| SDP40F 559 was smoking it up as it and the 555 got Amtrak train No. 1 - the westbound SUNSET - underway at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal on Christmas Eve 1976. The 13-car train consisted of baggage car 1088, coach 5236, four high-level coaches 9927, 9941, 9949 and 9920, dormitory-lounge 3395, diner 8041, four sleepers 2762 PALM VIEW, 2366 REGAL PASS, 2501 BLUE GROVE and 2602 PACIFIC BEAUTY, and dome-sleeper-observation 9250 SILVER HORIZON. Southern Pacific units regularly smoked like this after sitting in New Orleans for 16 hours, but it was very unusual for an SDP40F to do this. |