Amtrak from DC to Philly

[Gregory Wallace]

Hey... if I'm asking too many questions, somebody PLEASE just tell me to shut up, ok?

This time, I'm curious about a trip I took a couple years ago, before I became interested in trains. It was in 2001, and I rode from Union Station, in DC, to the big station (Penn?) in Philadelphia.

I'm curious what the train might have looked like. Would the train have been like this one, led by an ASEA AEM-7?:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=12469

Also, on that engine, do those little "arms" that track on the overhead wires supply electricity to propel the train? If not, what are they?

Thanks again!
Gregory in Memphis
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VTX1800R (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Honda_VTX1800R)

[Guilford350]

Also, on that engine, do those little "arms" that track on the overhead wires supply electricity to propel the train? If not, what are they?

Those little "arms" are called pantogrpahs. They touch the above wires, called catenaries, which supply the electricity to the train.

It is possible that the train you took a couple of years ago would have been led by 1 or even 2 AEM-7's or maybe an HHP-8. Hope that helps.