WHAT IS POTUS?

[Anonymous]

There is a CSX dash 8W #7812 and in the ninety's it wore a paintscheme called POTUS. What is POTUS?

[CG9602]

POTUS: The Secret Service acronym for the President Of the United States. This unit may have been used to haul around a campaign train for the President. Likewise, the Secret Service refers to the First Lady as FLOTUS.

[M636C]

POTUS stands for "President of the United States", pretty relevant today and tomorrow!

Two CSX Dash 8s were painted overall dark blue, retaining the yellow end, a bit like the new scheme, but with stars (a single line of them, I think) in 1992 for a trip through Ohio for George H W Bush's (unsuccessful) re-election campaign.

They had special numbers, one was 1992, possibly the other was 1996 - the units still reported on radio with their real numbers, which was confusing to say the least.

I saw the train run through Findlay Ohio. Even in those days the security was amazing, and two other Dash 8s hauled a "pilot train" ahead of the main train, which was mainly UP Business train cars with some blue and grey CSX cars. The President's car might havve been the armoured "Ferdinand Magellan" but I'd have to look at the photos and video to check, likewise the locomotive numbers carried.

I'm sure it appeared in Trains for that year!

Peter

[railman]

pictures, anyone?

[Anonymous]

Unit 1992, a C40-8W:
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/html/Unusual.html

M636C, are you thinking of the two B40-8's that were used on Clinton's train?

[railman]

thanks Guilford350.

[SSW9389]

I think the term POTUS originated with FDR when his pullman car the Ferdinand Magellan was added to a passenger train. The POTUS acronym was used to confuse the enemy during WWII.

The Ferdinand Magellan is preserved at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Florida. This pullman car has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Government. Visit the car online at www.goldcoast-railroad.org/magellan.htm and find out how this whole POTUS thing got started.

[Anonymous]

The train-sim.com file library has 7812 in the spirit of america scheme.
M636C: The units were numbered 7812 and 1992. How do I know? My very good friend 3rr2 told me.

[ndbprr]

The cars used by Bush 1 were CSX cars. I rode the Capital Limited election night 1992 to DC from Chicago and they were tacked on the back end of the train for the trip. They were quite a surprise when I walked through the gate at Union Station in Chicago. We set off every hot box detector along the way for at least 300 miles because one of the hand brakes wasn't released completely. Every time the train would start to recover we would be stopping again for the 68th- 70th axles. Many of us threatened to cut them loose and wave goodbye.

[M636C]

Guildford 350,

My clear recollection is that there were two Dash 8s, probably in standard CSX colours, running back to back, with maybe two cars, as the pilot train and the President's train had two repainted units also back to back. I remembered the single line of stars, which is something! I think there was a fifth unit running light following the train, too!

If 7812 is "1992", there should have been another in that scheme, or maybe the trailing unit was still in standard colours. I'll dig out my still photos and check!

The President was on the rear platform, but as the car passed me, he was looking forward on the far side. The first lady did wave to us, however.

The special train was mainly UP cars, but with a number of CSX cars, including, I guess, the president's car. The website for "Ferdinand Magellan" suggests that it wasn't serviceable in 1992. A UP baggage car had huge satellite dishes on the roof.

There was a Conrail track crew working on welding up the crossing at Fostoria right up to the train's arrival (well, on that morning) to make sure it was in new condition for the POTUS train.

Peter

[M636C]

Guys,

I dug out my still photos of George H W Bush's 1992 train.

Firstly there was only one specially painted unit, 1992=7812!

The first photo shows a military UH-1 Iroquois helicopter flying low up the track.

I'm not sure about the order of photos, because the prints were not automatically numbered, and I may confuse the preceding ang following trains, but from memory the "pilot" train was:

CSX 5866 (B36-7)+ CSX 5935 (B40-8), American Orient Express coach, CSX Budd Track inspection car with "Gallery" seating.

The President's train was:

CSX "1992" + CSX 7810 (both C40-8) CSX car (ex RPO), CSX car (heavyweight pullman) CSX HEP generator, (ex baggage), four yellow UP coaches, unidentified stainless car, two more UP cars, dome car (then the train is obscured).

The follow up train was;

CSX 7811+CSX 7809 (both C40-8), baggage, CSX car (ex US Army hospital car).

So four CSX C40-8 units were used, 7809 to 7812, only one repainted.

Peter