EMD GP40-based passenger diesels
Encyclopedia
The EMD GP40-based passenger locomotives were derivatives of the General Motors
EMD GP40
diesel locomotive
. For passenger service, the locomotives required extra components for providing steam
or head-end power (HEP) for heating, lighting and electricity in passenger cars.
(GMD), for GO Transit
in Toronto, Ontario (The 'TC' stood for 'Toronto Commuter'). To accommodate an HEP genset, they were built on an SD frame. After serving GO for many years (being replaced by various units including GP40-2W's and more recently, F59PH's) the units were sold to Amtrak
. For Amtrak service the 575 volt HEP engine / generator set was replaced with one for 480 volt HEP. The units were based in Chicago and used on short-haul trains. Currently the units are used for MOW service and have been rebuilt into "GP38H-3" units for Amtrak by Norfolk Southern.
(CNJ) and paid for by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
. The CNJ put the units in service on the Raritan Valley Line
and the North Jersey Coast Line
(New York & Long Branch).
The CNJ was folded into Conrail in 1976, and in 1983, New Jersey Transit
began operating passenger rail service in the state. Shortly after, the steam generator, which had occupied the flat end of the locomotive's long hood
, was replaced with a diesel HEP generator, and the units were reclassified as GP40PH. They would later be rebuilt as GP40PH-2 units in 1991-92.
purchased six GP40-2 freight locomotives from CSX Transportation
to replace its existing fleet of leased locomotives for use in Shore Line East
service, and sent them out for rebuilding and conversion to passenger locomotives. The rebuilt locomotives were given the GP40-2H designation, and were completed by AMF Technotransport
in Pointe-Saint-Charles
, an area of Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
.
The six units came back numbered 6694 through 6699.
The GP40-2H is similar to NJ Transit
's GP40PH-2 series, but sporting a smaller fuel tank.
All six units remain in Shore Line East service today.
In 1991-92, NJ Transit sent its ex-CNJ GP40PH units out for rebuilding. The units were rebuilt as GP40PH-2 locomotives and, with the exception of 4101, renumbered out of order. At this time, the units were restricted on the Newark Division and primarily kept to the Hoboken Division. By 1999, the units were often used on the Pascack Valley Line
service, as they were the only units equipped with the Speed Enforcement System equipment needed on the line. They are now found mainly on the Hoboken Division.
New Jersey Transit would later order two more sets of GP40PH-2 units; these units were rebuilt from former freight GP40 units, not from GP40P units as the first order has been. The first order (GP40PH-2A) in 1993 consisted of six units, numbered 4145-4150, and were rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen. These units, with the exception of 4148, which was rebuilt as a GP40PH-2B and renumbered after a collision, are classified as GP40PH-2A, though the units lack the "A" designation on their stenciling. The second order in 1993-94 was rebuilt by Conrail, and was for 19 former Penn Central
units, numbered 4200-4218. These units are classified as GP40PH-2B. A twentieth unit, the GP40PH-2A numbered 4148 wrecked in 1996, was also rebuilt into this class and renumbered 4219 in 1997.
Metro-North
ordered a single GP40PH-2 unit; numbered 4190, it is officially classified as a GP40PH-2M. 4190 was rebuilt by Conrail in 1992. The current number of this unit is 4906
A GP40PH-2 is being used on Amtrak
's Piedmont
train. It is owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation
rather than Amtrak itself.
In 1987, New Jersey Transit
and Metro-North
ordered a set of GP40 locomotives called GP40FH-2s which were completed by Morrison Knudsen between 1987-90 and combine the standard cab and frame of a GP40 with the cowl from an ex-Burlington Northern
F45. A total of 21 units of this type were built; 15, numbered 4130 through 4144, were delivered to New Jersey Transit, and the remaining six, numbered 4184 through 4189, were for Metro-North.
New Jersey Transit's units are slated to be retired eventually, replaced by new PL42AC
locomotives from Alstom
. GP40FH-2s 4130-4134 were sent to MotivePower Industries to be rebuilt into switcher units. Metro-North has begun sending their units out for significant maintenance and upgrades. Metro-North sent units 4184-4189 to MPI in 2007, when they were rebuilt as GP40FH-2Ms 4900-4905.
In 1993, Morrison-Knudsen was contacted by MARC
to assemble a fleet of GP40s. These units are called GP40WH-2s. The GP40WH-2 is equipped with a Cummins
head-end power generator and is rated at 3000 hp, allowing the locomotive to push or pull up to 6 bi-levels at up to 100 mi/h. The FRA
exempted these MARC units from the "triangular light pattern" rule because the engines were ordered with Gyralites before the mandatory use of ditch lights. They are numbered 51 to 69 on the MARC roster and entered service in 1994. They are slated for retirement due to the arrival of new MP36 locomotives.
. Now multiple other railroads own them. A portion of the fleet is owned by Rocky Mountaineer
and pulls their passenger trains in British Columbia and Alberta. One of the units was the Spirit of Quesnel in 2009, but in 2010, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations repainted its entire fleet to celebrate their 15th anniversary.
