Passenger Trains > F59PHI Update

Over the last week, a total of six Amtrak F59PHI's gathered at Amtrak's Chicago diesel shop. It appeared that five of these were in the Cascades paint while one was in the Amtrak California paint. Photos (not mine) of 467 and 470 were posted here: https://flic.kr/p/2aGNoaZ
All six moved sometime last night. Three are currently parked next to the old mail platforms at Union Station and I do not know where the other three went.

See this previous thread for more information: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4647963

I didn't know any Amtrak California F59PHIs were sent East yet or was it a Surfliner F59 you saw?

jkchubbes Wrote:
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> I didn't know any Amtrak California F59PHIs were
> sent East yet or was it a Surfliner F59 you saw?

My bad, it was indeed a Surfliner F59. I forgot there was a difference.

611Fan Wrote:
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> So how soon till they go Metra?

We had that conversation last week, see the link to YOUR post that I included above.

kevink Wrote:
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> jkchubbes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I didn't know any Amtrak California F59PHIs
> were
> > sent East yet or was it a Surfliner F59 you
> saw?
>
> My bad, it was indeed a Surfliner F59. I forgot
> there was a difference.
>
> 611Fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So how soon till they go Metra?
>
> We had that conversation last week, see the link
> to YOUR post that I included above.

You nailed it, must be another "can't get enough information so I'll repost" type.  This person  is also known to put out hype than facts so take it with a grain of salt.

———BREAKING NEWS ———
At 7:05 this evening, I saw a Metra switcher heading south on one of the through tracks at Chicago Union Station with Amtrak Surfliner F59PHI #461 in tow.

So perhaps we will see them running on Metra very soon.

Posted from iPhone

kevink Wrote:
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> ———BREAKING NEWS ———
> At 7:05 this evening, I saw a Metra switcher
> heading south on one of the through tracks at
> Chicago Union Station with Amtrak Surfliner F59PHI
> #461 in tow.
>
> So perhaps we will see them running on Metra very
> soon.

One would think that all the necessary PTC equipment would have to be installed first, prior to operating on either the BNSF or UP lines.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kevink Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ———BREAKING NEWS ———
> > At 7:05 this evening, I saw a Metra switcher
> > heading south on one of the through tracks at
> > Chicago Union Station with Amtrak Surfliner
> F59PHI
> > #461 in tow.
> >
> > So perhaps we will see them running on Metra
> very
> > soon.
>
> One would think that all the necessary PTC
> equipment would have to be installed first, prior
> to operating on either the BNSF or UP lines.

PTC is already installed on these units. PTC has been in service on the routes these units ran on for awhile.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > kevink Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > ———BREAKING NEWS ———
> > > At 7:05 this evening, I saw a Metra switcher
> > > heading south on one of the through tracks at
> > > Chicago Union Station with Amtrak Surfliner
> > F59PHI
> > > #461 in tow.
> > >
> > > So perhaps we will see them running on Metra
> > very
> > > soon.
> >
> > One would think that all the necessary PTC
> > equipment would have to be installed first,
> prior
> > to operating on either the BNSF or UP lines.
>
> PTC is already installed on these units. PTC has
> been in service on the routes these units ran on
> for awhile.

Just learned today that, although all the PTC equipment was indeed installed on these units, all the actual modules & equipment was kept by the original purchaser. All that GPS/radio stuff is FCC registered to the original purchaser, and can not be sold/transferred by original contract. Thus, METRA must install all there own components into the already wired system on each unit.