Passenger Trains > E or F units on Amtrak???

Curious for modeling purposes :
When / What / Where did Amtrak use the old E and F units on the trains during the first years of operation?? I know they inherited alot of stuff, but did the E's and F's get used ???

Thanks in advance. I am interested mostly from conception to 1980.

E units were used at the inception (May, 1971). I remember Pennsy E units on the New Haven in May, 1972, and UP E units on the tri-weekly "City of San Francisco" across Wyoming in September of that year. F units were used on the Santa Fe and on the SP portion of the "City." SP SDP45s were used on the "Starlight" in 1972-1973. I saw my first SDP40F in the summer of 1974 on the "Starlight." They eventually replaced the E units in most service, although Es and Fs kicked around for some time. The early "San Joaquins" used former SP F units, and I saw a lone E unit in Fort Worth in 1977, waiting for the "Lone Star" from Houston. So 1971-1974 you are on good ground using Es and Fs on almost all Amtrak trains (other than electric), and on some trains for awhile thereafter.

To my recollection, the few F-Units Amtrak bought from the SP and BN stayed pretty much on their former owner's lines. The SP FP-7s worked the San Joaquin Valley train, and also served as pilot engines on the San Francisco Zephyr in front of ex-UP E-Units between Oakland and Ogden. They also piloted the Starlight, even MUing with Amtrak's new SDP-40Fs from time to time, and, finding themselves in Los Angeles as a result, would venture down to San Diego as well.

The BN F-3s and F-9s worked the west end of the Empire Builder route, probably between Havre and Seattle. Also the North Coast Hiawatha.

Amtrak also leased something like 74 F-Units from the Santa Fe and ran them in 6 or 7 unit lashups on the Super Chief (before the Santa Fe made them change the name).

The E-units were used everywhere else that diesels operated.

Here a set of E-units on the National Limited at Kirkwood Mo. in 1973. (clicking) on the photo will take you to the Amtrak section of my website which has photos of E and F units on early Amtrak trains.

<a href="http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/amtrak.html&quot;PhotoBobs website</a>

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A few trains in the midwest and east were still using E units until at least 1978.

The John Adams train #187 used an E unit from Boston to New Haven.

The Bostonian train #162 used an E unit from New Haven to Boston.

The Montrealer train #60 and #61 used 3 E units outside electrified territory for each train.

The Michigan Executive train #373 and #374 used an E unit.

The Broadway Limited train #40 and #41 used 3 E units for each train. Rode this train in July of 78 and it had E's at that time.

The National Limited train #30 and #31 used 2 E units for each train.

The Niagra Rainbow used 2 E units for each train.

Info source: Amtrak 1978-1979 Annual by Craig T. Anderson

Hope this is of some help.

Robert J.

Thanks so much, I never thought I would get this information so fast!
Thanks to all of you for the details...

Just something about the face of an E or F coming toward me....

Don't forget Amtrak had several ex-New Haven FL9s. These ran mainly between New York and Albany, but sometimes ventured further. The last of these were withdrawn from service in the late 1990s, making them Amtrak's last covered wagons.

Great shot. When I was in Kansas City, Mo. on the South West Chief.
There was an E-8 painted in Amtrak colors sitting there in idle waithing for her departure time. When I rode the Chief in 1976 we rode behind two SDs the same ones Amtrak had all of the problems with as far as derailments go. I do not remember what they are called exactly.
SDP40s? SDF40s? I dont' remember clue me in on their designation.

Thanks
Doug

If you are wanting to model an Accurate Amtrak train using an E unit, the Dallas section of the Lone Star consisted of an E unit, a baggage car, a Hi Level coach and a 10-6 sleeper.

Ron

Here's a shot from Sunnyside yard, Queens NYC April 1999. 485 and 486 still used on the Empire Service until Summer 1999.

http://www.trainorders.com/locollection/apple.html

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Their model designation was SDP-40F. As far as I heard, the Santa Fe never had any derailing problems with them and never speed-restricted them.

Folks of my generation love to remember, and talk about, the Es and Fs that were the first things we saw as toddling railfans.

The Potomac Valley has seen a lot of change since the beginning of Amtrak. The initial service was: nothing.

The first train was an "experimental route" required by Amtrak's charter. It was the Washington DC to Martinsburg WV "Potomac Turbo" that used United Aircraft turbotrain. That didn't last very long.

Next was the DC to Cumberland "Potomac Special" which used an E unit and second-hand cars. I think this was renamed "The Blue Ridge" when it was re-equipped with a P30CH and Amfleet.

Then came the DC to Cincinatti "Shenandoah," which eventually became an overnight train with a Heritage sleeper. The Blue Ridge was cut back to Martinsburg WV.

The final decision was to end Amtrak's political route structure. The Shenandoah was eliminated and the DC section of the Broadway Limited was rerouted through Cumberland to become The Capitol Limited. I believe the Blue Ridge survives incognito as a MARC local and that the Maryland Mass Transit Administration receives 403(b) money from West Virginia to operate it. That, too, might have changed.

OOOPS. I need to correct an error. The Potomac Turbo ran to Parkersburg WV. It did stop in Martinsburg, but did not terminate there.

Check out Amtrak Photo Archive http://lib2.clark.cc.oh.us/amtrak/Amtrak.html
Tons of E & F unit photos plus a whole lot more. Enjoy!vasouthern wrote:
>
> Curious for modeling purposes :
> When / What / Where did Amtrak use the old E and F units on the
> trains during the first years of operation?? I know they
> inherited alot of stuff, but did the E's and F's get used ???
>
> Thanks in advance. I am interested mostly from conception to
> 1980.