, numbered 70 to 75. They were downgraded from 3000 hp to 2300 hp, and re-equipped with 4-stroke Cummins
HEP
generators providing 480 volts. Number 73 was the push unit for MARC #P286, which was involved in a fatal collision with Amtrak
's Capitol Limited
on February 16, 1996 73 was rebuilt, and continues to work for MARC. In 1996, the units received ditch lights on their anticlimbers, and during the late 90s, received reflective tape around the side sills and anticlimbers. The 268,000-pound GP39H-2 can push/pull a maximum of 4 cars at speeds of up to 90 mi/h.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
currently owns a set of GP40 passenger diesels known as GP40MCs. They were originally built as GP40-2Ws for Canadian National
in 1973-75. In 1997, these 25 units were extensively rebuilt by AMF. In this rebuild, the units were given Cummins K19TA HEP Generators, flared radiators, and a desktop cab. However, the engine, main generator and traction motors on these units remained the same. Although they have been traditionally held on the North Side, these locomotives can also be occasionally seen on the South Side of the MBTA system. They are still in frequent use. However, they have always been plagued by computer malfunctions, since the units were originally used for pulling freight. The turbochargers, main generators, prime movers and traction motors have also not been very reliable given their original age. Engines 1116 and 1119 have been rebuilt to be used as switchers as well as passenger units. These units also feature steps in the middle of the engineer's side of the units. A lower step was added to the stairs, and rear ditchlights were put on.
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
EMD GP40
EMD GP40
The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971...
diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. For passenger service, the locomotives required extra components for providing steam
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
or head-end power (HEP) for heating, lighting and electricity in passenger cars.
GP40TC
The GP40TC was built by General Motors DieselGeneral Motors Diesel
General Motors Diesel was a Canadian railway diesel locomotive manufacturer.-History:General Motors Diesel, Limited, was created in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro Motive Division of General Motors located in the United States...
(GMD), for GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
in Toronto, Ontario (The 'TC' stood for 'Toronto Commuter'). To accommodate an HEP genset, they were built on an SD frame. After serving GO for many years (being replaced by various units including GP40-2W's and more recently, F59PH's) the units were sold to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. For Amtrak service the 575 volt HEP engine / generator set was replaced with one for 480 volt HEP. The units were based in Chicago and used on short-haul trains. Currently the units are used for MOW service and have been rebuilt into "GP38H-3" units for Amtrak by Norfolk Southern.
GP40P
Thirteen GP40Ps were built in October 1968 for the Central Railroad of New JerseyCentral Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
(CNJ) and paid for by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
. The CNJ put the units in service on the Raritan Valley Line
Raritan Valley Line
The Raritan Valley Line is a diesel-engine-powered commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit , originating out of Pennsylvania Station, located in Newark, New Jersey, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station, located in Raritan, New Jersey.Some weekday trains continue further...
and the North Jersey Coast Line
North Jersey Coast Line
The North Jersey Coast Line is a New Jersey Transit commuter rail service operating between New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal and Bay Head, New Jersey...
(New York & Long Branch).
The CNJ was folded into Conrail in 1976, and in 1983, New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
began operating passenger rail service in the state. Shortly after, the steam generator, which had occupied the flat end of the locomotive's long hood
Hood unit
A hood unit, in railroad terminology, is a body style for diesel and electric locomotives. On a hood unit, the body of the locomotive is less than full-width for most of the locomotive's length, with walkways on the outside of the locomotive. In contrast, a cab unit has a full-width carbody for...
, was replaced with a diesel HEP generator, and the units were reclassified as GP40PH. They would later be rebuilt as GP40PH-2 units in 1991-92.
GP40-2H
In 1996, the Connecticut Department of TransportationConnecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
purchased six GP40-2 freight locomotives from CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
to replace its existing fleet of leased locomotives for use in Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
service, and sent them out for rebuilding and conversion to passenger locomotives. The rebuilt locomotives were given the GP40-2H designation, and were completed by AMF Technotransport
AMF Technotransport
AMF Technotransport was a locomotive and railway rolling stock maintenance facility in Pointe-Saint-Charles, an area of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was originally the Pointe-Saint-Charles shops of Canadian National Railways and became a separate subsidiary in 1993 under the name AMF...
in Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles is a neighbourhood in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:...
, an area of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The six units came back numbered 6694 through 6699.
The GP40-2H is similar to NJ Transit
New Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
's GP40PH-2 series, but sporting a smaller fuel tank.
All six units remain in Shore Line East service today.
GP40PH-2, GP40PH-2A, GP40PH-2B
Pascack Valley Line
The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit. The line runs north from Hoboken, New Jersey through Bergen County and into Rockland County, New York, terminating at Spring Valley. Service within New York is operated under contract with...
service, as they were the only units equipped with the Speed Enforcement System equipment needed on the line. They are now found mainly on the Hoboken Division.
