LORTON, Va. — Amtrak has begun testing its Siemens Charger ALC42 long-distance locomotives in Auto Train service, with two of the diesels making their first appearance as part of a four-locomotive consist on the southbound train on Friday, June 21. Photographer Sol Tucker shot the locomotives putting the train together in Lorton; Nathan Richters photographed the train in Spotsylvania, Va.
Richters also noted the rare presence of heritage sleeper Pacific Bend, reportedly for use by a Siemens support team. The car was built for Union Pacific by Budd Co. in 1950 as a 10-roomette, six-double-bedroom sleeper; under Amtrak, it eventually became a crew dormitory and a communications car for Amtrak Police before being restored to sleeping-car use for the staff of Amtrak’s touring 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train.
We knew this day was coming. Honestly it’s very easy to say the same thing with regards to the P42s themselves replacing the F40s, but this is the first time in a long while that European power has hauled Amtrak LD trains. The Chargers are nice to look at for about 5 minutes before you realize they just don’t sound the same. The older GEs (and the EMDs before them) really did just sound better. Man, I sound old…
I’ve been documenting the P42s on the Silver Star (92) as the train passes my house every evening. I’m wondering when the day will come that I see the last Genesis on a Silver Service train…
Very odd. The old thumb rule was all the “new” stuff went to the “money train,” known to everyone else as the Auto Train. The conventional trains have had Chargers for a while.
Maybe Amtrak wanted to know if the Chargers actually work before putting them on the “money train”.
Perhaps the Chargers are simply in the power consist “dead in tow”.
Maybe Trains Magazine could do a report on this car as well as the other office car equipment. Would love to see the inside of this old 10/6, especially the roomettes. Did they remove the toilets, or maybe still in use and emptying into a holding tank. I loved the way these cars road while laying in the bed next to the window watching the country side roll on by – miss that so much.
I agree, that would be a neat article to read, especially with pictures!