Cascades TALGO Sightings
Author: Tom McCann
Date: 01-04-2009 - 13:12
I spotted an unusual Cascades lashup yesterday (Jan. 3) on #501 arriving Portland Union Station: a BNSF GP38-2 leading the train's normal F59PHI and "cabbage" #90278 in the on the rear (not in Cascades colors, either). It was only six minutes late arriving, despite having the freight power pulling it.
In between, the trainset was reversed from normal practice (nnormally, the baggage car end is on the south and the power car end on the north). I spoke to Scott Hurd, the Amtrak station manager in Portland, later that day and he mentioned that three of the sets were operating in reverse order and that three of them were running with BNSF power, due to some problems with the F59PHIs.
In recent months, Amtrak has also substituted GE P32-8BWHs and P42-9DCs on these trains.
By the way, if any of you know Scott Hurd, you can look for him on television Jan. 20. Scott is a saxophone player with the Get A Life Marching Band, an alumni marching group from Portland. The band is marching in the 56th Presidential Inauguration Parade in Washington, D.C.