Amusing Amtrak Power

[C855B]

I am on #58 (CoNO) at this very moment. Air compressor died on our regular power as we were pulling into Kankakee. CN scrounged the yard and handed us the power for the local there, so this piece of crap is our lead unit into Chicago:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=626925

Heard on the radio, the Amtrak engineer to the conductor: "I'm never going to complain about our power again."

[C855B]

Well... to be completely fair... once I saw it on the curve backing into CHI, it has been repainted since that picture. Still, a relative antique. A more recent pic, just after it came out of the paint bay in Centralia:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3676148

Doesn't do anything about the hogger grousing about it. I am frequently amused by these young(er) engineers complaining about substituted power with traditional control stands. I did notice that he had some trouble pulling out after the air test, probably trying hard to remember how to use a real throttle and - ohmygosh - watch the ammeters.

[davefoxx]

Makes for a great story, and, heck, it did get you there.  Hopefully, you weren't too late, but I can think of worse places of being stuck.

DFF

[garethashenden]

Well... to be completely fair... once I saw it on the curve backing into CHI, it has been repainted since that picture. Still, a relative antique. A more recent pic, just after it came out of the paint bay in Centralia:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3676148

Doesn't do anything about the hogger grousing about it. I am frequently amused by these young(er) engineers complaining about substituted power with traditional control stands. I did notice that he had some trouble pulling out after the air test, probably trying hard to remember how to use a real throttle and - ohmygosh - watch the ammeters.

Is that wire mesh under the handrails and on the front steps?

[DKS]

Is that wire mesh under the handrails and on the front steps?

Looks like plastic snow fence material to me.

[C855B]

Looks like plastic snow fence material to me.

Yes. Crowd control. 9584 was CN's display at our annual Halloween festival, the largest gathering in downtown. They usually trot out the freshest repaint for the event. Pure coincidence we drew it as replacement power on #58.

[Scottl]

In defense of CN,  at least their crap runs 

[Ian MacMillan]

Love those units. Those along with M420's were frequent power on the SLR in the 90's.

[lock4244]

Interestingly, CN 9400-9449 were delivered with 76mph gearing as protection units for passenger trains. They also did this with GP40's CN 9316-17 (delivered as 4016-17). Remember that CN was a Crown Corporation and was heavy into passenger operations, so this really isn't all that surprising. I recall seeing either 9444 or 9449 leading a VIA train through Newtonville in the mid-90's spelling a dead F40PH-2. Though not one of these units, your leader would look right at home to a Canuck.

And at least the CN junker has a functioning air compressor