Behind the Scenes 1993 Amtrak California Zephyr pt2

[@KnapfordMaster98]

What amazingly clear footage, beautiful colors!

[@theshapeexists]

My dad worked for amtrak at union Station in Denver, and my grandpa had an office there as a member of the historical society. He owned a 1940s Pullman train car that we kept at the Denver station and we paid amtrak to pull us around the country. It was a cool old train car. When my parents got divorced and my bro and I stayed with my dad, we would sometimes stay the night at union Station when my dad worked graveyard shift. Some of the best times of my life. The staff were like family and I got all the backstage access to the Station. Very cool place to explore in the 80s and 90s. Its now the hip place for all the restaurants and bars and list a lit of history, but im still glad its there

[@ryanmorrison3699]

This is such great footage. Really cool to see the guys up front doing the most important job of the railroad. Really cool to see the F40 in action too, possibly the greatest diesel passenger loco ever made.

[@robertbraeuner2031]

Excellent engineer. Hope he’s enjoying his retirement and catching a lot of fish! Great video to, well done

[@clearlycaribbeanreb2895]

I’m sure he’s long passed away by now. He hired on in 1959.

[@robertbraeuner2031]

@@clearlycaribbeanreb2895 he was 57 in 1993, so he would be 86 today, 84 when I commented on this.

[@taxicart1]

This is absolutely the best Amtrak video that I have ever watched, very informative. Thanks for the great job.

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Thank-you for watching, please subscribe to our channel. Green Frog Prod.

[@goodeye03]

This is one of the better videos here on KZbin...It brought back many fond memories for me as I use to work onboard the trains out of Boston for Amtrak in the 90's. I was an LSA just like your dinning car people are LSA's but I worked the cafe and lounge cars to Was, Newport News, Richmond, Philadelphia, NYC, Albany and Chicago...We only had a dinning car on the Chicago train...I did however when ever I deadheaded ride in the locomotive as much as they would let me. It is a very unique feeling riding in a loco , that is hard to describe...It's the best seat in the house...A little loud at times but worth it, the smooth ride as well...Thanks for sharing...Sadly I was injured and had to take a job as a ticket agent and I later left Amtrak. Would love to have become an engineer, it is the best job out there.

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Appreciate your service and Thanks for watching, hope you will subscribe to our channel! Green Frog Prod.

[@goodeye03]

Already subscribed....Really like your videos...Thanks

[@cwc8979]

rich sheehan Did you get payed good for working for Amtrak? I'm interested in becoming an Engineer for Amtrak

[@goodeye03]

Yes the pay was good and it's even better now. Engineers are at the top of the chain. But you'd be hard pressed to start with Amtrak as an engineer. You need to work your way up. A career with the RR's can be great or not so great all depending on you. Go to their web page and start looking for any job and move up from there. They don't post jobs in the papers only online. Good luck.

[@cwc8979]

Thanks, I have done research and it requires you have to go to an 11 week program they have in Wilmington, DE and then once you pass the test then you can get a job when ones becomes available and have to train for the first year and make 25 an hour then after that year you will make 42 an hour. Also, not all Amtrak employees want to be an Engineer. I have seen young Engineers for Amtrak like in their 20 and early 30s.

[@stripervince1]

Good engineer. Knows his stuff. Reminds me of my conductor days on SP and CP. Only difference, I don't miss it now that I'm retired

[@fergman300]

I ride the California Zephyr between Martinez CA and Grand Junction CO 4 times a year..... I always enjoy the trip. I hope that Wally is enjoying retirement...he should be in his 80's by now. Great Video...

[@gregscott989]

I love the engineer...regular down to earth kinda guy!

[@tilerman]

I thought it funny when asked would he 'miss it' (the job) upon retirement i was expecting him to say 'hell yeah' but instead got 'don't think so'!

[@ethanb7388]

@@tilerman lol i thought the same!

[@christopherdibble5872]

The engineers don't wave from the trains anymore; not like they did back in 1954!

[@bobbiemoss566]

In the 80s I took the Amtrak train from Emeryville /Oakland to Seattle. It was an overnight run and I had a regular seat.that included a leg rest. During the ride , I sat in the Dome car for quite awhile. What a beautiful ride! Two funny stories: a lady overslept her stop during the night. There was a lot of snow and it was cold. I remember, at the nearest stop, the station was dark and closed up tight. But up drove a lone taxi, and so off she went. The other story was that the first car was absolutely freezing, and those who could, purchased nice Amtrak train blankets. Perfect! However, on my return trip home, the thermostat wasn’t working and they couldn’t get the heat to turn off! All in all, it was an incredible journey I’ll never forget!

