Passenger Trains > "Prison Break" Amtrak Train

I taped (TiVo'd) Prison Break this evening because the previews showed an Amtrak train. I'm watching it now, and sure enough, it's an Amtrak High-Level train consist, but in Phase III paint. The opening scene had an all-phase-3 Superliner train stopping at an unknown station. Based on the clothing and vehicle in the shot, the footage is old (but probably converted from film since it was in high-definition). The train used for most of the show is a 4-car high-level set. The conductor's Uniform says "American National Railway" and all the cars are devoid of markings other than numbers. The convicts are seated in the coach section of a High Level Coach-Dorm (39918), very cool. The seats are definitely Amtrak, as are all the signs in the car. The next car is also a high-level, number appears to be 39976.

The locomotive is an F40PH in Phase 3 Paint (w/ ditch lights) with simply "AN" in light blue above the RW&B stripes. Number is 343. All the headlights are off during the entire sequence showing the engine... nice rule violation there.

Anyway, my question is this: are these cars owned by some private railroad and rented/borrowed for the show, or are these still hiding out, apparently servicable, on the Amtrak roster? Also: anyone else watch?

I saw the previews for this and wanted to watch but got caught up watching Ladder 49.

It'll be on again

Amtrak still has a number of in-service Hi-levels on its roster... Especially out in Texas (where the sequence was filmed) considering the fact that the cars retained their Amtrak numbers for the shoot I'd say that indeed owned by Amtrak and borrowed for the sequence.

Jaanfo Wrote:
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> It'll be on again
>
> Amtrak still has a number of in-service Hi-levels
> on its roster... Especially out in Texas (where
> the sequence was filmed) considering the fact
> that the cars retained their Amtrak numbers for
> the shoot I'd say that indeed owned by Amtrak and
> borrowed for the sequence.

I'm pretty sure NONE of this equipment is Amtrak-owned.

You are probably correct about the equipment no longer being owned by Amtrak. Many times when cars are sold, they instruct the owners to remove the Amtrak name from the cars. As far as numbers or the paint, the new owners can do whatever. There are hundreds of former Amtrak passenger cars on short lines and in museums all around the country, still in Amtrak colors and still with their same car numbers.

These cars are privately owned and stored in Dallas, TX.

Ray

On some of the scenes after the first one, the words "Superliner" and "Amtrak" are with at least one Superliner car. It was a quick pan shot (is in now you see it, now you don't). This Superliner car was not used for outdoor scenes involving transport of the fugitives or the climactic car crash and jumping out of train scenes.

Here is a link to last week's thread about this train:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1331343,1332799#msg-1332799

And here is a link to photos of the TV show being filmed in Texas with the train crashing into the police cars:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=6636
(If the above does not show up as a clickable link, just copy and paste it. For some reason certain web sites are not allowed to show up as a link here on TO)

That was an interesting episode last night. The episode really wasn't that great, but seeing the ex-Amtrak consist was pretty awesome. Does anyone know where the cars were chartered from out of Dallas?

Last season there was a scene in Prison Break on a freight train and the scenery looked similar to the Filmore & Western in California.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw the link...Garland & Northeastern Railroad.

DGNO: Dallas, Garland & Northeastern. The equipment is privately owned by a gentleman in Dallas who leases them out for special charters or film trains..

I saw it, and it looks like the cars where the scene inside of the train was is the former El Capitan cars! Great episode, sucks we gotta wait 2 weeks to find out what happens after this one though!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> I saw it, and it looks like the cars where the
> scene inside of the train was is the former El Capitan cars!

Wasn't at least one of the cars from the outside an El Capitan car? I thought it
looked like there was at least one of those, and a transition car.

> Great episode, sucks we gotta wait 2
> weeks to find out what happens after this one though!

not if you're a big 24 fan...we get 2 episodes next week :)

Go look at railpictures.net, someone was there shooting photos while they shot the scene. Its on there. Check it out.
Cheers,
Nick

csxt4617 Wrote:
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> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I saw it, and it looks like the cars where the
> > scene inside of the train was is the former El
> Capitan cars!
>
> Wasn't at least one of the cars from the outside
> an El Capitan car? I thought it
> looked like there was at least one of those, and a
> transition car.
>
> > Great episode, sucks we gotta wait 2
> > weeks to find out what happens after this one
> though!
>
> not if you're a big 24 fan...we get 2 episodes
> next week :)


I'm big on that, can't wait next week for that, been calling my mom each time one episode ends on Monday since it comes on earlier in Arizona