Just saw this over at railpictures.net. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=324517 Anyone know the story behind this?
According to Marre/Harper's Frisco Diesel Power GP7L SLSF 610 was sold to Precision National Corporation (PNC) of Mt. Vernon IL on December 17, 1976. It was subsequently sold to Amtrak (AMTK) in April, 1977 where it became AMTK 760. Rich
Seeing a Mandarin orange & white unit leading an Amtrak train sure put a smile on my face! And wow a half a dozen double slip switches grouped together with various diamonds thrown in to boot. I would hate to be on that track crew.
I would like to see a Frisco 2-10-2 "spot" engine run through that interchange. The thing would look like a spaghetti bowl after the spot rolls through it! Ken
Cool seeing a Mandarin orange and white Frisco engine. "That track plan is logical" says the drunken Irish man.
There are other pictures of AMTK 760, both in Mandarin 0range and white and later Amtrak paint schemes on rrpicturearchives.net. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=81545 The most recent of these is dated 1996. Amtrak 761 was also a former Frisco locomotive, as seen on this page. http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtGP.html Amtrak also acquired this locomotive through PNC. Paul
The original crossovers at Cherokee Yard on the east and west end receiving and departure (R&D) yard leads after the hump yard installation were those double slip switches you see in the photo. By the time I hired out in 1971 the switchmen had enough experience with them they had no trouble lining them for the appropriate route. Both ends had to be lined so it was important to know where the cut was going. They were removed when the yard was reconfigured because of the trouble the long cars had going through them. Conventional crossovers were placed back in service which eliminated the problem. The obvious reason for the double slips was the lead was much shorter. It is a good thing that commercially manufactured double slips and other complicated switches are available because that would be a modeling nightmare. My hat is off to anyone who may have hand laid any of these complicated switches. Thanks, Terry
