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Steps at each door were covered by a trapdoor which, when Opened, would extend the steps. The car was also equipped with a pair of retractable sliding/folding steps. These retractable steps were operated by insertion of a key in the control panel. No instructions were provided on the car for the operation of the trapdoor or folding steps.
Two emergency-escape windows were located in the center on each side of the cars. Emergency exit through these windows could be initiated after the window stripping was peeled array and the pane of glass pulled inward. However, several of the emergency windows Were not properly identified. at one emergency window, the pull handle for the window stripping had been detached from the window stripping, but the stripping was still in place.
Passenger seating capacity for each car was as follows:
| Type of Car | Seating Capacity |
| Power Club Car | 27 |
| Food Service Car | 52 |
| Coach Car | 22 |
| Coach Car | 72 |
| Coach Car | 72 |
| Power Car | 40 |
| Total | 335 |
The seats in the coach cars were two~abreast units, supported by a single base frame. These two-Seat units were designed to rotate 180° on their bases. Amtrak had arranged the seats in the coaches so that half the seats in the car faced forward and the other half faced rearward with both halves facing toward the center of the car.
The operating stations of the power cars were equipped with radios which the engineer could use to communicate with other trains and with operators along the route. These radios had three channels designated as Conrail road channels 1, 2, and Metro Region Commuter radio channel 3. The train was also equipped with a public address system that permitted announcements throughout the train.
OPSE-7.--0PSE—7 consisted of three U-28B General Electric Diesel locomotive units, 120 freight cars, and a caboose. Total gross tonnage of the train was 4,774 tons.
The height from the sill and floor plate of the diesel locomotive units to the top of the rail was 67.625 inches. Each locomotive unit weighed about 252,000 pounds and was equipped with a speedometer, a Speed recorder device, and a 26-1. type air brake system. Each unit was also equipped with radios with Conrail road radio channels 1 and 2. The radios were not equipped with the Metro Region Commuter radio channel 3.
Postaccident Inspection of Train Equipment
A speed tape was removed from the first and second locomotive units of OPSE-7. The tapes indicated that OPSE-7 had traveled approximately 4 miles after departing Gienwood on track No. 2, and the train had accelerated to about 37 mph before the train brakes were applied in emergency. The tapes showed a continuing decrease in speed until the trains collided between 8 and 10 mph.
