Amtrak F-59's

[TomDiehl]

All the models I've seen of the Amtrak F-59's have them painted in a Green livery or the Sounder, etc. All of the colors are for Northwest operations. Are these not used outside the West coast areas? Anybody know why?

[eolafan]

They are not used outside of the northwest because as I recall California (and perhaps some of the other neighboring states) helped pay for them.

[TomDiehl]

But is there a reason the F59's were chosen to be jointly purchased in the west rather than more P42's? Or the P42's were purchased for the rest of the country rather than the F59's?

[Dutchrailnut]

One is used on East coast , its owned by State of North Carolina.

[BNSF_GP60M]

Amtrak's F59 were first purchased for Amtrak California trains and now there are F59's for LA's Metrolink, Seattle's Sounder trains, North Carolina's Amtrak trains, and Virginia Railway Express. Some of the paint schemes for Amtrak's F59's are blue and silver (Pacific Surfliner), green and cream (Casades) and purple, silver, and blue (San Joaquins).

[Anonymous]

The F-59's are too big to get into the old tunnels in the northeast. But they are easier to mantain than the P42's. That's why they are used far away from there.

[broncoman]

Don't the F-59s have a seperate HEP? I have noticed that when P42s do fill in duty on Amtrak California trains that come through town, they are idled up pretty high when standing still which I was assuming to maintain power for the train. If the F-59s do have a seperate HEP the emission difference might be why they are used on the west coast so much.
Or is my logic flawed.

[BNSF4ever]

The other poster is correct. The California Department of Transportation (CalTrains) purchased the F59PHIs and cars used on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins. Though CalTrains is paying for the Surfliners, I do not believe the equipment on them is owned by the state. I once saw a Surfliner F59PHI as the second unit on the Coast Starlight. I believe the North Carolina DOT has two F59PHIs.

As for being easier to maintain than P42DCs, I'm not sure. My father and I were riding home on a Capitol Corridor that had a P42DC. We asked the engineer and he said that there were two in the motive power pool because the F59PHIs kept breaking down. Recently, I've seen more and more regular Amtrak P42s hauling Capitol Corridors. When I rode the San Joaquin a few weeks back, it was also hauled by a P42. It's a bit goofy looking since the P42s are in Phase V and the cars it hauls are in the Amtrak California blue, silver, yellow, and orange livery.

As side notes, on that same SJ ride to Bakersfield I happened to meet other Amtrak California trains being pulled by Amtrak California's only 2 Dash 8-32BWHs (I think that is their designation!), which made me think the F59PHI serviceability was at an all time low. In addition, I am seeing more and more Amtrak California Capitols with one Superliner car amidst the normal California and Surfliner cars. Superliners don't mesh as well as they do not have automatic opening doors, so passengers have to detrain at other cars or one of the conductors has to man the door.

[TomDiehl]

Of course, BNSF, "easier to maintain" and "reliable" are two different things. IIRC EMD had some reliabliity issues several years ago with their locomotives.

But the clearance issue does explain the preference for the P-42's, they can be used anywhere on the system. It's a lot easier for the Motive Power Desk (or whatever it's called nowadays) to send a 4000 or 4250 HP locomotive where needed without worrying about clearance restrictions.

[Anonymous]

The F59s are easier to mantain because they have side doors that allow easy access to almost any part. But it doesn't mean they are reliable.