| Posted by on November 17, 2013 | |
Great shot. Thanks for posting it.
Two things: 1: The first food car (you can tell because of the blanked-out windows in the middle of the car) is the 1st-Class Club Service, a 32-seat (a few are 33 seats) club car with 2-and-1 seating. The middle food car, which ought to be an Amdinette, appears to have an Amfleet-2 lounge substituting, given the larger window frames.
2: The brakes are on for the 60- or 70-mph speed restriction (depending on the year) across Portal drawbridge. The main tracks on either side of Portal were listed as 90 mph but the bridge itself was either 60 mph or 70 mph, depending on when you ask.
It's a late-afternoon/evening shot, what with the sun in the face of the motor. There are 2 people in the cab. A supervisor might be operating, as many did, headed home from New York toward Newark and Philadelphia. The Engineer is wearing a tie while the man in the fireman's seat is not.
Great shot!
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Thanks for your comment and observations. He was indeed slowing for the bridge. I recall it the speed on the bridge was 60 mph due to concerns with the mitre rails, the very rails that caused a derailment there a year or two after the tower closed. Good thing, too, as the tower was wiped out in the wreck. I just noticed that I typed the wrong date on the photo -- it's from that day in 1987. I'll try to change it. Fun times back then hanging around the Amtrak towers.
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