I was looking at Amtrak passenger cars and noticed the different "phases" of cars which I would assume was the time frame they were put in service and i'm sure some trains ran with different phases of cars. What is the approximate time frame for phase 1 thru 4?
willy6 I was looking at Amtrak passenger cars and noticed the different "phases" of cars which I would assume was the time frame they were put in service and i'm sure some trains ran with different phases of cars. What is the approximate time frame for phase 1 thru 4?
Someone who studies Amtrak can narrow things down but approximately:
Phase I - Pointless Arrow - (inception of Amtrak 1971 to late 1970's)
Phase II - Wide Red and blue bands (Late 1970's - early 1980's)
Phase III - Equal red/white/blue bands (early 1980's through early-mid 1990's)
Phase IV - Blue band and IVb with Amtrak new logo, mid 1990's to present.
Thats roughly the time frames but again, an Amtrak aficianado can give more accurate dates.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Phase I 1971-1974 (the painting the locomotives and cars started in late 1972 into 1973. Some leftover heritage coaches lasted in 1979/80.)
Phase II 1975-1979 (passenger equipment lasted until the late 80s before repainted into Phase III same as locomotives.)
Phase III 1980-1998 (paint scheme lasted until 2001.)
Phase IV 1994-1999 (applied to Amfleet and Superliners, until diesels were repainted in 1999 and lasted until 2004.)
No reason to rewrite the colors scheme.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
When you're talking about locomotives, there's no IVb, but there is a Phase V.
There's likely a Phase VI in the works to match the new scheme on the Viewliners as they're delivered. The Viewliner bags are in Phase III, but with some differences from Phase III. I'd imagine they're going to get the Phase V moniker.
NittanyLion When you're talking about locomotives, there's no IVb, but there is a Phase V.
The OP did mention passenger cars which is why I mentioned it. My wife looked up the wiki here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_paint_schemes#Phase_IVb
Phase IVb[edit] Amfleet I coaches in Phase IVb livery Phase IVb was the name given to Amtrak's newest paint scheme applied on passenger cars. It is now the most common paint scheme seen onSuperliner equipment. Many people confuse Phase IVb with Phase IV because they are, on passenger cars, the next livery after Phase IV. Others have called it Phase VI because it is clearly the next chronologically after Phase V.
Phase IVb was the name given to Amtrak's newest paint scheme applied on passenger cars. It is now the most common paint scheme seen onSuperliner equipment. Many people confuse Phase IVb with Phase IV because they are, on passenger cars, the next livery after Phase IV. Others have called it Phase VI because it is clearly the next chronologically after Phase V.
So I did mention it for the benefit of the OP and because model railroad companies like Walthers and Kato produce passenger cars labeled with the IVb paint scheme.
These 'phases" are more of a railfan invention than an actual designation of equipment. N\They are nothing more than a decission of how to paint equipment.
Even the heritage fleet whent through phases. And before that they were painted for different railroads. So it only applies to paint and not to equipment.
NYCT "R" numbers on the ohter hand are "Contract Numbers". R-27s and R30-s would appear almost identical, a few mechinical differences that only an ardent railfan could discover.
R-32s ar one of the LION's favorite cars (if you do not count the R1-R9 series.
AMTK is not as complicated as the NYCT, but each of the NYCT cars have gone through various paiant schemes.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Amtrak does use the terms "Phase III" and such themselves. Its not a railfan invention. The press release materials for the four 40th anniversary locomotives explicitly refers to them by Phase I, II, III, IV, and V.
Walthers and Kato labels with the IVb IIRC but any thing after phase III is of little interest to me so I'll let others haggle out the nomenclature. But if Walthers and Kato are labeling their passenger cars, it must be of interest to some.
If I noticed that Rio Grande put the Phase IVb paint scheme, I would've corrected it.
Since I knew that Phase IVb or what Amtrak calls Phase VI came out in 2002-2013.
Will the next Phase III be Phase IIIb or VII? I been questioning that a while.
When I see the Phase III paint scheme on Amtrak trains, I immidiately think of the EMD F40PH's, I saw them on the surfline from 1996-2001, I remember them very well.