PASSING TRAINS 8

An eastbound empty coal train, Extra EC8663, rolls through town. On the AP&W, all unit coal trains are extras -unscheduled trains. The "EC" stands for "East-bound Coal", and the number is the lead locomotive, SD70MAC 8663.

As the engines pass through, they are followed by a long silver string of hopper cars. In a different era, this train would have been pulled by three 3000hp locomotives; but today, the two 4000hp SD70MAC's, with their more powerfull AC traction motors, are sufficient to do the job.

The EOT brings up the rear on the last car. This train is headed back to a mine in southwestern Pennsylvania, where it will load-up and head back northwest to a power plant in western Pennslyvania.

After Amtrak dropped the Steel City Express in 1988, the Capitol was the only train between Pittsburgh and D.C. -and it was a long distance train between D.C. and Chicago. However, with the popularity of Amtrak's regional train between D.C. and Central Virginia, Amtrak and the AP&W agreed to try a new regional between D.C. and Pittsburgh. Since the Capitol travels over CSX rails, the two don't overlap, and the new regional train now gives passenger service to Uniontown once again. This is one of the first trains to leave D.C. for Pittsburgh.

Then again, sometimes the two trains DO overlap! A delay on CSX's main means that today, the Capitol Limited travels over the AP&W -and through Hillsdale! Sam and Norman watch as the westbound train rolls through. The Capitol is easy to tell from the regional train; in addition to the extra length (and two locomotives), the Capitol also has Superliners!