[@StudioSA15]

Yes

[@gregorybentley5707]

Thank you for preserving and sharing these videos.

[@GreenFrogVideos]

You are welcome, Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@robadams5799]

That man is living my dream, and he's starting out in my old neighborhood. I grew up in Burbank, Illinois, about 15 miles from Hinsdale.

[@claytonrowe8103]

This is the ABSOLUTE BEST of the DAMN BEST!!!!

[@riogrande5761]

The engineer must be hearing that bell in his sleep.

[@natejackson8213]

You guys are awesome. Great behind the scenes of Amtrak California Zephyr because it was one of my favorite Amtrak long distance trains I have ever in my life love to travel on. Always.

[@kens.3729]

Great Job. 👍 I have taken this train from Denver, CO, to Green River, UT, and Reverse Next Day. 👍

[@mikegonzales1589]

I love these cab ride videos I love the railroad

[@claytonrowe8103]

I ran these type locomotives on the Amtrak Texas Eagle as an Engineer-certified Manager, also the Pepsi Can GE P32-8s, later the P42DC units. Was a passenger on MANY Amtrak trains from a young teen on up. As a coach passenger, as a first class psgr. Believe you ME, these EMD F40s were the BEST of the BEST!!! When I ran a set of brand new GE P42DCs on the Eagle, they were perfect ergonomically, but then so we're the F40s, after they'd been rebuilt with double-door...sound protection from the engine room. And NOTHING compared to the F40s acceleration!!! A pair of P42s? About as a pair of C44-9s...or...C44ACs on a 100 - car empty coal or grain train!!! (At least I'm not comparing the GEs...to a LOADED...coal, or grain train!!!) The GE units did get a bit better after GE after GE installed "Racehorse Software' in the units but they never compared to THESE Racehorses of the Rails!!! Oh golly, however, how I wish I could have run a pair of EMD SDP40Fs! For comparison! But, the SOUND IN THIS CLIP...does give you an identical idea of what running a pair of EMD SDP40Fs, would have been like, and without the parasitic HEP horsepower loss. Although the HEP era of that time was, and IS, superior, to the steam - heated era on Amtrak...far more reliable!!! But had the SDP40Fs...survived with HEP Gen - sets installed? As an Amtrak General Road Foreman of Engines told me, those would have been the Cadillacs of the FLEET!!! Yes!!! With their huge long-range fuel tanks, etc, eliminating the sloshing of the above - frame water tanks that contributed to the derailment of the SDP40Fs. But, the F40PH units stepped right UP, and with their 3000 , (and by this time 1993 in shoppings, upgrading all of the F40s to 3200 HP), they were true racehorses and a pleasure to run!!! This from a UP hoghead/manager who ran these, as well as the UP E9s and the UP DDA40X Centennial 6936, another hotrod!!! Now retired, I come back again and again to this video!!! Imagine an F40 at 75, 79 MPH, or at 90 MPH on the Southwest Chief or on a San Diegan/Pacific Surfliner!!! And, that VIA Rail still uses these system - wide in intercity. Also, sadly, that the GE units that killed these off are now to be slowly killed off by Tier 4 Siemens Charger units. That are supposedly "LIGHT ON THEIR LOAFERS," and where care must be taken in starting the things out, EVEN on relatively LIGHT trains!!!! No Throttle Swipes!!! Lest uncontrollable wheel slips! Aka, less unforgiving even than the A--1 -A E-Units of OLD which could handle such rough notching out in commute service! BN commute service as an example, or my own handling of UP specials with UP 951-963B-949 (starting out a bit easy against a Minimum Reduction), then, ripping it to the PEG with tight lock, no slack couplers. I do so miss it!!!

[@9751asd]

Amtrak made a BIG MISTAKE scrapping the majority of the F40PH'S

[@Railfan124]

Yes I agree but let’s be thankful that some were sold to museums and some converted into NPCUs

[@michlo3393]

EMD's really are only marginally competent at passenger trains and running as light power. Spending almost my entire career on Mountain Grade I can assure you: EMD's are absolutely goddamn worthless at pulling a freight train on anything other than a billiard table. I'm sure Progress Rail or whatever it's called now will continue that tradition of sucking ass...The F40's were nice, but again, what were they pulling? Nothing. Nothing at all. The only solace is that compared to the over-engineered Chargers with all of their protective software you can at least "railroad" with an older locomotive. I suppose that's the only thing that helps to make something like the F59 into a somewhat "decent" locomotive, other than that, they too are junk, with their cabs apparently made for dwarves. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die from CTE from all of the concussions I've gotten from working in those things. I never had a real problem with the P42's, the Dash 8's, yeah, slow as hell to load up, but they'd get to speed...eventually. They'd have been just fine on long-distance trains like 3/4, 5/6...etc. Putting them on San Diegans, San Joaquins and Capitol Corridor trains made no sense. And for the record, you can swipe the hell out of the throttle on a Charger from a stop. They're no less slippery than any other locomotive they've replaced, they will slip if it's wet but, meh, that's what sand is for. And they certainly respond a hell of a lot quicker, they've got that going for them.

