Amtrak Lite Engine Action at Washington Union Station

Amtrak SW1000R drifts southward on lower level Track 24 as SW1000R #796 pulls the power from Train 20, P42DC #154 and P40 #837, into K interlocking to reverse back to the power track.
Meanwhile ACS-86 #665 also heads into K interlocking on a parallel track in order to reverse backwards and couple to Train 20.
For the completion see: • Amtrak #665 Train 20 W...
Follows: • Amtrak Switcher #796 C...

[@steveember8972]

Interesting action, nicely shot, and great audio of that prime mover notching up. Great tele-compressed sequence at 2:19 with the switcher move combined with a Sprinter on the right and a departing MARC commuter train. Bravo!

[@mile290productions3]

I live in the Canada. So I see via rail an CN alot, it's only CP I don't see often.

[@kgirl4078]

Great action and this is not something you see every day ! Great video :-))

[@RavennaRailfan4070]

Gotta love those SW1000Rs! Great catch!

[@ReadingAreaRailfan]

Wow they really look and sound like they do in train simulator.

[@m.r.newton]

I saw switchers 541 and 533 when I was there

[@kevinhoward9593]

I don't get the point of switchers. I mean in the olden days when they didn't have radio communications they needed them to push the cars to the platforms. but now that they have radio cant the locomotive for the train just reverse the cars to the platforms?

[@iainstenhouse8399]

Kevin Howard Good question, many switchers have been phased out in larger freight yards in favour of road switchers, however such road switchers can be too large for curtain areas. Also because of their design switchers have far greater visibility and thus safety. However in this context idk, maybe legislation or maybe it’s just something to do with the main line locomotives

[@emeraldzebra9360]

Over here in England, the switchers are much better for assembling trains (usually freight) but we do also have full on loco shunting too. Depends on the yards / coupling types etc

[@iainstenhouse8399]

What he said, we still got a lot of smaller shunters rather than the larger stuff. Many many many Class 08/9s

[@emeraldzebra9360]

@@iainstenhouse8399 sadly don't see many now that the 66s etc have creep mode on and can do the work pretty much at idle engine speed in N1/N2 with a full train. Shunters were great

[@iainstenhouse8399]

@@emeraldzebra9360 Yep. Yep, shame

[@emeraldzebra9360]

Amtrak looks so professional. No uniforms, No Hi Vis. The state of them humpers, 99%rust 1%diesel. Literally anybody confident enough could just climb up into the cab and nobody would bat a eyelid

[@FrostyAUT]

It's kind of disturbing to see how for all of its wealth and economic power, America's passenger railroad infrastructure looks like it belongs in a third-world country. As a Western European and commuter, I often complain about my country's heavily subsidized railroads (the ÖBB), but then I remember what Amtrak is like.

[@adamdion7574]

@@FrostyAUT then again... I think you should look another time at what third-world country's railroads look like... Nowhere close to this

[@sally708]

Do you have roblox?