Rapido LRC Amtrak

[GEOEng03]

Hi all, 

Resurrecting an old topic and thought I'd post here to get more notice (apologies for that!).  I appreciate that the Amtrak LRC's were limited in timeframe for operating and they ultimately did so along the NE corridor, but what presence did the Amtrak livery have in Canada - i am aware that they were not interchangeable with the VIA stock, but i am interested if there is a prototypical case of it being there or being used.  

 

I quite fancy getting on in the Amtrak livery, but aside from 3 ET44's in BNSF/NS/CSX, a Amtrak P42 and NS SD60E everything else is Canadian from the the 70's through to the 20's - yes, aware that Rule 1 always applies, but i do like to know if there was an instance :-) 

Cheers all

Edited November 25, 2020 by GEOEng03
*spelling

[mdvle]

4 hours ago, GEOEng03 said:

 I appreciate that the Amtrak LRC's were limited in timeframe for operating and they ultimately did so along the NE corridor, but what presence did the Amtrak livery have in Canada - i am aware that they were not interchangeable with the VIA stock, but i am interested if there is a prototypical case of it being there or being used. 

 

Painted for Amtrak appears unlikely, though I have asked on an email group with more knowledgeable people.

 

The only response so far brought up this image showing one of the Amtrak sets being tested in Quebec prior to delivery to Amtrak.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johannes-j-smit/5587108684/

 

And this Amtrak site indicates that the initial plan was to test them on the Seattle-Vancouver route but their delayed arrival (Bombardier strike) allowed a change of plans to test on the non-electrified portions of the NEC instead.

https://history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog/the-lrcs

 

While it doesn't help with your want of an Amtrak painted version, the Amtrak LRC cars did eventually go to VIA and were operated by VIA in VIA colours on the International (a joint VIA/Amtrak train Toronto to Chicago) where they were paired with Amtrak equipment - though still recognizable by the differences in the build.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/29870629456/

 

[mdvle]

So no one has come up with the Amtrak LRC cars in revenue service in Canada, so it seems unlikely.

 

Further to the testing in Quebec, a trainset actually went all the way to Brockville from Montreal on test, as well as Ottawa, so the testing did get the Amtrak stuff around a bit.

 

As for your P42, they are regularly used both in Toronto and Montreal on the cross-border trains - the Adirondack (NY-Montreal) and the Maple Leaf (NY-Toronto) using Amfleet coaches, and the International (Toronto-Chicago) which used Superliners in the last years of its service.

[BR60103]

I believe that the ex-Amtrak LRC loco was used on the Toronto-Chicago train as its hotel power was compatible with the Amfleet coaches. I think it was destroyed in a grade crossing accident near Limehouse.

 

Trackside Guide says 2 LRC1 from Amtrak disposed of in 1990.

[jsp3970]

One of the cars remained in Amtrak livery at the MMC, saw it in the mid 1990's after the other cars had been retired.

[GEOEng03]

Thanks all for the most useful references and knowledge.  I have plumped for a sound fitted Amtrak LRC with a number of coaches for what i think was a reasonable price. I may switch to a VIA LRC if one ever appears at a reasonable price.  I think it will add a bit of operational interest to the layout i am building, although the LRC, +1 coach will be all that it can show moving...! 

 

I am really intrigued by North American trains from the 60's through 80's, more so than similar UK stock and while the modern stuff interests me, it is all very similar and adds some interesting variety. 

Cheers

[jsp3970]

Thinking about it I can remember seeing a photo of one of the ex Amtrak LRC locomotives in a scrapyard and I think it was still in Amtrak colours. I am pretty sure that the VIA numbers were never applied.

[BR60103]

For those reading this thread who may be puzzled, Canadian and American coaches ran at different voltages. I forget what, but it meant they were incompatible with each others locos.

I'm not sure when this happened as I'm sure that the CN lines mixed Grand Trunk with Canadian National coaches on the Chicago-Toronto runs in the 60s.

 

[mdvle]

32 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

For those reading this thread who may be puzzled, Canadian and American coaches ran at different voltages. I forget what, but it meant they were incompatible with each others locos.

 

Nope.  Both Amtrak and VIA use 480V 3-phase.

 

The oddball is GO Transit, who use 575V (which was the same as the CN Tempo Train - and both the Bilevels and the Tempo were designed/built by Hawker Siddeley).

 

The difference is in the wiring - Amtrak runs a single electrical bus while VIA runs 2 - which can be dealt with in various ways depending on needs.  Advantage of VIA's system is that they can provide HEP to the train from 2 locos instead of just 1.

 

http://www.atdlines.com/pdf/electric/viahep.pdf

 

32 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

I'm not sure when this happened as I'm sure that the CN lines mixed Grand Trunk with Canadian National coaches on the Chicago-Toronto runs in the 60s.

 

No HEP back then, at least outside of some commuter operations or fixed trainsets like the Turbo.

 

Long distance HEP didn't appear until Amtrak/VIA were operating things (the CN Tempo being the exception).