Passenger Trains > Amtrak 508 Cascade service colorful consist.

This usually is a single unit, push pull (505 turns into 508 later the same day) operation.  Yesterday (5/7) they ran a pair of P42s, resulting in a wildly over powered train.  Photograph taken just north of Halsey, Oregon

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The riders up there sure loved those Talgo trains--they were nice, classy rides with very stylish interiors--and now they're gone.  I forget why.  

Super interesting consist.

Nice light and consist. Looks like ridership is also up:  Amtrak Cascades train sees record ridership in Oregon in March (klcc.org)

Scott Anderson
Lake Oswego, OR

Were both of the P42's running?

coach Wrote:
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> The riders up there sure loved those Talgo
> trains--they were nice, classy rides with very
> stylish interiors--and now they're gone.  I
> forget why.  

The derailment on the curve possibly? 

coach Wrote:
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> The riders up there sure loved those Talgo trains--they were nice,
> classy rides with very stylish interiors--and now they're gone.


Yes, and occasionally the riders would get a double dose of Talgo as seen here near Jefferson, Oregon.  I thought it looked like a pregnant worm, having two units together nose-to-nose in the middle.  In this case it was the result of Amtrak train #504 having picked up at Alford my engine computer-dead train #500.  For a short while, though, Amtrak did run a long Talgo train-set and a short Talgo train-set together in regular service which had just the two tail-finned cars coupled together near the middle of the train.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/24 14:11 by Jim700.

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PHall Wrote:
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> Were both of the P42's running?

Would be interesting to find out as AMTK 154 has been out of service since October 2023.

Maybe it was on test.

Posted from iPhone

Peak45068 Wrote:
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> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Were both of the P42's running?
>
> Would be interesting to find out as AMTK 154 has
> been out of service since October 2023.
>
> Maybe it was on test.
>
> Posted from iPhone

The funny thing about that is the 138 died leading train 7 into Seattle last week and received a BNSF freight engine at Minot to take the train the rest of the way. So when I first saw this picture, I figured it was the 138 that was on a test run after receiving some kind of repair in Seattle.

westcoastrails Wrote:
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> Peak45068 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PHall Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Were both of the P42's running?
> >
> > Would be interesting to find out as AMTK 154
> has
> > been out of service since October 2023.
> >
> > Maybe it was on test.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> The funny thing about that is the 138 died leading
> train 7 into Seattle last week and received a BNSF
> freight engine at Minot to take the train the rest
> of the way. So when I first saw this picture, I
> figured it was the 138 that was on a test run
> after receiving some kind of repair in Seattle.

That makes more sense then. However, the 154 has been hiding in Seattle for many months.

Yes, the derailment on the curve, but I think the NTSB wrongly criticized the Talgos in that case.  I lost a lot of respect for the NTSB over that one, but its criticisms gave Washington State and Amtrak little choice but to retire the Talgo Series 6s early.  Roughly 28 Horizon coaches and six Horizon food service cars are now replacing them.