Amtrak Engine Switch on the Cardinal in Washington, DC

[p42Amtrak83]

Tell the people on board : Have fun going backwards!

[Trackagerights]

Dumb question then, so they swaop power in DC, and then the electrics swap off again in Phili? Or do they take it all the way to NYC?

[mjsax2390]

Electric takes it between New York and Washington, and the diesel takes it to Chicago

[BNSF36542]

@Trackagerights mjsax2390's right. I've also seen my train switch engines in D.C. because the electric engines go to as far as Boston and Washington, but if a train is going to either Richmond, Newport News, Lynchburg, or points down south, then they have to change to diesel.

[howardkevinm]

the Cardinal is always late northbound. the tracks are terrible in WV. Only took the train once and thats enough for me. wish they had a more direct route to chicago from Philly but Amtrak keeps canceling it. i.e. Broadway Limited and Amtrak Freight Train (lol Three Rivers)

[mjsax2390]

There's the Capitol Limited if you go to DC

[howardkevinm]

i know that. i said theres no direct train meaning i dont have to switch trains anywhere.

[Tom8201]

Amtrak was planning on cutting the Cardinal over 10 years ago, but at least one of the States the train runs through put up the money to keep it running.

[howardkevinm]

yes i know that. the train is called the Hoosier State. lol. im not an idiot

[sportsmovieman]

Probably Indiana. The NEC can definitely live without it.

[jonc1996]

I was there Saturday night, between 8:30pm (because The Cardinal was 3 hours late) and around 10:00pm (my connecting train to Boston)

[murjax]

I was here 3 days ago.