HERITAGE UNITS PT3

Here's yet another heritage unit...

Amtrak P42 156 rolls through town with a short train of Superliners on the restored Steel City Express. Normal equipment for this train are the Amfleet cars, so these Superliners are probably being relocated for equipment balancing purposes -while making some revenue money!

Engine 156 is one of the four that Amtrak repainted to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2011. This 'Heritage' scheme recalls Amtrak's first paint scheme from the early 70's, also known as the "headless arrow" scheme.

This was the scheme used on most of Amtrak's inherited E and F units soon after its creation; it fits the GE quite nicely as well!

Heritage units of a different color are these two passenger cars, sitting in Hillsdale Yard. Operated by Railcar Charter Services, they are used for excursions, often at the rear of Amtrak trains.

The first car is Club Lounge car built by Pullman-Standard in the 1948 for the New York Central's signature passenger train, the 20th Century Limited. After the train was discontinued at the end of 1967, the car became surplus, and was sold to private interests in 1970 by Penn Central; today she survives in excursion service and on business trains for smaller railroads that don't have passenger cars for that purpose.

The second car is a 6-4-1 observation car, also built by Pullman Standard, for the 1955 version of Great Northern's signature passenger train, the Empire Builder. The "6-4-1" refers to the car's internal layout; 6 roomettes, 4 bedrooms, and 1 lounge observation area. It, too, was purchased by private interests in the 70's from Amtrak. By the way, the Empire Builder -like this car that was built for it- still lives on, running on Amtrak from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest; it was the first train to receive the then new Superliners in 1977 and the venerable observation car became surplus, thus leading to its sale.

HERITAGE UNITS PT2

Last week saw the introduction of two of the AP&W's Heritage units. More...

Three Heritage units are sitting in the yard; including two from NS!

1960 is  the lead unit and the oldest of the three, as well as the only GE unit.

NS 1074 is the second unit, painted in Delaware, Lackawanna & Western colors.

NS 1068 is the Erie-painted unit. Both the NS engines are EMD SD70ACe's built in 2012 to celebrate NS' 30th anniversary; NS is three years older than the AP&W!

Seen as the America units roll past, these three engines represent a "family photo" of sorts: while from two different railroads, they represent the proper lineage; Erie + Lackawanna = Erie Lackawanna! Add in the America units, with their Bicentennial-themed paint scheme, and it comes full circle; in 1976 the Erie Lackawanna itself disappeared into Conrail!

HERITAGE UNITS, PT1

Like the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, the AP&W also has a fleet of Heritage units...

One such unit is 1990, the Delaware and Hudson unit. She is numbered for the year that the AP&W took over the D&H, and was re-painted into this scheme in 2010; twenty years after the merger.

Here she is pulling a long train of reefers through town. The unit is from the same 2006 order of GE ES44AC's as the America units; she was formerly 9690.

Also from the same order of ES44AC's, is Erie Lackawanna- painted 1960, the former 9618, seen here pulling into Hillsdale Yard for a crew change.

Damaged in a wreck, 9618 was repaired, repainted and renumbered into this scheme in late 2010, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Erie Lackawanna's formation. While the railroad itself went to Conrail upon its start-up, much of the E-L's western trackage went to AP&W predecessor APRR, along with much of its equipment, due to the AP's attempt to acquire the E-L beforehand. It is interesting to note that had this unit been numbered for the year much of the E-L was acquired -1976- it would have had to be re-numbered again a year later to free up the number for the America unit!

Sitting in the yard, 1990 shows off her paint job. This was the most popular of the Delaware and Hudson's paint schemes, and it looks good on a modern GE unit! Like the Erie Lackawanna unit, a small AP&W logo occupies a small spot on the lower nose of the unit to signify the real owner.

TOWN LIFE PT8

A Cargo Transporters semi, complete with ground skirts, rolls up Main St. headed out of town.

The lot is full at Tony's, as business is good after a long, hard winter! As further proof that spring is here, Barbara is driving past with the top down!

The local police were called to The Pub after a disturbance. When they arrived, they arrested Kate for public intoxication and disturbance of the peace. She may also be fined for littering, after smashing a beer bottle on the sidewalk!

On a brighter note; The Mad Hatter is now open downtown. The old signs for Sally's Antiques still hang in the top windows; the business has relocated.

A man goes into the Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q for lunch. Always a popular spot, the window tables are already taken.

Once again, traffic at the end of Main St. is slowed by underground utility work.