Red Caps at work, 1970s.

In this image, likely taken at the Santa Fe Depot in Fort Worth, Texas (Amtrak later relocated to a modern intermodal center) , Red Caps move sacks and parcels between the baggage car and depot. Red Caps help passengers with baggage navigate through the station; here they wear a jumpsuit introduced in early 1972 as part of a redesign of uniforms worn by on-board service and station employees. And of course, they wear their trademark red hats.

The baggage car features the Phase II paint scheme introduced in 1975. Also visible is SDP40F locomotive No. 505 wearing the Phase I paint scheme. The first locomotive built expressly for Amtrak, the SDP40F was a six axle diesel-electric unit that sported a 3,000 horsepower engine. It was manufactured in 1973 and 1974 by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division.

Since many passenger rail cars were still heated via steam, the SDP40F included two steam generators and a water tank. Within a decade, most of these locomotives were replaced with F40PH models that could operate more easily with the new and refurbished fleet of all-electric passenger cars.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.