Amtrak Old-school Arrival Into Hammond

In this video, you will see Amtrak's City of New Orleans arrive in Hammond, Louisiana in the year 1990. This is the northbound train, number 58. This video is part of the train trip my dad and I took to from Memphis, TN to Hammond, LA. Usually my dad and I would take the train from Memphis to New Orleans and ride back to Memphis the same day. Back then the connections in New Orleans allowed you to make a round trip the same day. This also allowed crews to take a full trip and return to their home base in Chicago. On this day, however, train 59 was running late, forcing me, my dad, and a few crew members to get off at Hammond in order to catch 58. Even though we didn't get to go to New Orleans that day, it was still fun because my dad and I got to eat with the crew at a nearby restaurant in Hammond.

Extra notes: The lead engine was F40PH number 308. The second engine was an Amtrak GP40-TC and I'm not sure what the road number was #19? . The train consisted of 12 cars and the first two cars were just deadheads from New Orleans to Chicago.

Video Uploaded & Copyrighted by Jared Davis of Whistlepost Productions

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Train
• Amtrak
• F40PH
• GP40TC
• GP40-TC
• City
• New
• Orleans
• Hammond
• Louisiana
• Horn
• K5LA
• F40

[badboymrpappy]

I remember when they went from Amfleet (Panama Limited/70's 80's) to Heritage, to Sup's with the works to now half empty sup's with one p40

[WhistlepostWP]

@badboymrpappy yeah those were some interesting times. Back when Amtrak had a lot of variety. I plan on uploading videos in the future of Amtrak when they first transitioned from heritage to superliners. My dad recorded 4 VHS tapes worth of the City of New Orleans from 1989-1995. I remember getting really sad when they got rid of the dome cars =(.

[decline2state]

Several have commented on the dome cars. They became obsolete when Amtrak replaced the equipment on its major western routes with Superliners. They may have been used on eastern routes before those routes also got Superliner equipment. The eastern routes that can't use Superliners due to loading-gauge issues also can't use dome cars. Those that remain in service are privately owned or have gone elsewhere.

[WhistlepostWP]

Yeah in 1994 the city transitioned to superliner equipment. The consist contained mostly Superliner 1's, a mix of ex Santa Fe El Captain cars, and an occasional single level coach. After 94' I didn't see any dome cars.

[BosworthJ]

I am assuming this was shot originally on VHS and then digitized. The date I am guessing was around 1990 though it is somewhat hard to tell. The second track is gone (IC took out the double track on the Main Line of Mid America, sad but true). This track is owned by the CN now, and is coveted by the UP. All of the crossings here now have gates and bells on them, like where the two crew members are standing. Thanks for posting, we don't get to see so many of the oldies but goodies.

[WhistlepostWP]

Glad you liked the video, but did you read the video notes? I put all the info there. And I am aware of the upgrades to Hammond & track ownership. I last rode the City in 2003...

[BNSF9250]

back when amtrak was cool. cool horns and power. now they just plain suck.

[DJGENEX71]

I miss the old trains! Especially the F-40's!

[ACLTony]

If I'm not mistaken, this station was used in one of the first season episodes of "In the Heat of the Night" with Carroll O'Conner and Howard Rollins. I think it was the episode in which a man (Isaac from the Love Boat) had a bunch of wives.

[ACLTony]

What a classy looking train! That's the Amtrak that I miss. Comfortable, spacious Budd Heritage cars, F40s, and long consists. (Although I miss the SDP40fs even more). Although I will use Amtrak when possible, today's trains look very bland and boring, especially the Genesis locomotives which are efficient and sleek but to me resemble "wannabe airplanes".

[dwkcamman611]

Wicked awesome! Old school for sure!

[matttjaden]

This reminds me of the opening of "In the heat of the night".

[FastFlyingVirginian]

Nice; that was quite the car variety in that consist.

[cochranexyz]

I took this train to City of New Orleans all the way to Chicago in September 1990! This is a neat little memory, this video.

[rando4038]

hmm, i think you can clearly see where the icg had torn out the second mainline track when the they installed centralized traffic control, come to find out that was a bad idea!

[TheADude213]

Yeah! I like the B32s and P40s too. If only AMTK would repaint one of their B32s back to their Phase III scheme.

[nashgallo]

@TheADude123 I think the P42s are nice but the F40PHs where nice to.Atleast they still use thier P32-8BWHs and P40s

[debowh]

the cars are so mismatch