Amtrak E9A #403 (ex B&O #1457)

I was hoping to get a responce from up in general dicussion, but I guess not. Well, my grandfather worked for the B&O/NYC/Penn Central/Conrail era on the Toledo/Detroit Subdivision in Michigan. Any way there is a picture of him and one of his buddies on this locomotive #1457 (Still in B&O Colors). Now, I contacted the Amtrak Historical Society and the gentle man who wrote me back said that the locomotive had never been painted amtrak colors. Well, here is a roster from August 1990, which says other wise...

RR # Type Builder B/N B/D Ex-RR #
AMTRAK 403 E9A EMD 20380 5/55 B&O 1457

And here are pictures from off the web of the Locomotive in regular colors:

http://hebners.net/amtrak/amtODD/bo1457.jpg -Visit the Site!

and in Amtrak Colors:

http://adsl-69-213-240-177.dsl.dytnoh.a ... amt403.jpg - Visit the Site!

Could any of you help me with this information:

What happened to it?? Scrapped??
When did it last operate??
Who was the Final crew aboard and who did they work for??

I believe the Amtrak picture belies the B&O heritage of the unit in question. On the B&O photo, there are no lift rings on the nose as there are on the Amtrak picture. I've never seen anything other than a former PRR E8A that had them.

I certainly could be wrong about this, though. Anyone know?

I just proved myself wrong. It seems Milwaukee E9As had the rings, too.

Sorry, I cant be much help on her post B&O career.

I do remember that particular number though. She mad a quite a few runs on the National Limited, Baltimore to St Louis, and for a while in the early 60's on the #9 and #8 turn (west on 9 - east on 8) Washington to Chicago.

PX

Passenger Extra,
WOW! you are correct!b #1457, was a prime mover of passenger cars along the Northeast, the photos are of the locomotive near Williamsburg, VA and Charloetteville, VA. Did you ever Run her? Engineer perhaps, or just a passenger??

I rode behind her a time or two.

Im a former B&O-er, and my dad worked pass. condr's xtra board for a while also.

PX

Sounds like from your note that the 1457 could also have been assigned to either the Cinncinnation 53 & 54, or train 57 & 58, which for some reason was never named, when that picture was taken. Both those trains operated out of Toledo for the B&O, and by the NYC between Toledo and Detroit.

By the way, all the B&O's passenger engines were ATC equipped in the event they had to operate over the NYC.

PX

LCJ is correct to question the heritage of Amtrak403. Actually, everyone is correct. Here's what happened:

B&O 1457 was sold to Amtrak in 1971 and was indeed assigned Amtrak #403. But it was never actually renumbered, and was sold for scrap to Naporano in 2/72. Amtrak's 2nd 403 was ex-Amtrak 291, exx PC/PRR 4283, orig. PRR 5803A.

Interesting that B&O's newest and last E-unit never made it to Amtrak -- it must have had some problem that made repairing uneconomic.

I need to make one correction: Amtrak retired B&O 1457 in 10/75, but, as I noted, never renumbered it. I have a photo of it on the Washington-Cumberland run in mid-1973, in B&O colors and carrying its B&O number.

I suppose Amtraks operational needs and the effects of several years deferred maintenance probably combined to take its toll on available B&O passenger power after the takeover. E and FP units toke a bit more care than straight F units because of the extra waste heat boilers and auxiliary power plants.

PX

I was aware that Amtrak 291 became the second 403, but I was also under the impression that Amtrak did not acquire any equipment until 1972 (a previous poster noted the 1457 becoming an Amtrak-owned unit in 1971).

So, am I mistaken? And was the 1457 also one of the 3 units from Chessie that pulled President Eisenhower's funeral train?

CR4014 (a mighty good unit in her own right!)

CR4014

Conrail #4014 (ex-EL E-8) on a Valparaiso commuter train near Chicago -- Sept 1977.

B&O #1457 is still coming up as a repaint. As far as I know, she was never loaned to Chessie, or came from Chessie. B&O BEFORE the merger sold her off as I am told. I have found several more photos, but with varying paint jobs, from her last deep B&O Blue, to the old Blue and White.

Deep Blue

In a Wornout paint job, hauling what looks like a C&O Passenger train.

I just found this one. Have no clue where she was taken.

She was a nice unit..... to bad AMTK had to sell her and all of here sister units for scrap, the E8 was one heck of a reliable locomotive, just ask BN or MARC