Rolland Meyers Wrote:
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> I can remember filming during this testing of the
> Tango and Got some shots at Berkeley once where
> the P-40 ripped the draw bar out of the lead Talgo
> car. I can remember my comment at the time that
> they should "send this thing back to Spain." I
> was young a flippant at the time. But i was told
> that right beside me while I was filming was the
> fellow from Spain who designed the Tango. He
> never said a word and I ceased and desisted! But
> for those tests the P-40 was just too powerful for
> the Tango draw bars. They ended up drawing the
> train back to Oakland....with the invitees still
> on board.
> Rolland
The power was an F40PH, not a P40. The drawbar was pulled out because one of the train's doors stuck slightly open (too slightly to be noticeable), an interlock situation that prevented the train's brakes from releasing. Since there was no way to transmit this to the engine, the engineer attempted to depart Berkeley and pulled out the Talgo's head drawbar. I passed the scene on Train 711 shortly thereafter, and later photographed the train being pulled back to the yard by Amtrak SW1 #736. The F40PH followed a short way behind, with the Talgo's drawbar hanging from the engine's coupler.