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Nostalgia & History > The Original Auto TrainDate: 05/18/22 12:29 The Original Auto Train Author: MartyBernard U36Bs 4002 and 4004 built Nov. 1971 with the Auto Train northbound north of Ashland, VA on March 25, 1972. Note their auto racks are first in the train. Amtrak puts the passenger cars first.
   Date: 05/18/22 12:37 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: refarkas She certainly is impressive in this full-train view.
Bob Date: 05/18/22 13:26 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: PasadenaSub Yes, very nice picture of the impressive train.
Rich Date: 05/18/22 14:47 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: bandob Anybody know the fates of the domes?
Date: 05/18/22 14:50 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: PHall Wonder how bad the slack action in the passenger cars was riding behind the autocarriers?
Date: 05/18/22 15:16 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: Topfuel bandob Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Anybody know the fates of the domes? All the Auto-Train passenger cars were scattered to the winds at the big auction in 1981, but most have survived in one form or another. Most ex-UP domes and ex-Santa Fe big domes that are floating around today are ex Auto-Train. Date: 05/18/22 15:52 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: BCHellman Any reason it's running against the current?
Date: 05/18/22 19:34 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: CPR_4000 What's up with the long block of UP sleepers? Just not repainted yet?
Date: 05/19/22 02:28 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: mp51w That's an impressive train! 7 ex-ATSF Big domes!
Date: 05/19/22 06:42 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: fritzrr At least one of the full length domes was on the Napa Wine train when I rode it several years ago, another is on the Western Maryland scenic in gaudy red and white faux WM paint.
Fritz in MD Date: 05/19/22 07:23 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: ntharalson The slack action comment is spot on. After a while, I'm not sure if it was before or after the Amtrak takeover, the passneger cars were moved to the front of the train and the auto carriers to the rear
to eliminate the slack action. Nice photos,Marty, thanks for posting. Nick Tharalson, Marion, IA Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/22 19:33 by ntharalson. Date: 05/19/22 07:33 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: Notch7 PHall Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Wonder how bad the slack action in the passenger > cars was riding behind the autocarriers? One of the firemen who worked the original Auto-Train in the early car carriers head out configuration told me the slack action could be bad. He told me that the car carriers did not have tight lock couplers. Like most car carriers, they may have had some type of end of car cushioning. That adds to slack action. Slack is twofold - free slack and spring slack. He told me that the Auto Train U36B's did not have varied transition voltages. If the engines make transition at the exact same time that can bump slack in a train because the engines momentarially unload during transition. Some railroads varied the voltages that trigger transition to avoid this. The fireman told me slack action on the early Auto Train caused people to fall and knocked mounted TV sets off walls. I heard the Auto Train U36B's later received load rheostats to soften the train starts. I put a bid in to work a fireman job on the original Auto Train, but was outbid by more senior guys. Originally the fireman rode in the boiler car on the rear of the train. It sounded like an adventure to me back then. Date: 05/19/22 08:29 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: texchief1 Nice shots, Marty!
RC Lundgren Date: 05/19/22 11:42 Re: The Original Auto Train Author: tq-07fan I don't know if I have ever seen a full train view of the original Auto Train. Nice shot Marty!
Jim |