Amtrak Phase I dates

[GerFust]

After tearing down my model railroad, I am taking another crack at with some more sophistication this time.

I am trying to determine a date for my railroad based on my current inventory of engines, roliing stock, etc. One glaring restriction is that I have Amtrak coaches in the Phase I paint scheme.

I would really appreciate if someone could tell me what years (including start and end) Amtrak used this paint scheme.

Thank you,
Jer

[Train Rascal]

Jer,

I don't have exact dates for the Phase 1 paint scheme, but I'd estimate the start in April-June 1972 as I have 2 modeling magazines (one Aug 72; the other Sept 72) showing pictures of the new Phase 1 scheme occuring near the first Amtrak anniversary (Amtrak started on May 1, 1971). As for an end date, I do know Amtrak introduced the Phase 2 paint schemes starting in 1976 with delivery of the F40PH's. Amtrak, like most railroads changing their paint schemes, would not have repainted all the cars for some time. This would result in a mix of Phase 1 with Phase 2 schemes for a number of years after 1976, although less cars would still be in Phase 1 paint the farther past 1976 you go. I'd guess you could easily do sometime between 1973 and 1978 or 1979 without do much difficulty. The other items in your inventory may dictate a narrower period.

I hope this helps you a little,
Roger

[M636C]

As far as passenger cars were concerned, the change from Phase I to Phase II was the removal of the "pointless arrows" from the ends of the car window band, and the addition of the name "Amtrak" to the window band. The change to Phase III was basically the change to the red, white and blue stripes becoming the same size.

I was checking out some Amfleet cars in Phase III at Washington Union station when I noticed that the white stripe had been applied over the top of the red and blue stripes, which appeared to be the same size as the stripes in Phases I and II. This might suggest that on the prototype Amfleet cars at least, these changes could be acheived by just applying some additional vinyl stripes of the appropriate colour to alter the car to the latest scheme!

So some changes could be made quite rapidly in a shop that had inspection platforms at about floor height and supplies of the vinyl and someone capable of applying it!

Peter

[GerFust]

Train Rascal:

Thanks - that's exactly what I was looking for. I assume, then, with only a few years between the start of phase I and phase II that the phase I cars were around for some time after '76? Or were they all repainted immediately?

Thanks,
Jer

[Train Rascal]

Jer,

Good question. I don't think all the cars would have been repainted at one time but over a couple of years. As a case in point, in an article on the F40PH (Dec 1999 issue of Trains magazine), I found a picture dated January 1978 that shows some cars (baggage car, a dome car, and others I can't make out because of the snow) still in the Phase 1 scheme.

There is another thing to keep in mind that may extend the time the cars were in Phase 1 colors. The cars for the most part were refurbished cars inherited from the other railroads. Amtrak was more focused on getting new cars (the Superliner I's for example) that repainting cars would be of a much lower priority.

My opinion is that the Phase 1 painted cars would have run in that scheme until one of two events occurred. First, Amtrak wanted to show off the new Phase 2 scheme on specific routes so cars on that route would be repainted quickly. The second event (and the more probable) is when the cars were in for a major overhaul.

This opinion is based upon what the Class 1 railroads were doing at this time during the mergers of the 70's. New cars delivered in one paint scheme typically stayed in that scheme until a major overhaul occurred. As an example, I model the Chessie System (merger of B&O and C&O in 1972, WM in 1976). C&O received a series of 300, 3-bay hoppers in 1971 in the then current gray paint. Most stayed in that scheme well past the CSX merger of 1987. The only cars repainted into the Chessie scheme were the overhauled ones.

The item to remember is that passenger cars would have been repainted much sooner than freight cars. Case in point: in August 2004, I saw covered hoppers still painted in the blue Great Northern paint scheme. The Great Northern disappeared in 1971 or 72 during the creation of Burlington Northern (that's 30+ years!) I don't think we will find Phase 1 Amtrak schemes anywhere today.

Good luck with the continued research,
Roger