EMD at GE: MBTA F40PH 3Cs

This video shows the first MBTA F40PH-3Cs rebuilt at the former GE Plant in Erie. Their completion marks a new era for the plant.

[tom-and-mom]

With the announced closure of MPI in Boise in 2019, projects traditionally being worked on there are now being sent to the former GE plant in Erie.

[tom-and-mom]

The EMD F40PH is a 3000 horsepower 4-axle passenger locomotive based off the GP40 freight locomotive. Amtrak was the very first operator of the F40PH. Amtrak began operations on May 1st, 1971, and purchased several EMD F and E units as well as some ALCO FAs from several freight railroads for use in long distance service. An old fleet of steam-heated passenger cars were also being used as well. Amtrak used the F and E units and ALCO FAs in long distance service until the railroad purchased 150 SDP40F locomotives from EMD. However, the SDP40Fs were suffering hundreds of derailments on Amtrak, so the railroad replaced them with 25 GE P30CH locomotives built by General Electric. Just like the SDP40Fs, the P30CHs also received a lot of bad derailments as well, so Amtrak then purchased the EMD F40PH to replace them. The F40PH is based off the EMD GP40 freight locomotive, as it has a 3000 horsepower EMD 645 prime mover. The F means Full Width Body, the 40 means model 40, the P means Passenger, and H means equipped with head end power. Amtrak traded in 40 of their bad SDP40Fs back to EMD in exchange for F40PHs. The F40s received an SDP40F prime mover and some components from that unit as well. 210 locomotives would be delivered to Amtrak, while Amtrak had 6 additional F40PHs purchased from Toronto’s GO Transit. As a result, Amtrak would have 216 F40PHs. But in the 1990s, Amtrak received new GE Genesis locomotives to replace the F40PHs with three units being preserved. 231 went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada, 281 went to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California, and 307 went to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. Other operators have received F40s as well, with New Jersey Transit using an F40PH equipped with a Caterpillar head end power generator designated as the F40PH-2CAT, along with South Florida’s Tri-Rail using the F40PHL-2 rebuilt from former Conrail GP40 freight locomotives by Morrison Knudsen in 1988, followed by MBTA using an F40PH equipped with a Cummins HEP generator and designated as F40PH-3C. VIA Rail Canada has a Canadian version as well, designated as the F40PH-2D. Chicago’s Metra has a streamlined version designated as the F40PHM-2. The Canadian American Railroad and the Panama Canal Railway also purchased some former Amtrak F40s for freight service as well. The F40M-2F is an F40 used in freight service on the CDAC, with a new cab, and having its HEP generator removed for freight use. Is this the full story of the EMD F40PH, Stephan Koenig?

[tom-and-mom]

Stephan Koenig, what’s that picture of at 0:20?

[jacobschwartz]

Not F40PH related, but the first CRRC-built Red Line train is entering service tomorrow 12/30.

[mr.f]

Dude! Epic! Can Not Wait To Run This Beast!!! F40 All The Way! This Video is a Grand Slam ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️

[F-RULES]

1074 sounds badass with its original horn cleaned out!

[tom-and-mom]

0:30 GE Unveils New MPI GO Transit and MBTA Locomotives in Erie, Pennsylvania, After the MPI Closure in Boise, Idaho, In 2019.

[nhbrail]

1057 had a stack fire a couple days lmao

[tom-and-mom]

Stephan Koenig, why did GE rebuild MBTA's F40s?

[superbaddy]

1074's horn sounds so... automated. Even though it sounds as if it was unrestricted, it feels so fake, as it was just a speaker playing a horn sound...

[mbtaghost]

1074 is almost ready 1057 should be nexts

[galaxyrailfanning]

Great video! Keep up the awesome content!

[F-RULES]

Any idea what 1057 sounds like now compared to the past? Just curious since you caught it testing.

[TrainfanProduction]

is 1065 finished or is that one still being worked on as well as 1060