Throughout February and March of 2022, Amtrak tested the new Siemens-Mobility built ALC-42
Charger locomotives along the route of the Empire Builder long distance train between
Chicago and Seattle.
Locomotive number 301 was one of the three units initially tested on the route.
The 301 is one of Amtrak’s celebratory 50th Anniversary locomotives, often referred to
as heritage units by railroad enthusiasts.
301 features a special scheme known as “Day One”.
As I mentioned in my video about the debut of the 301 last year, the Day One livery is
a re-creation of the very first paint scheme to be worn by an Amtrak locomotive back in
May of 1971.
On March 19th, 2022, 301 made its first run in the lead of the westbound Empire Builder
out of Chicago.
It was accompanied by ALC-42 number 300 and P42DC locomotive number 11.
At Spokane, Washington, the P42 took the Portland, Oregon section of the train while the two
ALC-42 locomotives continued on with the Seattle section, making this portion of the trip the
first time the ALC-42s handled an Amtrak train unaccompanied by a P42.
Once again, let’s follow the Empire Builder as it crosses over the Cascade Mountains by
way of Stevens Pass and into Seattle.
We begin the day of March 21st on Trinidad Hill near the former railroad town of Trinidad,
Washington.
Trinidad is located on the east bank of the Columbia river about 20 miles from Wenatchee.
This is BNSF’s Columbia River Subdivision which runs between Spokane, Washington and
Wenatchee.
The Empire Builder is running about four and a half hours late due to a freight train derailment
in Wisconsin.
301 leads the train slowly down grade as it approaches a large horseshoe turn.
Wenatchee is about a half hour away.
The train will pause here briefly for a crew change and to pick up passengers before continuing
west over Steven’s Pass.
A few minutes after leaving Wenatchee, 301 has the Empire builder passing along the Wenatchee
River and through the quiet agricultural community of Monitor.
20 minutes after leaving Leavenworth, the train is seen climbing up the east side of
Stevens Pass along Highway 2.
Heading downhill, 301 approaches a tall trestle over the Foss River.
We catch the Empire Builder for the 7th and final time as it rolls along the shores of
Puget Sound just south of Edmonds.
Seattle is less than 20 minutes away.
In a scene reminiscent of an early Amtrak publicity photo from the 1970s, locomotive
301 brings the train around a curve and under the pedestrian bridge at Carkeek Park.
Thanks for joining me for this look at Amtrak’s special 50th anniversary locomotive number
301 on its first trip in the lead of a train.
A special thanks to all my supporters on Patreon for helping to make this and all my other
videos possible.
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I’ll be back next Friday at 9 AM Pacific time for an all new railroading adventure
right here on the YouTube channel.
That’s it for now.
Until next time, I’m Mike Armstrong.
I’ll see you down the line!
Thanks for watching.