first question, is thier a roster out thier for Amtrak F units? IF so how do i tell the diff between certain F unit models? lastly how close together are A&B units coupled? looks closer than normal. [:)]
Do you mean the heritage F Units inherited from the railroads or the newer F40’s and F59’s?
The newer ones can be found at http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-roster.shtml
i mean the old Funits (F7’s, F9’s)
The March 1981 roster had 2 65 ton GE, 1 45 ton GE, 2 LRC, 24 RS3, 190 F40PH, 31 E9A, 24 E8AU, 2 E8A, 6 E9B, 6 FL9, 2 FP7, 37 SDP40F, 23 P30CH, 15 SW1, 1 S2, 4 GP7, 8 GP9U, 12 GP7U.
Electrics 47 AEM7, 7 E60CP, 19 E60CH, 22 GG1.
Amtrak had a relatively small number of passenger F’s, primarily to handle the Empire Builder west of Havre MT and the San Francisco Zephyr west of Denver. The Super Chief/El Capitan was handled by 74 F’s leased from ATSF. All were pretty much replaced by the SDP40F’s in the mid-1970’s.
Or do you also mean the E’s? The nose was pretty much identical to the F’s, and they shared a lot of components, but they were two different birds.
Amtrak’s F units were retired by the mid 1970s. E units lingered a little longer (yes I even saw one running in 79!). The 3,000 horsepowered SDP40fs and later F40PHs quickly relegated the Fs and E units to the auction block or scrap pile.
Good news is that some of those old timers are in service today on museum and tourist lines.
Amtrak’s FL9s lasted into the early 1990s.