[@evantorch6122]

Did you operate any E and F units in your time?

[@evantorch6122]

How about the ancient EMD E & F units of the 50’s and ‘60’s, if you were old enough to drive them?

[@ethanb7388]

what awesome footage man.. i hope prince is enjoying retirement still! gosh this was the year i was born!

[@NMC21887]

9:19. That’s a housing project, but Cabrini-Green was way more North and East of where that is.

[@grophers1189]

This is so neat! Thank you for sharing!

[@beggarschoice9674]

That dude blowing the train whistle had so much confidence lol.

[@pepper0912]

Very informative video. I've heard the retirement package is pretty good for Amtrak employees also.

[@ramesh046]

i enjoyed every bit of it

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Thanks, we are glad you enjoyed the video! Green Frog Prod.

[@BossSpringsteen69]

Wally is wrong about the housing projects at 9:16 being the "Cabrini Green" Cabrini Green was on the north side of Chicago near Kingsbury street located near The Milwaukee Road Goose Island industrial park territory. The complex he is pointing to is Rockwell Gardens which was located near CNW now, UP's Global One stack yard..

[@OakViewFilms]

1993... Jurassic Park was the big film that summer, the Bulls won their 3rd championship in a row, X-Files debuted on TV, Nirvana performed on MTV Unplugged, Bill Clinton became the 42nd President, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis were the hot video game consoles. And I would be born on March 13th. Being a railfan my whole life, it's great to see what Amtrak was like the year I was born. F40s, Mail cars, Phase 3, Hi-Level dorms. Amtrak had a lot more personality back then.

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

Phase 3 was the best scheme Amtrak ever had, and I think they have since realized that as a lot of their new equipment is getting painted in a new phase 3 scheme just looks so uniform and clean

[@ClarissaPacker]

I've been on the California zephyr I miss those old engines they where beutiful I wish they were still around

[@ellebystrainvideos2023.]

Definitely miss the 90’s😌. Miss the F40PH’s . Awesome VIDEO 💯👍🏾

[@AuECS]

Awesome video!

[@jimg6476]

On the SP we called the clear signals green, approach was yellow, diverging clear red or green. I ran the blast box Amtrak engines for years and the others in their fleet. Oldhead engineer Wally did a great job. It's more fun running at 90mph.

[@alejandrobarraganlopez3231]

There You are, I'm already subscribed and thanks for share this footage, as soon as I can I'll be purchase some of this fantastic videos ❤️

[@kevinhoward9593]

Its crazy how long the train was. then again it was 3 in one. California Zephyr to SF, The Desert Wind to LA, and the Pioneer to Seattle. The Pioneer broke off at Denver and I think the Desert Wind at SLC.

[@domvas7659]

I miss the 90's. Notice the main thing missing then vs now..... f'n smartphones, people actually engaging in conversation and working.

[@milepost4846]

People are so lost without those damn smartphones. Made a loop trip in June 1994 on the Crescent, City of New Orleans and Cardinal. What a experience.

[@ryanmorrison3699]

@@moroteseoinage Hate all you want with your liberal clichés, Dom is more right about this than you’ll ever be about anything else in your life.

[@lifeintornadoalley]

Yet you're on one complaining

[@nodical802]

Average boomer complaining about technology while using technology

[@nodical802]

@@ryanmorrison3699 triggered boomer can’t handle the fact that phones improved the world dramatically

[@jameshyde1501]

THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE I EVER HAD WAS ON THE CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR!!!!

[@stephenvanaukensr.5664]

Excellent

[@dontown1531]

I remember t taking The Pioneer that split from the Zepher @ Denver back then. When I got to Portland the Coast Starlight was there which we followed up to Seattle & the Empire Builder getting ready to leave for Chicago.

[@claytonrowe8103]

This is an excellent video!!! And vintage to boot, especially regarding the locomotives, otherwise, things are pretty much the same.

[@claytonrowe8103]

Nothing BETTER!!!

