The glint of the setting sun caught Amtrak’s Keystone racing east of Lancaster. When the engineer greeted me with an enthusiastic rendition of “Shave and a Haircut—Two Bits!” punctuated by an extra-sharp final blast, I focused on the head end.

There it was: Amtrak ACS-64 No. 657, adorned with Amtrak’s Freedom 250th banner!

I panned the patriotic locomotive as it zipped by at speed.

Happy 250th from Tracking the Light!