Sanford Mechanical facility, 2016.

Mechanical department employees work on P-42 locomotive No. 120 and P-40 No. 832 at the Sanford Mechanical facility. “Having our [mechanical] facility near the station is a true benefit," says Sanford Mechanical Supervisor Dwayne “Set” Settino. "Because the station is so close, employees see passengers every day and, with that, there's a sense of pride because they can see their work firsthand.”

As of early 2016, the Sanford Mechanical facility was responsible for maintaining more than 120 pieces of equipment including Superliner I and II coach, dining, lounge, sleeping and transition sleeping cars; auto carriers; and diesel locomotives.

The Auto Train offers direct service between Sanford, Fla., conveniently located close to the state's famous theme parks, and Lorton, Va., a suburb of the nation's capital. It is the only Amtrak service to simultaneously transport passengers and their motor vehicles, including cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, small boats and water-skis. With locomotives and coach, sleeping, dining, lounge and auto carrier cars, the Auto Train is considered the longest passenger train in the world, often measuring about ¾ of a mile.

Photographer: Chuck Gomez for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.