FRA Car on the Texas Eagle

Trains Magazine Passenger
1

I was in Temple, TX today. I just happened to be at the Temple Station when the southbound Texas Eagle, No. 21 arrived. It was only 50 minutes late, which is big improvement over its recent performance.

Just behind the locomotive was a Federal Railroad Administration car. It was marked as a Safely Inspection unit. It looked like a Pennsylvania Railroad Pullman or perhaps a Norfolk and Western car, i.e. it was painted Tuscan Red.

Just behind the front truck were two devices that sort of looked like upside-down funnels. Anyone know what it might have been doing?

2

I’d say initially, without seeing them, they might be camera lens hoods/shades.

Some other forms of device, like laser scanners for railhead profile, would also require fairly good “elimination of ambient light or glare” to work correctly.