[@bnsf6902]

I wanna See More Behind the Scenes videos

[@BOEINGMAX-nn6ku]

That cockpit looks so uncomfortable. Such a huge engine and then they cramp the engineer in such a tiny hole.

[@thomasadams797]

i love passenger trains.I had the opportunity to ride Southern Pacific's Southwest Limited from Los Angeles to San Antonio, TX in 1961. Uncle Sam picked up the first class tab; but, I had to enlist in the Air Force to get to ride the train. Service was fantastic. In speaking with a train crewperson, I learned that the Espee could generate more revenue from one freight car than a whole passenger train. I'm glad that Amtrak is picking up where the other railroads left off; but, we taxpayers are helping to foot the bill.

[@stripervince1]

So what. Let the taxpayers foot the bill for nationwide passenger train service. How much does Amtrak get? A measly $2 billion some years. Yesterday this stupid fukkin country of ours gave Ukraine $60 billion more, to fight a war that's not even our problem. You know how much these 5 million (So far) illegal immigrants are gonna cost this country? Numbers in the trillions. Give Amtrak a few measly billion. They do a great job.

[@nikhilmurthy7096]

11:35 = #5 California Zephyr Consist AMTK 352 = Lead F40PH Green Frog is on AMTK 264 = Rear F40PH 17 Cars (Presumably 4 Mail, 1 Baggage, and 12 Superliners)

[@charliefass]

What a fun ride.....

[@AllanLoveJr]

Those are some big Radios.

[@chuck1prillaman]

If this guy can come to work wearing that t shirt, he MUST be good.

[@NERJ607]

Phase 3, arguably one of amtrak’s best liveries, and driving and F40 too 😄 its pretty crazy that we have Siemens SC44’s pulling these things now

[@AlfTrains]

Great vídeo

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Thank-you so much for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

[@AlfTrains]

@@GreenFrogVideos you have good videos I subscribe!

[@GreenFrogVideos]

@@AlfTrains Thank-you so much for watching, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@thayne559]

The clothes and the hair! haha

[@iemv8900]

This maybe old but its cool

[@EastTexasRailfan]

This video series reminds me of my appreciation for the F40PH

[@paulnota3672]

@18:40 notch 8 sounds amazing in these beasts!

[@mikeingersoll7344]

Those old f40s were beasts

[@cmr58]

Alonna seems like a happy individual. Exactly what you want as an up front person. Good grief!!

[@robadams5799]

In 2009, sixteen years after this video was released, the Sears Tower became Willis Tower.

[@SoCalKev]

Back when they used to make the food on Amtrak now it tastes like banquet microwave dinners 😓😥😭

[@jdrum3053]

I wish they would bring back dining to coach passengers

[@LelandRogers]

Would love to have seen Track 29 instead of 28. I'm old. :-)

[@ReadingAreaRailfan]

Why was the bell on the whole time?

[@robertbraeuner2031]

Because of all the quiet zones and stations they have in that area.

[@tobiasblech1929]

@17:10 now i know why he is calling signals...

[@evantorch6122]

How far can the engine crew go before union rules require a crew change?!

[@SpencerAK74M]

It's not so much length, it's time. 12 hours

[@jameshyde1501]

TRAINS …. THE ONLY!!! WAY TO FLY!

[@clearlycaribbeanreb2895]

Those purple pants are God!

[@macflod]

Wonder what these guys are doing now.

[@robertmoir5695]

I have n t been on Amtrak since October 1995 I wonder what s left in the way of Amtrak It s already been 40 years since my maiden voyage on Amtrak I still remember that

[@christopherdibble5872]

The engineers don't wave from the trains anymore; not like they did back in 1954!

[@claytonrowe8103]

God Bless WALLY!!! And the ALMIGHTY EMD F40PHs!!!

[@cwc8979]

Is Wally still alive? He seems like a nice guy

[@fergman300]

I wondered the same thing....I think he would be in his 80's by now.

[@rjames45_3]

My dad knew him from around this time in the 90s

[@MIZUch.]

Why do they keep the bells running?

[@UP9390]

Great behind the scenes content! Do you guys have any more stuff like this?

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Yes we have a ton of footage in our archives going back to the early 90s that we will continue to release over time. Thanks for watching!

[@carolynsteed3649]

I take the Heartland Flyer from OKC to FT WORTH sometimes & have always wanted to see things from the engine, absolutely love this, more please.

[@zacharylucisbecker2352]

Who is at the throttle at 00:11:50?

[@ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

@10:05 RIP Desert Wind

[@777-Phil]

That globe at the beginning: "You can tell that its real cause it looks so fake" --E. Musk

[@CRtrain]

“Form B is dead, John!”

