Lionel Vision Line GG1 Amtrak train.


I got to see the GG1 at full throttle. I know it was fast! The speed limits through the area of the corridor I knew best have decreased. The famous accident on Super Bowl Sunday many years ago was the first time they decreased speeds, I think.

I'll call it something, :) I'm just happy to have it.

Now I want old rivets in Conrail bicentennial colors, Vision Line of course. It's always one more with these toy trains!
 
I got to see the GG1 at full throttle. I know it was fast! The speed limits through the area of the corridor I knew best have decreased. The famous accident on Super Bowl Sunday many years ago was the first time they decreased speeds, I think.

Now I want old rivets in Conrail bicentennial colors, Vision Line of course. It's always one more with these toy trains!
The original specification for the GG1 required speeds over 100.

For those that don't know "Old Rivets" was the original prototype of the GG1 made by General Electric produced with a riveted body. Raymond Lowe recommended the change to all welded bodies for more smooth look on the production runs.

Yes, always 1 more ... or not. In GG1's I think I am still short 8 paint schemes from having a whole set. On another front, I just ordered two Santa Fe E1 units. One in the original sunset orange and the other post war in signal red. I did refrain from ordering a pre-war version. But I really want 4 in red so I can reproduce the famous Santa Fe Chiefs' photo.
Santa_Fe_passenger_locomotives_circa_1938.JPG
 
The reasons why we want trains varies more than the paint schemes.

What is that funny looking locomotive in the middle? That will make a cool picture to hang in your train... hall maybe?
 
What is that funny looking locomotive in the middle?
That is steam locomotive #3460 the first of its class of super Hudson's. It is the only one of the class that was streamlined, and for that matter the only streamlined steam locomotive the Santa Fe ever had. For some unknown reason it was painted robin egg blue and originally supposed to be called the blue bird, but for some other unknown reason everyone started calling it the blue goose and the name stuck. Built by Baldwin it only required 5 fuel stops on the run from LA to Chicago allowing a more aggressive schedule for the Chief trains. It (the class in general) set several world records for steam locomotive performance. However, after the arrival of the diesels, the 3460 class was generally only assigned in the east from Chicago to La Junta Colorado.

I already have a model of it.

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I'll keep mine much cleaner than this.
Can't make out the station name. Station doesn't look very "in use". Four track mainline. Train is on the fast track. Looks like 11 cars. First two cars have bright shiny new phase I paint schemes. The newest car in the parking lot that I can identify looks like a 1969 Dodge dart ... or is that blue one a 1973 Impala? Green grass and leaves on trees means … this was from 1975.
 
And um, oops, ... Budd domes can't run under cantenary..... The only domes that ran east were special "shortened" ones used on the B&O / C&O because of clearances (especially the Potomic river tunnels.

Au contraire. Budd domes have run under catenary, with people in them. They just don't fit East of Lane, (Newark), or in the Hudson River tunnels or NY Penn Station. Clearances through the B&P Tunnel in Baltimore were sufficient to permit 16'2" height above the rail, (loaded pigs). There was a ex ATSF full length dome, that was part of the Conrail OCS train. This train frequently originated at Philly's 30th Street station and ran to North Jersey via the Northeast Corridor. Also ran on the South end of the NEC into Washington. I actually rode in this car on an OCS train, under wire. Car now belongs to NS FWIW.


Boris
 
Can't make out the station name. Station doesn't look very "in use". Four track mainline. Train is on the fast track. Looks like 11 cars. First two cars have bright shiny new phase I paint schemes. The newest car in the parking lot that I can identify looks like a 1969 Dodge dart ... or is that blue one a 1973 Impala? Green grass and leaves on trees means … this was from 1975.

I'm leaning to the photo being at either Bridesburg or Tacony in Northeast Philly. The first car of the train is a baggage dorm, and the second a sleeper. My guess is a Florida Train sometime after 1972. Back then the Southern still operated the Southern Crescent, and the Broadway carried and National carried baggage cars on the head end.


Boris
 
Description: Southbound on number 4 track at Orangeville, MD, Amtrak GG1 926 sports the W. C. Fields paint scheme. Photo Date: 2/1/1977 Upload Date: 9/25/2010 9:06:20 AM Location: Orangeville, MD Author: George L. Pitz

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Title: AMTK 926 Description: Constructed in 1943 by the PRR's own shops at Altoona as number 4933, this GG-1 was one of the few to wear the Amtrak "Bloody Nose" scheme. Retired from active service in 1981. Photo Date: 6/26/2015 Upload Date: 8/11/2015 1:27:11 AM Location: Solvay, NY Author: Paul Koprowski

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Budd domes have run under catenary, with people in them. They just don't fit East of Lane, (Newark), or in the Hudson River tunnels or NY Penn Station. Clearances through the B&P Tunnel in Baltimore were sufficient to permit 16'2" height above the rail, (loaded pigs). There was a ex ATSF full length dome, that was part of the Conrail OCS train. This train frequently originated at Philly's 30th Street station and ran to North Jersey via the Northeast Corridor. Also ran on the South end of the NEC into Washington. I actually rode in this car on an OCS train, under wire. Car now belongs to NS FWIW.
Interesting, what is the OCS train?

My guess is a Florida Train sometime after 1972.
I was guessing 1975 due to the combination of the red nosed GG1 and the phase 1 paint schemes. I believe phase 2 paint started in late 1974, but it couldn't be late 1974 due to the foliage.
 
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Interesting, what is the OCS train?

OCS = Office Car Special. Conrail ran them for a variety of business reasons.

The Florida trains were the last steam heated trains on Amtrak, so it could have been later than my initial projection I first worked for Amtrak in 1976 and 1977. By that time the GG1s were in rough shape, and the E60s were a disappointment. The GG1s looked more like the George Pitz photo from 1977 at Bay. BTW: The car behind the motor in that photo was a baggage dormitory converted from a US Army Hospital car built by ACF.

Boris
 
judging by the shadows, the station is on the eastbound side of the tracks. I'm wondering if it might be somewhere like Linden, NJ, although the factories in the rear, do look like Philly, somewhat. Holmesburg Jct used to be the stop for my Grandmother's place. Someone should recognize the spot from the tanks, and smoke stacks.
 



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