Amtrak steam?

Rusty

I was thinking of that locomotive. I didn't know it had Amtrak on it.

I'm pretty sure Hot Water could explain the reason for the Amtrak lettering on 4449, I don't recall the exact details.

But, If Amtrak had occurred during the steam era, I strongly suspect their locomotives would've looked pretty much like their contemporaries, mostly 4-8-4's and 4-6-4's painted black with graphite or silver smoke boxes, Amtrak lettering (In R.R. Roman) on the cab and a large number on the tender.

Rusty

OK I imagine trying to keep that freedom train clean would be a problem. This paint scheme you describe is the way I was thinking of painting one. Maybe a small logo on cab. Which 4-8-4 would be a good candidate? Or would I need a different one for each geographic area.

Here's one for the Northeast

If Amtrak goes steam, they need to design and procure their own.   A good starting point would be a C&O poppet Hudson L2a type machine, convertible to oil and back.

Amtrak's electric operations are almost flawless, based solely on the fact that they inherited an operation from the once-famous PRR who did all the ground work and engineering to ensure an efficient system.

Even Diesels are too complicated for them to run reliably.  Now you want them to use "real" locomotives, that require brains and brawn and Yankee ingenuity and sobriety and reliability and dedication and initiative to run??? Fuggedaboudit.

My wife wanted to go from Savannah to Raleigh last night. The train departed 3.5 hours late. She coulda hitch-hiked and gotten there sooner. Sheesh.

ReadingFan   I like your choice.   jaygee A hudson type I think would also be a good choice. After all this is Hypothetical. We all know it won't happen.

Clem 

I would be more interested to see if they would use a tank engine for commuter service.

The advantage of steam for Amtrak today is that malfunctions would take five minutes to find...and five days to fix.  This was a major issue back in the day, but with Amtrak, perhaps not so much.  Deeper pockets among other things.  Properly designed, such a chooch could give a fairly credible job.  Coal would be out, but oil or possibly NG could be used in this machine.  Keep it small, and flexible, certainly no bigger than a Berk, and light, and tight enough to fit into today's operations.  We could use the body shells from the worn out GE P units, and fill their spaces with....steam !    

Don't blame Amtrak for the host railroad's attitude and actions towards Amtrak.  Tell your congress person because I guarantee they are telling them to make Amtrak go away.

I think just like steam passenger ops back in the day the loco choice would depend on the assignment.  Probably light to midsize engines around the most of the intercity runs, something like a WM K-2 Pacific or a the Hiawatha 4-6-4's.  Longer distance and bigger trains out west would require likely require 4-8-4's with extra tenders.

fuel selection would be an issue because of the still standing smoke ordinances around cities like Baltimore you would be looking at oil fired.  Compressed gas firing would be clean but would also likely open up new safety questions.

As for a paint scheme basic black for most of the engine.  A red/white/blue striping scheme would look good, particularly if applied using high visibility tape so it would really pop out in photos.

I would imagine SP GS-4's, UP FEF-3's, N&W J's, and NYC Niagaras would be appropriate choices, as they were among the most modern steam locos, and quite successful.

Aaron

Thats a good point ,I never thought about using the reflective striping.~ Since I started putting together an Amtrak train from the Atlas zephyr production, I thought it would look even better headed by steam.

Clem 

Amtrak was around in the steam era.

only then it was called the USRA.

That's it !  I'm gonna build an HO scale AM-steam chooch.   Now if I can just get a good deal on some plastic steam prototype of the right size...say like a NH 4-6-4, or stretching it a little further...an Amtrak  ...ex PRR, ex PC  T1 duplex!   If a BLI can be found cheap...I'm gonna do It !   Just the ticket for the new gen. Viewliners !

Here's a little bit of sillyness I whipped up a while ago:

Rusty

So we are considering Pacifics now. Lots of railroads used them in passenger service. The Lehigh Valley used fat-boilered Pacifics in freight service.

Here's a light Pacific, Reading & Northern 425 at Jim Thorpe

Here is a heavy Pacific for comparison, Southern Ps-4 1401 in the Smithsonian

Just for fun I'll add No. 17, the YORK, running on the Northern Central between New Freedom and Hanover Junction. Her prototype, the LEVIATHAN, is joining her this week. For details, go to www.steamintohistory.com. No. 17 rolled out of Kloke Locomotive Works, Elgin, IL, in May, 2013!

Come to think of it, No. 17 would stand out among Acelas, Northeast Regionals, Keystone Service trains, and other arrivals and departures at Newark, NJ, or 30th Street Station. She now has a matching combine and coach built by the Reader Railroad in Arkansas now. Photos are posted at Facebook under Steam into History.

Hey Rusty I like this. 

Isn't the wheel arrangement going to depend to a good extent on WHERE the train is operating?  I recall that in the glory days of steam the RF&P couldn't run some of its better engines into DC because they didn't have the clearances and there were other places throughout the country where weight limits were a problem.