Great Day for Photographers, Not For Passengers

Not many who rode Amtrak’s Capitol Limited or Lake Shore Limited on June 7, 2019, can say they had a great experience.

A derailment on Norfolk Southern the day before that blocked both mainline tracks in Swanton, Ohio, led to a severe disruption in Amtrak service.

About the only good thing that could be said about that day from a passenger perspective was that at least passengers got to their destination even if it was several hours late.

Your trip also included a ride on a school bus between Toledo and Bryan, Ohio, where the eastbound and westbound Lake Shore and Capitol were halted and reversed direction.

The lateness of the train, though, was good news for photographers.

By the time No. 30 and No. 48 got to Olmsted Falls it was mid afternoon.

The schedules being what they are, it is not unusual to capture the eastbound Lake Shore Limited in Northeast Ohio in daylight in the summer months.

But catching the Capitol Limited in daylight, although not unheard of, is harder to do.

But on June 7 both came through about a half-hour apart.

Retired Amtrak Locomotives Going to LTEX

Some retired Amtrak locomotives are reported to be bound for LTEX in Northeast Ohio where they are expected to be used for parts.

They are P40-8 and F40PHR units that had been stored at Amtrak shops in Wilmington and Bear, Delaware.

The locomotives were moved in CSX train CSX train Q389-08.

LTEX has received former Amtrak F40 units previously, but this is thought to be its first experience with GE Genesis series diesels.

Amtrak is retaining possession of P40 No. 828 to use for training purposes in Wilmington. The unit was retired in 2005.