Amtrak F40PHR

4.11.1981 Ivy City engine terminal. AMTK 257 and others being services.

4/11/1981 Washington, DC. AMTK 960 races south.

4/11/1981 Washington, DC. AMTK 961 races north.

4.12.81 Baltimores Penn Station. AMTK 776 GP7. BD 2/53, BN 17829. Ex UP 702, Retired 9/85.

4.12.1981 Alexandria, VA. Early evening stop for the Northbound Cardinal. AMTK 267 on the point.

4.12.1988 Alexandria, VA. AMTK 278. A street level shot from King Street of a northbound making a station stop.

4.12.1981 A Sunday stop at Alexandria for the southbound Crescent. AMTK 335, a 6 month-old F40PH on the point.

4.17.1981 Jacksonville, FL. AMTK 329 F40PHR. B/D 8/80, BN 797387-1. On the point of the northbound Silver Meteor having just left Jacksonville Union Station.

1.7.1982 Jacksonville, FL. AMTK 629 SDP40F at the Jacksonville Amtrak station platform being shuffled by SCL SW9 #186. The Amtrak unit will be sold to Santa Fe in 3 years to become ATSF 5262. The switcher will leave SCL's roster in 20 months to be sold to PNC. It started life as ACL 704.

1.9.1982. The northbound Silver Meteor out of Jacksonville led by 6 month old AMTK 377 F40PHR.

1.9.1982. The northbound Silver Meteor ready to head out of Jacksonville led by 6 month old AMTK 377 F40PHR.

1.9.1982 The afternoon arrival at Amtrak's Jacksonville Station of the northbound Silver Meteor with AMTK 377 on the point. A few minutes later the Champion will arrive on the adjacent platform.

1.9.1982 The afternoon arrival of the Amtrak Champion at Jacksonville's Amtrak Station. To the right is the Silver Meteor which had arrived a few minutes earlier.

1.9.19982 Jacksonville's AmtrakStation. AMTK 379 F40PHR just arriving on time with the Champion. To the right is AMTK 377 F40PHR that arrived several minutes earlier with the northbound Silver Meteor.

6.22.1985. Pulling into Charlotte at the end of a daylong steam excursion with Southern 4501 steam locomotive and 2 FP7As, we are greeted by AMTK 272 getting serviced at the end of its long day of travel on the Carolinian from Raleigh.

6.19.88. West of Charlottesville's Union Station. AMTK 271 leading the westbound Cardinal to Chicago. Photo shot from the Beta Bridge, Rugby Road, on the Grounds of the University of Virginia.

6.24.1988, 5:05 PM. Ivy, VA. Eastbound Cardinal headed up by AMTK 226 with several Heritage Fleet cars near the head-end. No Negative.

6.24.1988 Ivy, VA. AMTK 304 taking the siding with the westbound. With the Cardinal running late @ 5:01 PM. It will go in the hole to let the approaching eastbound Cardinal pass on the main

10.11.88 Charlottesville, VA. Westbound #51 Amtrak Cardinal. Amtrak 300 F40PH. BD 4/79, BN 786140-1. Former C&O station the background.

10.19.1988 Mitchells, VA. AMTK 349 leading the southbound Crescent as it races through Northern Virginia at dusk.

11.11.88 Orange, VA 3:40 PM. AMT 333 F40PH. BD 8/80, BN 796379-2. On the point westbound #51 Cardinal entering C&O tracks. The photo below taken was from this exact same location 35 years later of AMTK #45 leading the Cardinal. Compare the 2 photos for the differences.

11.12.1988 Alexandria, VA. Northbound AMTK 256 approaching the Alexandria Passenger station stop for the Silver Star. Its southbound counterpart is already in the station having arrived 3 minutes earlier.. @ 3:08 PM.

11.12.1988 Alexandria, VA. Northbound AMTK 306 making a stop for passenger for the southbound Silver Star at the Alexandria Passenger station stop @ 3:05 PM. Its northbound counterpart will arrive in the station 3 minutes later.

This is obviously not Amtrak #333, but #45 shot in the same location as I shot #333 in the above photo. I had returned to live in CVS and returned to take this shot in late October '23. The westbound Cardinal just came off the NS mainline from Alexandria heading for its next stop in Charlottesville via Gordonsville. Thirteen days shy of exactly 35 years previous (1988) when I photographed F40PH AMTK 333 (see photo above) leading the Cardinal in this same spot, a C&O cantilevered signal tower was in the same location as the current signal mast. Also missing is a switch to a two-track siding where the satellite dish is now. The 1988 Cardinal had 9 cars, today's version has 5. This rail line into Orange provided the original Virginia Midland RR with a connection to the pre-Civil War Alexandria & Orange RR.

2.12.89 Ivy, VA. Westbound Cardinal with AMTK 372 on the point about to cross beneath the Verdant Lawn Farm overpass east of Ivy. Quite different equipment used back then.

2.26.89 Ivy, VA. Eastbound Cardinal with AMTK 394 on the point east of Ivy at 3:45 PM. The photo was taken from the Verdant Lawn Lane overpass.

