OCK, what is the story behind this train

[adamh0903]

This is the best shot I could find of it. It looks like a passenger train, painted CSX colors, the engines look like repainted amtrak engines, not like the ones this picture. I saw it buzzing by the store today on the way to waycross, I have always wondered what it was, dont see it very often. Something to do with operation lifesaver maybe?

[Ocklawaha]

Sorry Adam, but I haven't been playing over here at the breakroom and didn't see the question. It's a good question as I could see how this might throw folks off. The train is from the CSX business unit, AKA: the business train. It CAN be used for anything from important or VIP transport, to Operation Lifesaver. Often when executives travel one of the private cars or business car is just hung on the end of an Amtrak train. Other times if it involves State DOT, Amtrak etc, you might see a mix of these cars and engines... Say for example a FDOT test on the FEC with an FEC diesel in the lead, followed by the CSX or Amtrak Units, a mix of CSX, Amtrak business cars and the FEC business car Azelia bringing up the "Markers" (the rear of the train).

You must be a pseudo-rail fan to have spotted that diesel as a passenger cab unit... it is most certainly a former Amtrak unit rebuild. There are many reasons for this, but most have to do with power to the train for AC, Heat, etc... others are high RPM AC turbines that give streetcar like, G-Force takeoffs and have the ability to reach speed quickly or bring it home smooth as silk. These locomotives BTW, are credited with being the "BEST" diesel passenger engine ever built in the Amtrak Era (1971 to date), they also get the credit for saving Amtrak when our power drunk government ordered it to both serve XY and Z, and Oh by the way make money doing it! Dumb...

Here's a spec sheet for you:

The General Motors Electro-Motive Division model F40PH is a 3000 horsepower (2.2 MW) B-B diesel-electric locomotive intended for service on Amtrak's intercity lines, built from 1976 onwards. This locomotive is equipped with a turbocharged 645E3 16 cylinder, two-stroke, water-cooled "Vee" diesel engine (prime mover) that develops 3,000 tractive horsepower (2.2 MW) at maximum rpm. The main (traction) generator converts mechanical energy from the prime mover into electrical energy that is distributed through a high voltage cabinet to the traction motors. Each of the four traction motors are directly geared to a pair of driving wheels. The gear ratio of the traction motors to wheel axle determines the maximum operating speed of the locomotive; a standard F40PH has a gear ratio of 5720 which provides a top speed of 103 mph (166 km/h). Introduction of the F40PH series was spurred as a replacement for the EMD SDP40F type, Amtrak's first series of locomotives built new for them since inception in 1971. In some derailments the "hollow bolster" design of the SDP40F three axle truck became suspect as a possible cause. This led to the introduction of the F40PH, based on the proven EMD GP40 series freight locomotives using a two axle truck of known reliability. (The term "F40" by itself can lead to confusion, because the first locomotive to bear that designation was the F40C, a passenger C-C locomotive derived from the SD40-2, ostensibly similar to the SDP40F but with a HEP generator.)
The F40PH has a fully enclosed carbody which in passenger service use provides for a cleaner, somewhat streamline appearance, than those of conventional hood unit type locomotive construction. While enroute all-weather access to components through the cowl is possible, passage through the engine room (and to trailing units) normally is used only during maintenance at repair points.

To support passenger service, the F40PH is equipped with a secondary electrical generator referred to as the head end generator. The HEP unit generates three-phase AC power at 480 V ac 750 A or about 500 kW to provide power to the passenger cars for lighting, electric heating, and air conditioning. Because head end power must be delivered to the rest of the trainset at a relatively constant frequency, the prime mover in these locomotives must turn at a constant high speed (900 rpm) while delivering head end power (even if the locomotive is standing still at a station stop); this has led to these locomotives being nicknamed "screamers". Power to the traction motors is varied by varying the field excitation of the main (traction) generator.

Later variations on the F40PH have added a second small diesel engine at the rear of the locomotive that exclusively drives the head end power generator. In these versions the prime mover can vary its speed depending on the amount of tractive effort needed. These locomotives can be identified by a small secondary diesel exhaust at the rear end of the locomotive (besides the fact that they can idle quietly). The MPI version of the F40PH was built by Morrison-Knudsen.

Ocklawaha
Lover of all things rail

[gatorback]

Did it have a caboose on it?  It doesn't look like.  I think if it had a caboose that there could be RailRoad Police in it.  They're more like Federal Marshals since RailRoad Police go over state lines.  And, this I know, if they were moving prisoners by railroad or any body with fire arms on the train then it's gonna have a caboose. I guess they move most prisoners by bus these days.  But if they're moving guns, or amo, there will 100% for sure have that caboose in tow.

I don't see the lightning bolt so this one isn't DC power.  I think they call it 800 Lightning Bolt.