Touring a F40PH locomotive cab, 1980.
Black and white photograph from the September-October 1980 issue of Amtrak NEWS.
- Photograph Details
-
- Date Archived:
- September 16, 2013
- Geography:
- California
- Decade:
- 1980s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Date Created:
- September 13, 1980
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
Starting with Washington, D.C. in February 1979, Amtrak held a series of “Family Days” celebrations in cities across the country. The events quickly blossomed into opportunities to invite the public to learn about the company and show off new equipment. A celebration that took place at Los Angeles Union Station on the weekend of September 13-14, 1980, attracted more than 45,000 participants.
As part of the popular equipment display, attendees could walk through the cab of F40PH locomotive No. 203, which in this image wears the Phase II paint scheme introduced in 1975.
The spirit of Family Days lived on in a new Amtrak tradition: National Train Day. Inaugurated in 2008 and celebrated each May, National Train Day marked the way that trains—intercity passenger, commuter and freight—drive the nation’s economy and connect us to one another. Attendees enjoyed displays of historic and modern equipment, live entertainment, fun kids’ activities and train rides.
Photo by Susan Dole and Kevin Martin for Amtrak.