Passenger Trains > The German ICE TRAIN powered by Amtrak 450 & 451

Might have been the only time those units got to Los Angeles? AC power, no less. F40AC'S.
But before getting to LA, the train stopped at Sullivan's Curve for picture taking.
After arriving in LA, most everybody got  ICE TRAIN souvenirs!
For a job well done.

What are u talking about.   Is this another nostalgia thing, that should be on the nostalgia board...not that I have any idea what you're talking about

ApproachCircuit Wrote:
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> Might have been the only time those units got to
> Los Angeles? AC power, no less. F40AC'S.

F69PHAC.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F69PHAC

The German InterCityExpress (ICE) train was touring the USA in 1993...among the visits to Amtrak territory in that era by new European trains: the Swedish X2000, Danish Flexliner and German ICE.

After a run from San Francisco to San Jose to show off the ICE, invitation-only (I got an invitation and rode), the ICE continued to Los Angeles overnight.  The ICE is electrically powered, so needed Diesels to get it over the road and across the country and the two experimental EMD F69PHACs got the assignment.  They were repainted in a white/red stripe scheme to match the ICE.  The invited guests could have taken up Amtrak's invitation to anyone on the invitation list to ride overnight on the ICE; some did.  There was plenty of food in the ICE's cafe car and it was all to be complimentary.   Amtrak even offered a complimentary return to the Bay Area on the next day's Starlight!  I had to work, so rented a car at San Jose Airport and drove home.

The F69PHACs never were Amtrak property.  They were built be EMD in the early 1990s for USDOT and loaned to Amtrak for testing of their AC traction; returned before 2000.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/23 00:40 by GenePoon.

When I think of a German ICE train, I think high speed. I'm sure this run was no where near that.

Victor Baird

No it wasn't, and the ride was rather rough on the Peninsula. That was explained as being due to the low speed, the suspension being designed for much faster speeds and better track.

They apparently made it to LA at least once. Here on #11, the Coast Starlight, shown heading south (SP East) in Oct 1990 in Jack London Square, Oakland with a test car.

The second shot is the ICE demo train passing the San Jose station in Aug 1993, also headed SP East..

While my slides are labeled Amtrak, as noted above the engines were owned by Siemans.

Jim B

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I may be wrong about this, but I think the 450 and 451 initially tested on the Southwest Chief.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> I may be wrong about this, but I think the 450 and
> 451 initially tested on the Southwest Chief.
>
> Dave

I think you are right. 

I remember seeing the ICE Train on display at LA Union Station....took a few pictures, If I can find them I'll post them here...

Here are two photos of the ICE demo in Sanfrancisco, Aug 1993.If I remember, I made some excuse about needing to visit our data center in SF for the occasion.

Jim B

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