Celebrate the Century Express
I set up at a curve just east of Green River, Utah, for Amtrak No. 6, the California Zephyr, on September 1, 1999. After photographing No. 6 at this location, I started to drive away when I heard “Second Amtrak No. 6, highball Green River.” What?! I did a quick U-turn and tried to figure out what that was all about! It ended up being the U. S. Postal Service special “Celebrate the Century Express” train on part of its two-year tour of the country in 1999-2000, hot on the heels of the California Zephyr. A special paint scheme was applied to Amtrak P42DC No. 100, a baggage car, and an Amfleet car with a modified interior. This scheme consisted of a very elaborate collection of enlarged stamps and postmarks from the 1900s to the 1990s. Besides these cars, vintage Southern Railway RPO No. 36 and a business/lounge car Missouri-Kansas-Texas No. 403, both heavyweight passenger cars, accompanied the train. I had no idea this train was coming, but I’m glad I was listening to the scanner.
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
These are the paint schemes you didn't think would turn up on the locomotives that they're on. (or they
re just really awesome paint schemes that didn't get the the credit they deserved...)
