Amtrak train 97 at Folkston

P097 is running a bit late as it rolls through Folkston at a leisurely pace. Not very exciting, but it does document the time when Amtrak was still running the Express reefers on the rear of this train, long after the express mail contract ran out in 2004. This was shot in July of 2006.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Amtrak
• 97
• Folkston
• Express
• Reefer
• ExpressTrak

[CSXKid5016]

No they dont anymore. They just never removed that lettering on the older phase IV baggage cars. If you look at the newly painted phase IVb it doesnt say it.

[murjax]

Yeah that's a remainder from the mail days. They're just baggage now. Most of the crew stays in the cafe all night with the exception of the viewliner crew. Unless sold out, they occupy one of the roomettes.

[AmtrakFlorida]

But the baggage cars all say "US Postal Service". And what does the crew do without the crew dorm?

[murjax]

Amtrak hasn't carried mail since at least 2004.

[AmtrakFlorida]

Do they still carry mail?

[AmtrakFlorida]

Do they still carry mail on Amtrak? Because all of the baggage cars clearly read in big letters "US Postal Service". I know that the palmetto's route through dade city and around there was canceled because that was only really to carry the mail and hence their contract ran out the train was truncated to savannah.

[1985MANAmericana]

Really?  I was not aware of that.

[rttx]

Amtrak equipped the dorm lounges with retention tanks.

[1985MANAmericana]

Although, that would not, of course, be acceptable as the Heritage cars are direct-dump.

[1985MANAmericana]

That's because that "big hollow space" was originally designed to be a smoking lounge. A couple of the cars had "Dorm/Lounge" written on their sides. A few of them are at Beech Grove awaiting nothing. Instead of purchasing new baggage/crew dorm Viewliners, which Amtrak has hinted at doing, I'd suggest taking that "big hollow space" and adding a baggage door, hence creating new baggage/dorms.