Notching Up into Southwest D.C. - An Amtrak Golden Hour Moment

Notching Up into Southwest D.C. - An Amtrak Golden Hour Moment

After crossing the Long Bridge over the Potomac and shorter spans over the Washington Channel
and Maine Avenue, the engineer notches up the prime mover on his P42DC diesel-electric locomotive
as he accelerates through a sweeping curve in the golden light of late afternoon to enter southwest
Washington, D.C. with Amtrak's northbound Northeast Regional train No. 158, a Norfolk, Virginia to
New York City service.

After passing through the L'Enfant Plaza area, the train will curve north to tunnel under Capitol Hill and
emerge on the Lower Level of Union Station. There, the diesel will leave the train and a waiting ACS-64
"Sprinter" electric locomotive will back up to the train, couple up, and shortly glide away from the platform
for its high-speed sprint up the Northeast Corridor.

©2024 Steve Ember