President-Elect Obama's Train to D.C. (1/17/09)

[davefoxx]

I managed to brave the cold (the temp's in the teens here) and capture a shot of President-Elect Obama's train to Washington D.C. on the Northeast Corridor.  The train had just stopped in Wilmington, Delaware, where it picked up Vice-President Elect Biden and his family.  I caught the train at Amtrak's (ex-PRR) Susquehanna River bridge between Cecil and Harford Counties here in Maryland.  That's the Georgia 300, a heavyweight observation car built by Pullman Standard Co. in 1930, on which the politicians and their families were riding.





Unfortunately, security kept me from getting to my usual spot to railfan Amtrak trains on this bridge, so I was left with a shot straight into the sun.  For once, however, the sun cooperated, and, in this case, it went behind the overcast to allow these shots to be at least mediocre.  By the way, about the cold: That's ice on the Susquehanna River, which is tidal here at the mouth of the river where it meets the Chesapeake Bay just out of the picture to the left.

Enjoy,
Dave Foxx

P.S. So that this doesn't get locked, let's keep the politics out of this thread.  Thanks!

[asciibaron]

haven't been called to action with the county EOC yet.  i guess all is going well...

[3rdrail]

What was pulling the train? Looks like a Genesis P42 Diesel and not an HHP8 electric or a "Toaster". Boy, talk about security conscious! 

[davefoxx]

What was pulling the train? Looks like a Genesis P42 Diesel and not an HHP8 electric or a "Toaster". Boy, talk about security conscious! 

Amtrak P42 #s 44 and 120.

[Bob Bufkin]

I was gonna try and get some shots but the cold keep me indoors.  They did show the 2 diesels on CNN earlier as it rolled through a station in Deleware.  10 cars train with the Georgia on the end.

[davefoxx]

I was gonna try and get some shots but the cold keep me indoors.  They did show the 2 diesels on CNN earlier as it rolled through a station in Deleware.  10 cars train with the Georgia on the end.

Bob,

It was ridiculously cold by the Susquehanna River with the temperature in the teens. We're not going to talk about the wind chill effect of the breeze coming off of the water.  The only reasons that I decided to go was because I saw on the television that the Georgia 300 was bringing up the rear (I really wanted to see that car) and the train was about to pull out of Wilmington, giving me just enough time to get to Perryville.  I only had to wait about twenty or thirty minutes.  Bearable, but barely.  I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to hold the camera still, because I was shivering.  Of course, the last minute decision to go and the failure to properly plan meant that I could have layered some more clothing on and I left the tripod at home.  Oops.

By the way, this train preceded Obama's train by twenty or thirty minutes.  Anybody want to speculate what it was:



Dave

[3rdrail]

They have been operating "pilot trains" in front of POTUS specials since the latter part of the 19th century. These check to insure all switches are correctly set and would detonate any explosive device meant for the POTUS train.

[davefoxx]

I saw a reference online to this short train that preceded Obama's train as "Amtrak's version of the royal food taster."  Nice.  Wonder if the crew at any point feels like sitting ducks?

I assume that the significant overpowering of this small train minimizes a mechanical failure blocking the line.

Dave

[RockGp40]

They have been operating "pilot trains" in front of POTUS specials since the latter part of the 19th century. These check to insure all switches are correctly set and would detonate any explosive device meant for the POTUS train.

How would you like to be that train crew?

Umm, we're looking for volunteers to work the point train to make sure nothing blows up or goes wrong. Who's in?

[davefoxx]

How would you like to be that train crew?

Umm, we're looking for volunteers to work the point train to make sure nothing blows up or goes wrong. Who's in?

Engineer #1: "Not it."
Engineer #2: "Not it."
Engineer #3: "Not it."
Engineer #4: "Not... D'oh."

[Bob Bufkin]

A pilot train is standard practice for these kind of things.  I am wondering why they used an older heritage cars.  Maybe some sort of communications car?

[wm3798]

Pretty nifty.  I heard they opened the parking lot at Edgewood for fawning admirers...  I wonder how crowded it got there.
That was always my favorite spot to catch NEC trains back when I lived in Bel Air.
Lee

[asciibaron]

went out to Odenton and saw the train pass at 5:58pm

about an hour earlier a 4 car AEM-7 lead train passed at high speed.  about 30 minutes later the diesel powered 2 car train passed, and finally the POTUS elect train passed.  there were several helicopters and an Osprey.  the police had roped off the parking lot so you could only get about 100 yards near the tracks.

a buddy went to Bowie next to the wye and was 30 feet from the track and saw the action there.  we both thought it was rather anti-climatic.  but my oldest can say he saw the train.

-Steve

[choochin3]

So that explains the heavy police presence,and the hovering military chopper at the Frederick Ave. bridge.

Carl T.