Upon its creation in 1971, Amtrak inherited a motley collection of beat-up cars from the nation's former passenger carriers. With a mission to attract passengers back to train travel, one of Amtrak's first orders of business was to create a modern passenger fleet. With a sleek, rounded body that looks more like an aircraft fuselage than a traditional passenger car, the first of nearly 650 new Amfleet cars was delivered in 1975, enabling Amtrak to begin retiring the so-called "heritage fleet." A decade later, Amtrak began the search for an equally modern locomotive to replace its aging fleet of F40PH and GP40 diesels.
Wary of buying more locomotives that were really designed for freight operation, Amtrak searched for a new, lightweight, high-tech alternative. General Electric provided an answer in the AMD-103 (for Amtrak Diesel-103 mph) "Genesis." Featuring a monocoque frame, advanced electronics, and special environmental and safety features, the Genesis represented the state-of-the-art in U.S. passenger locomotives. Forty-four of these 4,000 hp engines, numbered 800-843, were delivered between April and December 1993.
Our Amfleet set replicates the Genesis-powered Amfleet consists that can be seen today almost anywhere Amtrak goes, except the electrified portions of the Northeast Corridor. Our Proto-Sound 3.0-equipped Genesis features Proto-Speed control for smooth, steady speeds from a crawl to full throttle; remote-controlled Proto-Couplers; and a full symphony of train sounds, from passenger station announcements to diesel sounds, wailing horn, clanging bell and crew conversations.
