Did Amtrak inherit some of these old FL9s from New Haven?

Why would they use it on the Lake Shore Limited? Do you think that other locomotives were used for most of the way, and the FL9 was put only near the area on New York City?

Thank you

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Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale)
www.geocities.com/evrr

 

Diesels can't be used in the poorly ventilated tunnels under Park Avenue. Like the New York Central's original Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak trains had to switch from diesel to electric to enter and exit the city.

The old New York Central trains literally changed engines at Albany -- swapping their streamlined diesels for black, satanic-looking "box" electrics from the 1920s that remained in service well into the 1960s.

Amtrak lucked out by "inheriting" the New Haven engines, which were dual-mode.

 

Unlike the New York Central, the NH did not have substantial engine-changing facilities at the points where their branch lines entered electric territory; a problem since the majority of the NH's trains terminated at Grand Central. (There was also the complication of overhead and third-rail power, but their existing electrics accommodated that.) The FL9's ability to switch modes en-route made it tremendously successful.

Perhaps sensing the way the wind was blowing for passenger trains at the time, the Central never bought in to the scheme, even though they would have been useful for their numerous Albany trains. (The Central changed engines at Croton-Harmon, where electrification ends, not Albany.)

Ironically, when Amtrak took over, they managed to procure several FL9's for precisely that purpose. Through trains to Buffalo/Chicago/Montreal changed engines at Albany, presumably to spare the units for corridor runs. Early on, though, even Amtrak used the ancient box-cabs of the Central (most of which came from the defunct Cleveland Union Terminal, a former Central subsidiary). Until the late seventies it was possible to see an Amtrak train being pulled by steam-era motive power, albeit electric. Penn-central/Conrail did the same for their commuter trains until Metro-North took over, when all Hudson and Harlem through trains began using FL9's.

Amtrak continued using their FL9's even after switching their Empire Service to Penn Station. The reason was the same as before: diesel locomotives are not allowed in revenue service to Penn Station, either. Thus, until the advent of the bi-modal Genesis unit, the FL9 reigned unchallenged.

Though the Genesis has taken over most of Metro North's north-of-electric territory, they can still be seen on the occasional Hudson train, and I think they're still used on the upper Harlem. Appropriately, they also occasion the former Housatonic line to Danbury, where they started life nearly 40 years ago.

[This message has been edited by gct29 (edited 05-07-2002).]
 

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Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale)
www.geocities.com/evrr