thru wash rack, Oakland

This is last week's Weekly Night Shot, since I was away on vacation last week.  In February 1982, an Amtrak San Joaquin has terminated in Oakland and is going through the wash rack in preparation for the next day. The curved sides of the Amfleet cars are apparent as the train slowly glides through the rack.  The SP employee in the control booth on the right was asleep (it wasn't JDS).
- Eric Blasko

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I rode through that wash rack many many (too many!) times, on the early Capitols, years later.  The rack was on the opposite side of the yard entry tracks from the West Oakland Coach Yard.  As a result, the SP (who had NO sympathy for Amtrak whatsoever) would leave us over there for hours before allowing us to cross their plant.  More that once I was left alone out there (I was the LSA) when the T&E crew died on the law and the carryall picked them up!
I hated the wash rack.
SR

Today the wash rack is conveniently in the new (well, relatively new) Amtrak yard.  Way better!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/19 08:06 by BoilingMan.

It’s still new BoilingMan! Hope you had something to read while you were stuck waiting for the old wash rack.

Nathan

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