CHICAGO — Amtrak’s Chicago train wash is now active, as evidenced by the cars and locomotive of the company’s New York-Chicago Cardinal, seen here backing into the facility after its run on Monday, Oct. 6. The Cardinal emerged sparkling from its 2-mph splash, though a departing Metra train prevented photos of the result.
The trainset had ample opportunity for servicing until its next departure on Tuesday evening. It left on time, but immediately suffered a mechanical failure that delayed its second Chicago departure by more than 5 hours. As of today (Wednesday, Oct. 8), the train was running more than six hours late though West Virginia and Virginia.
The Chicago washer is one of four that was expected to enter service last year, along with New Orleans, Boston, and Seattle [see “First rebuilt Amtrak train wash facilities …,” Trains.com, July 22, 2024]. As of last July, wash facilities were ]in the design phase at seven other locations.
Yin and Yang of AMTRAK — a clean train followed by a lengthy mechanical failure.