daveklepper And often the dual-modes ran through on the Lake Shore to Chicago, so by changing at Albany, they hav two more to run to New Haven.
And often the dual-modes ran through on the Lake Shore to Chicago, so by changing at Albany, they hav two more to run to New Haven.
Current practice going back some years is that the through power to Chicago, usually a pair of P42s, comes in on the Boston section, get fueled and waits. When the New York section comes in with a P32, it cuts off and the Boston section pulls forward and backs onto the New York section. Coming in from the west, the Boston section cuts off by the shops north of the station and pulls in, then a P32 is put in front of the New York section and it pulls in on another track.
The Lake Shore does get any P32's heading for Beech Grove as extra power. The Empire Service trains usually get P32s exclusively. though P42s are around and used occasionally.
The FL-9's,all 60, originally had non-retractable double-sprung shoes that were desigined to work on both overruning and underruning third rail, and did work, as long as everything was maintained properly. They ran into Penn when a "Jet" EP-5 electric was not available, after the other electrics had been removed from service during the McGinnis-Alpert era.
Both series of FL9s had air operated shoes as built. NH and later PC replace them with fixed shoes in the 1960s. They did have shoes that were supposed to work on either type of third rail. NYC had knock-off castings at Woodlawn to clip off shoes that hadn't dropped to a safe operating position. Trains had a number of articles on the FL9s documenting this over the years.
YOu are correct, I should have written retractable, not non-retractable. Pardon.
I am certain the pure diesels used as pilots were cut off the train at Harold Tower and added to eastbounds, because of the lack of turning facilities at PENN. And of course Amtrak has refuling facilities (possibly owned by LIRR, since electrics continiued to switch Sunnyside long after LIRR replaced its steam with diesel) at Sunnyside, they use a number of diesel switchers there. The dual-modes ran through to Penn and then were on a Empire Service train to Albany. I believe all Empire service trains that ran west of Albany changed power there instead of running through. Actually, Amtrak was in a better position than MN because of a much larger pool of diesels.
As I remember, the loop at Sunnyside is at the WEST end of the yard. From Penn one takes a switch to the right of the LIRR main, goes under the main tracks at a right-angle, and then enters the yard from the EAST. But there is also a connecting track westbound off the main.
My Rabbinic teachers tell me the Eternal loves irony. Well replacing electric with diesel or even just adding diesel westbound at New Haven sure is irony! (But I don't blame the Eternal for the power outage.)
The diesel sets were arranged back-to-back so turning wasn't an issue. What's impressive is the speed with which MNRC and Amtrak responded to deal with the power outage, and even more so the way they kept riders informed.
Empire service trains including the Ethan Allen are usually P32 powered even west of Albany. The Adirondack often gets a P42. Since the Lake Shore's P42s run Boston-Chicago they only hang around Albany in the evening. The Lake Shore's P42s are also the only ones that call at Boston South Station in regular service. The Downeaster has P42/CabBage push pull setup running from North Station. New Haven is still a diesel shop for Amtrak, with Springfield and Vermonter power based there.
Whenever FL-9's ran to Penn, they were always two, back-to-back. But the horsepower was needed in any case for the grades on each side of the H. G. Bridge. But even GCT trains usually had two. But not always.
Horsepower is much greater for the new power, and some Empire Service trains do run with just one diesel. Or so the photos tele me.
It's very rare to see any Amtrak train on the Hudson line with more than one locomotive.
When I was referring to FL-9's into Penn or GCT, I should have qualified with "on NYNH&H trains. Amtrak did runn Empire service trains into Penn with one FL-9 frequently.
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