Photo of the Week: 12/30/2011

Today's photo is a photo of Amtrak's 40th anniversary train.  On May 1, 2011, Amtrak celebrated its 40th anniversary, and this train started its tour of the country in Washington, DC.  It toured the northeast, arriving in Boston at the beginning of August, which is when I saw it.  The train continues to tour the country until April 30, 2012, stopping every weekend to open up for the public.  The train consists of a P40, a F40PH, a 10-6 sleeper, three baggage cars, and an Amfleet cafe car.  The entire train was picked out of the deadline at Beech Grove shops in Indiana and rehabilitated for the job.  The whole train wears a matching phase 3 paint scheme.  Here is the photo of the train:



I visited the train at Boston's South Station.  The tour was free, so I went on board.  The 10-6 sleeper is the home for the train's crew, and is not open to the public.  The tour starts in the first baggage car, which has been reconfigured as a display car.  The three baggage cars take you on a tour of Amtrak's 40 year history, and includes displays of vintage seats, advertising, dining car menus, uniforms, and model trains.  It was a very interesting tour, and I would go see it again if it came back to this area.

The train is still touring the country.  It is on break for the holidays right now, but next weekend it is open for tours in Fort Worth, TX.  You can see a complete schedule at www.amtrak40th.com.  If you have not seen this train yet, I highly recommend seeing it before it finishes its tour of the country!