AEM-7 status

Someone forwarded to me what appears to be a news release (though I can't find it at amtrak.com) that there is to be a "Farewell to the AEM7" on Saturday, June 18, from Washington at 9.10 am to Philadelphia, returning to Washington at 5.35 pm. Some goodies:
1) Photo runby (!) at Halethorpe;
2) Run Track 1F from BELL to HOLLY, passing under the Track 1 flyover;
3) Wye via the Pittsburgh Subway at Philadelphia;
4) Back from LANDLITH into Wilmington Shops for a tour, then returning to Washington.
Fare: $150, on sale in May.

It was not dated April 1; if it's a hoax it was worked out in great detail. Anybody heard or seen anything?

Debunked already. Its a farce.

Too bad. One could always hope ...

WELL. they could, if they really wanted to, actually run a real farewell trip with the DC units. The stored in bear ones are stored serviceable except for 3 that were decommissioned but never scrapped.

It'll be a while until the AEM-7's are fully retired. Until MARC gets all their replacement Chargers, they're running and repairing the AEM-7s that they have.

LOL are you sure about that one?A Marc AEM-7 hasnt rolled under its own power in almost 6 months

I'm sure. In fact, an AEM-7 was hauling 408's trainset up from DC Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station just this morning. If it's hauling it again tomorrow morning (it usually passes Odenton at 7:35am) I'll snapshot it.

Are you sure it wasn't an Amtrak AEM-7? MARC has been running Amtrak 942 & 946. Near as I can tell, their AEM-7s haven't moved in quite some time. 4900-2-3 are in Ivy City, 4901 in Riverside. It would be nice to see the MARC ones one more time before they're totally retired, though.

That I'm not sure of. I'll grab a photo as soon as I can.

Although, I thought the AEM-7 maintenance would be up at Martins State Airport. Is Bombardier going to maintain the MARC AEM-7s until the Chargers come around?

AEM-7s cant get in to martins airport there is no wire. Electrics are handled in Ivy city by amtrak and backshopped in Wilmington. Currently one amtrak and one marc HHP are outside of the wilmington shops possibly for the truck mods.

Bomb only maintains the diesels on the diesel lines they operate and is not responsible for the electrics.

ACeInTheHole wrote:Debunked already. Its a farce.

YEs...you're right. So this must be a farce too!

From the Amtrak website:

https://www.amtrak.com/farewell-to-the- ... sion-train" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Saturday June 18, 2016

Farewell to the AEM-7 Excursion Train Since 1980, the iconic AEM-7 electric locomotives have distinguished themselves carrying passengers between Washington, Philadelphia, New York, New Haven, Boston, Harrisburg and everywhere in between. Together with the introduction and growth of Acela Express, they have built on the legacies of the Pennsylvania and New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroads as the Northeast Corridor has expanded into the 21st century as a first-class passenger railroad.

Now, after 37 years and over 220 million miles of service, they are being replaced by the new, advanced next-generation Siemens Cities Sprinter locomotives. It is time to give a proper sendoff to true workhorses of America's Passenger Railroad.

On Saturday, June 18, 2016, Amtrak will salute these remarkable machines with a special Farewell to the AEM-7 Excursion. Be sure to join us and be part of a celebration of railroad history.

The Trip

The special train will depart from Washington - Union Station, DC at 9:10 am, and operate north on the Northeast Corridor passing through Baltimore, Wilmington, and other intermediate cities to Philadelphia. (There will be no intermediate passenger station stops. An en route photo opportunity** is planned.)

In Philadelphia, the train will be turned on the wye trackage near the Philadelphia Zoo, including the "New York & Pittsburgh Subway" and other connecting trackage in the Philadelphia terminal area not normally used by passenger trains.

Passengers will then have the opportunity to detrain for a brief walking tour** of the shop facility that was so integral to the successful service of the AEM-7s and other electric locomotives dating back to the days of the legendary Pennsylvania Railroad. There will be photo opportunities with a variety of equipment during the stopover.

At 3:45 pm, passengers will re-board the excursion train for the return trip south to Washington, DC. Arrival is scheduled for 5:40 pm.

Boarding Instructions

Arrive at least 45 minutes prior to departure to fill out waivers. Liquor is not allowed onboard.

The Special Train

The train is planned to consist of two AEM-7 locomotives, seven Amfleet-I coaches and two Amfleet-I food service cars. Besides the included box lunches, snack items will be available for purchase onboard.

Tickets

Ticket price is $155 per adult, half-fare for children. Employee passes and other discount tickets are not valid on this train. Tickets are expected to go on sale on May 2, 2016.

Ticket includes round-trip transportation on the excursion train from/to Washington; box lunch and souvenir lapel pin; **photo opportunities ; **walking tour of Wilmington Shop.

** Due to the unique access to railroad property not normally open to the public, participants must complete and sign this Entry on Property Release of Claim Form , and must wear proper footwear: e.g., no open-toed shoes, high heels, sandals, flip-flops, etc. Release form must be printed, signed and presented at train side.

How to Book this Trip

From the 'Buy Tickets' tab:
1.Select One-Way.
2.Enter Washington, DC - Union Station (WAS) in the From box.
3.Enter AEM-7 Excursion Train, DC (AEM) in the To box.
4.Select June 18, 2016 as the Depart date.
5.Select the number of Adult or Child passengers. Maximum of 8.

Passengers with disabilities should call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) to book this trip.

Terms & Conditions
Tickets are non-refundable.
Valid for sale May 2 - June 17, 2015.
Valid for travel on June 18, 2016 only.
Valid between Washington, DC - Union Station (WAS) and AEM-7 Excursion Train, DC (AEM).
Flat price of $155 for adults and includes a boxed lunch and a souvenir label pin.
Up to two (2) children ages 2 - 12 may accompany each adult at half the adult fare.
Children and infants must travel with an adult who is at least 18 years or older.
Special excursion trains are eligible to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points, but not available for redemption travel.
Not combinable with any other discount offer or passenger type.

Book now, Excon!

Better be someone like Kid Buff at the controls

I'm sure they will hand pick a special engineer to run that train.

And it probably wont be me, OR kid buff lol.

Boy what id do to be the tech rider on that trip though.

According to the Kid Buff himself, it's probably going to be someone on the DC extra board, so it's really just up in the air lol.