While we're at it, on the subject of pretty faces, CN FPA4 6765 seen from the cab of FA1 9400: Ain't she purdy?
First time I've seen a FRED on a rear end DPU. Would have thought it would be unnecessary since the DPU communicates with the lead loco. Also, why would the DPU have its ditch lights illuminated, not have red lights being the tail end?
Looking at the picture, the angle cock is closed on the trainline hose, so the FRED is not functional for air. The conductor is reclined in his seat facing across the cab. So, maybe, the coupler was a convenient place to transport FRED while they headed someplace to do some switching?
If you pay attention, you sometimes can find clean & untagged fright cars. On CP 199 west of Baden, ND: And on CP 369 at Foxholm, ND: And on CP 368, leaving Minot eastbound:
A special train carrying President William McKinley stopping in Del Rio sometime before he was assassinated in September of 1901.
As found in a closet at my late mother's home last week, some slides my late father took in March 1975 as I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, FL aboard the Floridian from Chicago. I think the station is former SAL. The Floridian last ran in October 1979. Amtrak's new SDP-40Fs like the 611 seen here were derailment prone and most were soon traded back to EMD for F-40PHs.
I never really understood why that happened. The Santa Fe picked up most of those and converted them to freight locomotives and never had similar problems with them. They had to modify the front ends a bit to add steps and a front deck.
A very interesting story, that. Amtrak was convinced it was the new HT-C trucks that replaced the three-axle Flexicoils. There was a huge investigation with all sorts of tests (giving the SDP40F the distinction of being the most tested locomotive ever), with EMD, FRA, etc. participating. It turned out that it was the steam generator water sloshing around inside their tanks. EMD even devised a solution to the problem, which was to install partitions inside the water tanks to prevent the water from sloshing about as one large mass. But to no avail. Amtrak wanted nothing to do with the SDP40Fs and bought F40PHs (commuter locos!) to replace them. Santa Fe fixed the problem by eliminating the steam generators and their water tanks. They turned them into cowled SD40-2s.
Thanks for that information. Mystery solved. And then Amtrak went to HEP and got rid of all steam generators.
Another neat 35mm Kodachrome slide I found was taken by my Grandfather in 1939 or 1940 as shown here. It's of the PRR's passenger ferry Maryland, which was in service on the Chesapeake Bay between Norfolk, VA and Cape Charles, VA on the Delmarva peninsula. You can see the PRR keystone on her stack.
The guy with the NS high-railer was waiting for things to quiet down to do some work. He gave me the line up and it was like five trains in the next hour. I waited for them all too. Bonsak, Virginia, August 8, 2017.
KCS 5000 leading an eastbound CN grain train on track rights across the BNSF Aurora Sub. January 3, 2021 Most people get drunk, others want sex but as for me, I go Railfanning.