[@brandonkoole655]

So why does he have the braking and horn lever wrapped up, but nothing else?

[@mandrc5562]

If it is like our locos, the rubber on those two levers gets sticky and they never really get clean. The throttle and dB are not coated the same so do not get sticky. That is my guess.

[@TheAustinSubRailfan]

Great K5LA Horn! Am I right!! ❤️

[@mikeingersoll7344]

Why does the horn have that rag or tape on it?

[@trainfan1075]

That's awesome is that a f40ph

[@claytonrowe8103]

Clayton Rowe DID IT!!! Not on the CZ! BUT ON the TEXAS EAGLE dammit!!! And on the Missouri River Eagles!!! I DID IT ***ALL!!***

[@robertmoir-vj1kq]

no taco salad to eat in the dining car huh ? that s good stuff

[@bobbybrisk643]

13:12 is heaven

[@northlanderdude]

kind of odd and weird that this engineer had his bell on the whole time...

[@AmtrakFanNEC927]

going over multiple crossings...

[@GArails408]

This train is an F40?

[@tomki6asp]

No room for error at notch 8

[@trainlvr7]

Pretty sure he didn’t shut the bell off once…

[@michaelrichardson1898]

Who's the lady at 3.10

[@anthonyferrara2222]

That bell has to be the most annoying thing!!!

[@TheIronweed-vx5lg]

I should've been a hogger...

[@zacharylucisbecker2352]

What’s Wally‘s last name

[@mikeingersoll7344]

Prince

[@zacharylucisbecker2352]

@@mikeingersoll7344 thank you

[@stasstasov3324]

I udmvlen: here, in Russia, pishschut that the US passenger railroad died. And in this video - the crowd of passengers make the trip!

[@GreenFrogVideos]

Thanks very much for your comment, yes it really is a shame how the U.S. Passenger service has gone down over the years from what it was. If you like the video please give it a thumbs up, and please subscribe to our channel! Green Frog Prod.

[@montanamornings8526]

Serious dude shut up. Let him operate. Mute

[@milepost4846]

Definitely don't want him to get by an approach and a stop! It's a lot for a crew to keep up with in there more than people think.

[@jamesbattista1466]

He couldn’t sense that he was clearly interfering with their concentration! The engineers were polite to him but I would’ve lost patience with his constant interrupting of my concentration if I were the engineer. That could not have been legal!

[@BubbyB-s6n]

@@jamesbattista1466 1993 was a completely different time when train crews were more friendly, and not so uptight and paranoid like today.

[@TestTubeBabySpy]

6:46 Alertor !

[@georgewashington345]

Looks like you are treated like YOU are lucky they are letting you take their train versus Welcome and thank you.... Getting to be typical attitude anyway you travel.

[@montanamornings8526]

Great video but stupid questions.

[@JonesC1066]

Shut that bell off ice cream man!!!!

[@BobbyCase]

They can't shut off the bell when they are going through crossings, station platforms, and when they are departing. But they can shut the bell off, when they have passed through the crossing in a high speed area.

[@tomking1890]

Typical government hire another person to watch and see if someone else is doing their job. Post Office does the same thing. STUPID

[@khalilreid]

Ride away on my zephyr

[@norcalemt02]

most of these people are dead today

[@jameshyde1501]

I HATE AIRCRAFTS, … ESPECIALLY!!! WHEN THEY HIT THE GROUND AT THREE OR FOUR HUNDRED!!! MPH.

[@lisalu910]

Kind of expected the engineer to wear a uniform like an airline pilot.

[@christopherdibble5872]

The engineers don't wave from the trains anymore; not like they did back in 1954!

[@BubbyB-s6n]

@@christopherdibble5872 They sure don't. they hide behind those closed tinted locomotive windows.

[@xanadujohn79]

55 my ass,

[@daviddowling5241]

At "C",I imagine in your profession of brain surgery that 100% concentration is required at all times not so a railroad engineer,I'm sure he is more than capable of doing two things at once.

[@haroldreardon8070]

Camera operator is lousy. Can't keep a focus, does not understand locking the focus, moves all over like a fly. Kid asking questions appears to know absolutely nothing.

[@supremerailfan]

Harold Reardon it’s in 1993 what do you expect a tripod and a expensive camera etc and the people asking questions they probably want to know more about zephyr and more locomotive knowledge

[@kerrylangford7152]

And Donald Trump wants to stop this train and all other long distance trains all over the country even though thousands of people a day depend on these trains.

[@rjames45_3]

Kerry Langford Trump never said that