Last E-units on Amtrak

It seems that 1980 was the last year E-units were used by Amtrak. Anybody have confirmation or know otherwise? Also, what services were they used on toward the end? Usually a fleet about to be retired is kept near a particular base or assignment.

The last regular E-unit assignment on Amtrak was out of New Haven on Springfield trains, using the 495-series HEP-equipped units pulling Amcoaches. As for the end date, I'd have to look that up but I can't do at the moment. At the time I did a farewell article on them for Passenger Train Journal but my copy is in a box somewhere. Early 80s is definitely the timeframe.

1980 sounds late to me. The latest date i've seen a photo tagged for is 1977. I know they were active after 1977 though. If they were in service into early 80's what were they assigned to? That clue could help find a solid retirement date. By 1980 you had the FL9's and newer diesels up there, or am i imagining things?

As I wrote above, the final regular Amtrak E-unit assignment was New Haven-Springfield service in the early 1980s, using the HEP rebuilds 495-499. See this link for some 1980s photos: http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtEHEP.html

BTW, Amtrak's FL9s were never assigned to New Haven-Springfield service. And the Grand Central photo of 497 at the linked site shows it in Metro North service, which is where some of the E's went when Amtrak retired them.

Ignore him, he tends to have Trains Turretes. A statement of little to no sense will appear and be forgotten days later.

Tom, thanks for your input. I forgot about the Metro North loaners from their despair years.

Timeframe for the Amtrak E units on Metro-North was probably 1983.
Noel Weaver

The Two Amtrak E units and two NJT units operated on Metro North untill summer of 1984.

Dutch, i don't think they were around that late, the electrification to Brewster began operation in the spring time change of 1984. I had 979 and 990 as a regular job out of New York right after qualifying to Brewster and they were not running on the Harlem by then. Actually 979 ran with standard equipment for some time after I bid he job in on the change of time but although I had a variety of junk for power, I never got the Amtrak units. They might have held on through that summer but I do not remember them and I did not get them on 979 although it was one of the last trains to go to MU equipment. On the other side 990 was one of the first as we got MU's not long after the time change. The M-3's were still being delivered at that time and there simply was not enough of them to cover all of the Brewster work. Interesting days.
Noel Weaver

I started in Brewster Engine house on Febr 1984 and had the two Amtrak and NJT units to inspect and set up for Morning Service.
serious electric service did not start till summer of 1984, before that only trains 904 and 910 had M-3a's

I notice most of those in the photos have nose doors, was this factory or added later?

Nose doors were standard. If you see one without it, the modification was done later. One such example of that was Union Pacific's hack job in recent years to their two executive E9A's with bondo all over the noses to conceal the doors and grab irons removed instead of just securing the doors shut and appling a warning label on both sides of the door. They went to great lengths 20 years ago to match their exterior appearance to what they would've looked like in their glory years at the head of UP passenger trains. Replica builders plates, removable ditch lights so they could be easily be taken off when on display, the winged shield on the noses not just being a decal, the E9 plates on the cab sides, replicas of the snowshields above the winterization hatches, fake water fill caps, fake steam generator stacks, custom made portholes, etc. Kind of disappointing to see the change since it's very noticeable and odd looking and defeats the appearance they were after when originally rebuilt.

The lease to Metro-North for the 495 and the 497 started in 1983 and lasted into 1984. Amtrak sold them to the Blue Mountain & Reading in 1985 where they were restored to the 5 stripe PRR Tuscan red scheme. One operates in Missouri on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern in faded PRR colors and is currently undergoing repairs. And the other is butchered and is now an empty shell in Alabama and apparantly is used as a wedding chapel.

Of the other 3 HEP rebuilt E8's that were used as backups for F40PH's in Shoreline/Springfield services, the 496 was already dead by 1983. Gave up its engines to repower two Amtrak RS3's and was scrapped in New Haven in early 1986. And the other two of course went on to enjoy long lifes as executive power for Conrail after being traded to Conrail for switchers in mid 1983 when Amtrak no longer had any need of them. Still running today restored to their PRR colors.

The E's came from the factory with the front door as standard on E4, E7-9. The E4 had the raked nose and the door actually tilted out to vertical before opening. SAL ordered this in order to allow T&E guys to access the power while on the road. After that, the E7 got the FT-nose which came standard with a door. I cannot imagine any railroad today allows their people to use the front door of an E-unit while in motion, as that's a much narrower and tighter opening than simply walking through a standard end-door or from porch to porch of a geep.

I just looked at before and after photos of UP 949. I think you're right, they should have left the nose original. You can still see the door seam etc. I do however like all the other modifications!

Did amtrak ever have any mods or were they sorry & stripped out of all that stuff by that time?

I don't think the E-6 models came with nose doors, I'll have to check my old slides but not now, that's why they were often photographed on mainline passenger trains as the lead units with newer units tucked in behind them. Solid "A" unit consists were quite common on the SCL because they did not have enough "B" units to go around and they still had a lot of passenger service right up until day one of Amtrak.
Noel Weaver

Tadman wrote:I cannot imagine any railroad today allows their people to use the front door of an E-unit while in motion, as that's a much narrower and tighter opening than simply walking through a standard end-door or from porch to porch of a geep.

Anyone care to share Messrs. Dunville's and Weaver's reports with the producers of whatever "dumb and dumber" rail disaster flick is next "coming to a theatre near you".