....30 minutes later, after its station stop in Charlottesville, I caught the eastbound Cardinal further down the track in Keswick. The photo was taken at 4:15 PM from Rt. 616, the Black Cat Road overpass east of Keswick.

3.12.1989 Charlottesville, VA. AMTK 279 leading the westbound Cardinal across the streets of Charlottesville.

AMTK 283 Charlottesville, VA. #283 is racing the eastbound Cardinal out of town as it crosses Carlton Ave.

4.16.1989 Mechums River, VA. AMTK 325 heading-up the Chicago-bound Cardinal running late @ 4:45pm, crossing the Mechums River Bridge which starts the B12-mile Blue Ridge Grade up Afton Mountain and through the Blue Ridge Tunnel to the Shenandoah Valley. The house on the left once served as the C&O passenger depot of Mechums River.

5.2.1989 Charlottesville, VA at milepost 184. AMT 325 and 320 heading up the westbound Cardinal on a sunny spring afternoon. Tied to the end of the consist is a CSX business car, possibly the reason for two locomotives. U.S. Highway 250 West is in the foreground.

6.6.1989 AMTK 279 pulling out of Charlottesville's Union Station with the westbound Cardinal at 4:45 PM. In the foreground is the end of the station's platform that serves the north-south Amtrak trains on the Norfolk Southern mainline. Waiting in the distance for the Cardinal to clear the diamonds is a northbound NS freight. Photo taken from the Main Street bridge.

6.6.1989 Charlottesville Union Station. AMTK 279 heading up the Tuesday edition of the westbound Cardinal, which currently runs through on Wednesdays.

6/17/1989 Charlottesville, VA. Eastbound Cardinal at 4:51pm (1 hour late) as it passes by a historical marker on Ivy Road. I was standing in what is now (2024) the parking lot of Townside Shopping Center.

1.16.1991 West of Greenwood, VA, Milepost 200. AMTK 225. F40PH (B/D 5/76, BN 757099-26) Making its way uphill toward the Blue Ridge Tunnel leading the Westbound Cardinal at 4:57 PM.

4.8.1991 Charlottesville, VA. AMTK 211 leading #51 Cardinal at 3:50pm across Moore's Creek in the Woolen Mills area of east Charlottesville. The Woolen Mill area was so called because of the textile mill built in the 1790's on land partial owned by Thomas Jefferson. In the 20th century the mill had captured the military market with their woolen uniforms. Monticello Mountain, the location of Jefferson's mountain-top residence, appears in the background.B/D 4/76 as AMTK 211 (F40CH), BN 757099-12.Neg 68-15.

Amtrak #1, the Sunset Limited, departing on time from the New Orleans Railway Passenger Terminal. AMTK #37 on the point, is a GE P42 built 12/96.

10.18.2018 Crozet, VA. AMTK 167 leading the westbound Cardinal past an idle Buckingham Branch RR track maintenance machine.

8.24.18 Farmington, VA. AMTK 7 leading the westbound Cardinal approaching the Blue Ridge grade after just leaving Charlottesville. Two days later I will photograph this same locomotive on the eastbound Cardinal only a few miles from here.

8.24.2018 Ivy, VA. AMTK 64 leads the westbound Cardinal through S-curves.

8.24.18 Afton Mountain, VA. AMTK 7 leading the eastbound Cardinal down the Blue Ridge grade after just passing through the Blue Ridge Tunnel. Two days earlier I photographed this same locomotive on the westbound Cardinal only a few miles fom here.

8.24.18 Ivy, VA. AMTK 7 leading the eastbound Cardinal takes the passing track at Ivy so that a much longer empty coal train can remain on the main. Two days earlier I photographed this same locomotive a few miles from here as it led the eastbound Cardinal.

10.5.18 Amtrak eastbound Cardinal emerging from Blue Ridge Tunnel, just west of Afton, VA. AMTK 62 GE P42DC. BD 2/97 BN 49600.

10.5.2018 AMTK 82 crests the Blue Ridge Grade at Aston. Less than a mile ahead lays the Blue Ridge Tunnel.

AMTK 136 HITTING THE ROAD CROSSING FOR FARMINGTON COUNTRY CLUB WITH THE WESTBOUND CARDINAL. The signal post 185.6 has been moved 1/10th of a mile west and is now 185.7,

12.26.2016 Afton, VA. AMTK 158 leading the westbound Cardinal just before entering the Blue Ridge Tunnel in view of a mysterious trackside Christmas tree.

2.27.2019 West Ivy Control Point. AMTK 818 leading the eastbound Cardinal for its next destination of Charlottesville.

Amtrak 174, a GE P42DC, built 6/01, Ser.#53030. arriving in Charlottesville on the point of NE Regional #176 heading for Washington Union Station. Trip was to see Nats vs. NT Mets.

Amtrak #51 the Cardinal crossing over US Highway 250 at MP 203 on the Blue Ridge grade, just east of Afton..

3/29/2020 Out of Little Rock Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Grade emerges AMTK 123.