EMD/GMD/M-K/MPI F40PH

Instructions

[Backstory (From Wikipedia)]: Amtrak ordered its first 30 EMD F40PHs on May 8, 1975. The first of the new locomotives entered service on April 9, 1976. Amtrak intended the locomotives for short routes such as the San Diegan in California and Northeast Corridor services in the then non-electrified route portion between New Haven, Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts. The long-distance routes were protected by the then-new EMD SDP40F, described by J. David Ingles in late 1975 as the "stars of Amtrak's long-distance trains". However, two events led to a major change in thinking within Amtrak regarding the EMD SDP40F. The first event was a sharp decline in the mechanical reliability of the EMD SDP40F, including several derailments. The second event was the unusually harsh winter of 1976–1977, which sidelined many of Amtrak's aging steam-heated coaches. Amtrak suspended numerous routes and pressed the new HEP-equipped Amfleet I coaches, designed for short runs, into service. The F40PH, with its built-in HEP generator, was the natural choice to haul these coaches. As problems with the EMD SDP40F mounted, Amtrak adopted the F40PH as its long-term solution nationwide for diesel engine service. In the spring of 1977 Amtrak traded 40 EMD SDP40Fs back to EMD. Components including the prime mover were installed into an EMD F40PH frame. The 40 rebuilt locomotives, designated F40PHR, were identical to new-build EMD F40PHs, incorporating the larger fuel tank and more powerful HEP generator which had become standard. Amtrak ultimately acquired 132 F40PHRs in this manner — which combined with new orders between 1975 and 1988 and with the purchase of six GMD F40PHs from GO Transit in 1990 — led to a fleet of 216 locomotives, the country's largest fleet. The first commuter rail operator to order F40PHs was Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), a forerunner to Metra, who ordered 74 between 1977 and 1983. Metra ordered 41 more between 1988 and 1992. Other agencies who bought the F40PH included the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) (18), Caltrain (20), GO Transit (6), New Jersey Transit (17), and VIA Rail (59). Finally, the rail construction firm Speno ordered four. In total EMD built 449 locomotives, including the F40PHR trade-ins. The F40PH performed well for Amtrak: at the start of the 1990s only four had been retired due to wrecks. The locomotive was at the center of Amtrak's advertising. Trains magazine estimated that on average, each F40PH traveled as many as 175,000 miles (282,000 km) a year. Amtrak began replacing the F40PH with the GE Dash 8-32BWH in 1991, the GE P40DC in 1993, and the GE P42DC in 1996. All were retired by 2001 with the arrival of the last P42DC, and their last regular assignment was on the Maple Leaf in December 2001. The Panama Canal Railway acquired several ex-Amtrak F40PHs for both freight and passenger service; the 480V head-end power matched the voltage used by the refrigeration in Maersk Sealand containers. The EMD F40PH has continued to serve VIA Rail into the 21st century: between 2007 and 2012 VIA refurbished its entire fleet for CAD$100 million. The rebuild program included separate HEP generators, overhauled engines, a third headlight addition, cab reconditioning, additional safety horns at the front, and repainting into the newer VIA scheme. Rebuilt locomotive No. 6403, pulling the Canadian through the Rocky Mountains, was included on the back of the redesigned Canadian ten-dollar note in 2013 (The actual 6403 was later renumbered to 6459.) As of 2018, VIA has 53 such EMD F40PH locomotives in service. VIA started another round of rebuilding for 39 F40PH-2D locomotives in 2024, with the goal of extending their lifespan to 2035. These F40PH locomotives are now supplemented by GE P42DC locomotives delivered in 2001 and by Siemens SCV-42 locomotives delivered in 2023. [Variants]: ∙ Amtrak (Version 1) ∙ Amtrak (Version 2) ∙ Amtrak (Version 3) ∙ CSX (Version 1) ∙ CSX (Version 2) ∙ MBTA (Version 1) ∙ MBTA (Version 2) ∙ MBTA (Version 3) ∙ MBTA (Version 4) ∙ MBTA (Version 5) ∙ Metra (Version 1) ∙ Metra (Version 2) ∙ Metra (F40PHM-2) ∙ VIA Rail (Version 1) ∙ VIA Rail (Version 2) ∙ Coaster M-K F40PHM-2C/ACE MPI F40PH-3C ∙ CalTrain (EMD F40PH-2) ∙ CalTrain (MPI F40PH-2C) [Instructions]: ∙ Space/Click - Next Costume ∙ H - Horn (K5LA, P5A for Metra units, P2 for CalTrain units) ∙ B - Bell (Steel Bell, Graham White Electronic Bell) ∙ P - Painted Examples ∙ T - Blanks