CHICAGO — While the locomotive is so new that Amtrak doesn’t even have the keys yet, the passenger railroad showed off the first of its new long-distance Siemens Chargers on Tuesday at Chicago Union Station as part of a media event on upcoming improvements to long-distance service.
The first of the ALC42 locomotives is still two or three months from entering service. After taking delivery, it will be sent to Wilmington, Del., where it will test on Amtrak-owned tracks, then enter service on the long-distance trains that operate to and from Washington, D.C. — the Crescent, Capitol Limited, and Cardinal.
The locomotive wears what Amtrak is calling a “transitional” paint scheme that will be featured only on eight locomotives, with the blue on the carbody ending at a red chevron meant to harken back to the similar mark that was part of the “Phase One” paint scheme. (P42 locomotive No. 161, wearing the 50th anniversary version of that scheme, was also on display at Union Station’s Track 2.)
The new 4,200-hp locomotive features a number of upgrades from the 4,400-hp SC44 Chargers used in Amtrak’s state-supported services. Devon Parsons, senior manager of equipment engineering, says it features upgrades and newer technology for of a number of systems. “We’ve really been in close collaboration with Siemens; they’ve been great partners,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of upgrades to the platform that Amtrak’s kind of pioneered with them.”
A revised front end features framed windows and a removable nose “to reduce our shop out-of-service from strike damage.” It features a 2,200-gallon fuel tank rather than the 1,800-gallon tank of the SC44s
Amtrak and Siemens have tweaked the locomotive’s computer program to address one reported problem. “We have seen some wheel-slip issues, and really, that’s in the algorithm of the A.C. traction,” Parsons says. “So we did make those changes with Siemens, sort of across the board.”
Amtrak will be taking delivery of the initial 75-unit order for the locomotives through 2024, with Parsons saying deliveries are expected at the rate of roughly two per month. Up next will be locomotive No. 301, which will wear the predominantly black, one-off “Day One” scheme featured on a single locomotive when Amtrak was launched in 1971.
A very unsafe engine that many engineers fear. If there are no crossings ( N.E. corridor) then that may be ok. But is mostly glass with the engineer closer to ground level or should I say crash level. I mean look at it. It is European style and again that works in Europe no crossing. WhT will happen when this his a fully loaded cement truck or a log carrier??? The engineer is in danger of losing his life . Only thing between him and the collision is glass. Did they even take this into consideration?
It’s about time, the P42s, like the F40s before them, have been pushed far beyond their designed service lives. I don’t know if Amtrak will attempt to rebuild some of its P42 fleet into Tier 4 diesels or simply replace them as more ALC42s are delivered.
Well there more p42 than the 80 alc42 they order so unless they planning to use one locomotive on long distance trains, state support services will probably end up with rebuild p42 and p32ac-dm
Looks sharp!!
tasteful scheme. will see how long it lasts in service.
The paint scheme does look nice and at least it looks a tad better then the ugly smaller SC-44s that run the state-owned trains, wonder how well it will look on the Phase 6 50th Anniversary P42 when that comes out. The classic P42s will be missed when they start getting replaced sadly.
I still miss the F40PH’s
Mike Lustig
MIKE – You miss the F40PH? That’s the American way – someone has to root for the team that loses.
Did the P30CH have any fans? Doubt it. Although the “Pooch” was Amtrak’s first all-HEP fleet if I recall correctly and the first GE. Noisy ugly beast, soon consigned to the dustbin of history.
Amtrak should keep this livery. It looks sharp.
pretty fancy paint scheme
I like this paint scheme. I saw #300 pass through Galesburg Monday on Virtual Railfan