New Jersey Transit would later order two more sets of GP40PH-2 units; these units were rebuilt from former freight GP40 units, not from GP40P units as the first order has been. The first order (GP40PH-2A) in 1993 consisted of six units, numbered 4145-4150, and were rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen. These units, with the exception of 4148, which was rebuilt as a GP40PH-2B and renumbered after a collision, are classified as GP40PH-2A, though the units lack the "A" designation on their stenciling. The second order in 1993-94 was rebuilt by Conrail, and was for 19 former Penn Central
Penn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
units, numbered 4200-4218. These units are classified as GP40PH-2B. A twentieth unit, the GP40PH-2A numbered 4148 wrecked in 1996, was also rebuilt into this class and renumbered 4219 in 1997.
Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
ordered a single GP40PH-2 unit; numbered 4190, it is officially classified as a GP40PH-2M. 4190 was rebuilt by Conrail in 1992. The current number of this unit is 4906
A GP40PH-2 is being used on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Piedmont
Piedmont (train)
The Piedmont is a twice daily passenger train that travels between Raleigh and Charlotte with a run time of 3 hours and 9 minutes, including intermediate stops at Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis. It follows the same exact route and uses the same stations...
train. It is owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
rather than Amtrak itself.
GP40FH-2
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
and Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
ordered a set of GP40 locomotives called GP40FH-2s which were completed by Morrison Knudsen between 1987-90 and combine the standard cab and frame of a GP40 with the cowl from an ex-Burlington Northern
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
F45. A total of 21 units of this type were built; 15, numbered 4130 through 4144, were delivered to New Jersey Transit, and the remaining six, numbered 4184 through 4189, were for Metro-North.
New Jersey Transit's units are slated to be retired eventually, replaced by new PL42AC
PL42AC
The PL42AC is a diesel-electric 4-axle locomotive built by Alstom, EMD and Vossloh España for New Jersey Transit. The first 33 locomotives were manufactured at the Vossloh España plant in Valencia, Spain in 2003. Later units were assembled at the Alstom Transport plant in Hornell, New York in 2004...
locomotives from Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
. GP40FH-2s 4130-4134 were sent to MotivePower Industries to be rebuilt into switcher units. Metro-North has begun sending their units out for significant maintenance and upgrades. Metro-North sent units 4184-4189 to MPI in 2007, when they were rebuilt as GP40FH-2Ms 4900-4905.
GP40WH-2
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
to assemble a fleet of GP40s. These units are called GP40WH-2s. The GP40WH-2 is equipped with a Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
head-end power generator and is rated at 3000 hp, allowing the locomotive to push or pull up to 6 bi-levels at up to 100 mi/h. The FRA
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
exempted these MARC units from the "triangular light pattern" rule because the engines were ordered with Gyralites before the mandatory use of ditch lights. They are numbered 51 to 69 on the MARC roster and entered service in 1994. They are slated for retirement due to the arrival of new MP36 locomotives.
GP40-2W
All examples of this model were built by EMD for Canadian National and GO TransitGO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
. Now multiple other railroads own them. A portion of the fleet is owned by Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian tour company offering Western Canadian vacation packages that operates trains on four rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta.-Background:...
and pulls their passenger trains in British Columbia and Alberta. One of the units was the Spirit of Quesnel in 2009, but in 2010, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations repainted its entire fleet to celebrate their 15th anniversary.
GP39H-2
In the late 1980s, Morrison-Knudsen rebuilt six GP40s into 12 cylinder GP39s for MARCMARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
, numbered 70 to 75. They were downgraded from 3000 hp to 2300 hp, and re-equipped with 4-stroke Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
HEP
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
generators providing 480 volts. Number 73 was the push unit for MARC #P286, which was involved in a fatal collision with Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Capitol Limited
Capitol Limited (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Capitol Limited is one of the railroad's two routes connecting Washington, D.C. to Chicago, running via Cleveland, Ohio . Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Capitol Limited which ended in 1971 upon the formation of Amtrak...
on February 16, 1996 73 was rebuilt, and continues to work for MARC. In 1996, the units received ditch lights on their anticlimbers, and during the late 90s, received reflective tape around the side sills and anticlimbers. The 268,000-pound GP39H-2 can push/pull a maximum of 4 cars at speeds of up to 90 mi/h.
GP40MC
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
currently owns a set of GP40 passenger diesels known as GP40MCs. They were originally built as GP40-2Ws for Canadian National
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
in 1973-75. In 1997, these 25 units were extensively rebuilt by AMF. In this rebuild, the units were given Cummins K19TA HEP Generators, flared radiators, and a desktop cab. However, the engine, main generator and traction motors on these units remained the same. Although they have been traditionally held on the North Side, these locomotives can also be occasionally seen on the South Side of the MBTA system. They are still in frequent use. However, they have always been plagued by computer malfunctions, since the units were originally used for pulling freight. The turbochargers, main generators, prime movers and traction motors have also not been very reliable given their original age. Engines 1116 and 1119 have been rebuilt to be used as switchers as well as passenger units. These units also feature steps in the middle of the engineer's side of the units. A lower step was added to the stairs, and rear ditchlights were put on.