Today (just now) at ALX I saw Amfleet Coach #82656, and unlike everything else in the consist it has a roof painted black. Why’s that?
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Amfleet with black roof
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Could have been a roof repair,paint laid on heavy enough to seal tiny cracks in the metal.
The Land of Enchantment is not Flyover country!
/Sarcasm/
I didn't realize Amtrak was running ALCo power
I didn't realize Amtrak was running ALCo power
"That sapling that once grew just south of Wassaic may be long gone, and the Harlem Line’s appearance may have changed over the years, but for decades to come, I can count on it continuing to provide me with funny recollections"
Amtrak has been applying to the Amfleet roofs whatever it was NJ Transit started applying the Arrow IIIs a few years back. I'm guessing maybe they're starting to leak!
Flex seal= 
Need 4,oo0 mini-cans to do a roof!
Need 4,oo0 mini-cans to do a roof!
The Land of Enchantment is not Flyover country!
Rumor has it Aramark has exactly 4,000 containers of leftover salisbury steak gravy from east-coast full diner operations that they're using instead. 
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.
I use pond sealer on Rv roofs, same stuff as the fancy roof sealers at a 1/4 of the price.
Moderator worldwide railfan , Rail travel & trip reports
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The choice of black, presumably to seal the Amfleet bodies, is a sub-optimal choice, due to the heat-absorbing properties of black sealant in this area.
Regardless of the reason, i.e., "we always used black" or "the washers don't reach the roof, so we'll match the dirt", use of a non-reflective coating will unnecessarily increase the summer load on the air conditioning systems.
This is a bad idea, which I recall was introduced on the NYC in the late 1950s, matching the dirt that accumulated above the reach of the car wash brushes.
Perhaps someone with the facts can tell us "what's up".
Regardless of the reason, i.e., "we always used black" or "the washers don't reach the roof, so we'll match the dirt", use of a non-reflective coating will unnecessarily increase the summer load on the air conditioning systems.
This is a bad idea, which I recall was introduced on the NYC in the late 1950s, matching the dirt that accumulated above the reach of the car wash brushes.
Perhaps someone with the facts can tell us "what's up".
I’ve never seen that kind of roof paint before or since - it looked like a temporary leak-fix, but starting to wear off.
It sounds like what the New York Central called "car cement", they used it to seal up the roofs of their equipment, both freight and passenger.
Dave Mackay
Dave Mackay
R Paul Carey wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:34 am ...This is a bad idea, which I recall was introduced on the NYC in the late 1950s, matching the dirt that accumulated above the reach of the car wash brushes.I seem to recall this method being used on more than just NYC - PC adopted it, as did Seaboard Coast Line and their constituent properties as well.
Perhaps it's a one-car experiment or temporary solution.
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.
Probably a more modern version something like this .
https://rubberizeit.com/pages/roof-appl ... gL5KfD_BwE
Note , I haven't used or endorse this particular product , just the first line that came up in a google search for rubber roof sealers in the USA.
The problem with them is they are usually black, and as noted , it will stain when exposed to the sun . We paint over with a NZ UV stable white paint, our UV levels will ruin most overseas rubbers and plastics.
https://rubberizeit.com/pages/roof-appl ... gL5KfD_BwE
Note , I haven't used or endorse this particular product , just the first line that came up in a google search for rubber roof sealers in the USA.
The problem with them is they are usually black, and as noted , it will stain when exposed to the sun . We paint over with a NZ UV stable white paint, our UV levels will ruin most overseas rubbers and plastics.
Moderator worldwide railfan , Rail travel & trip reports
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
Not the intended target, but I captured one of the black roof Amfleets here as the first car in the consist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoW3ChYz-8Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoW3ChYz-8Y
I thought the roofs were also made of stainless steel, and never rust. If they are cracking it's probably time to retire. Are there fasteners penetrating the metal that are leaking? Or is this purely cosmetic painting? Perhaps freeze damage?
