Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief climbing Raton Pass at Wootton, Colorado.
Need an audio recording to appreciate this sight.
Date: 3/10/86
Question for Amtrak gurus: Why all the baggage cars (four)? Deadhead moves? Material moves or extra business, as described below?
Another site says: "the Southwest chief typically had more express cars than other trains. Material handling cars were used from 1986 to 2003, and express cars were used somewhat later from the 1990s through 2005."
Wasn't the express car business one of Ed Ellis's ideas that was eventually 86'ed for legal or contractual reasons?
Source (not mine) - [
www.ebay.com]