CROTON-ON-HARMON, N.Y. — The Metro-North Railroad has released the second in its series of heritage locomotives celebrating the railroad’s 40th anniversary and honoring its predecessors, this time with a scheme worn by Conrail FL9 units between 1976 and 1982. Conrail granted Metro-North permission to apply its name, logo, and colors to the unit in March.
The locomotive, P32AC-DM No. 201, was wrapped at Metro-North’s North White Plains shops and revealed Friday at Metro-North’s Harmon Shops. It joins P32AC-DM No. 208, unveiled in May in a wrap of the original silver, blue, and red Metro-North scheme dating to 1983 [see “News photos: Metro-North introduces heritage unit …,” Trains News Wire, May 16, 2023].
Metro-North has previously indicated up to five locomotives could receive such heritage wraps.
“There is no better way to evoke Metro-North’s roots than to bring back some of the classic colors of our predecessor railroads,” Metro-North Railroad President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a press release. “We are proud of our history and looking forward to debuting the other Heritage Series-wrapped locomotives later this year.”
The unit is scheduled to make its operating debut on the Hudson Line on Monday, Aug. 14, departing the Croton-Harmon station at 7:31 a.m., and arriving at Grand Central Terminal at 8:26 a.m.
— Updated at 10:05 p.m. CDT with additional details.
While the paint scheme is nice, it makes an ugly locomotive look even worse.
Nice job. – I am a former Conrailer.
Monument to failure.
Nice to see a new “proper” Conrail heritage unit. Instantly identifiable for anyone familiar with CR’s ex-New haven FL9 fleet. Kudo’s, Metro-North!
Except for this: I’m not entirely sure that Conrail is an ancestor of Metro North. New York Central, yes. Penn Central (ugh), yes. Conrail, I don’t think so.
The Feds made it clear to the states that there would be no Railpax type of bailout for commuter trains. Hence on ConRail Fools Day, 1976, they assumed operation of what commuter trains still existed on their new railroad but with the understanding that eventually they would become wards of the state. Most would survive under new agencies like Metro North and NJ Transit, others did not; bye-bye Valpo dummy.
Stanley Crane was the one that was able to get Congress to pass the Northeast Rail Service Act in 1981 to relieve Conrail of its commuter responsibilities. It was only after this change and a voluntary pay cut accepted by employees that Conrail finally got solidly into the black. And there were blue and yellow Conrail FL9’s painted in this paint scheme. Here is a photo link from 1978: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/2478633754
Metro-North took over Conrail’s commuter operations on former NYC and NH routes in 1983 after the passage of the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 (NERSA). It wasn’t until this change and the shedding of 11,000 commuter-related employees that Conrail became solidly profitable.
I should know, I worked at Harmon Shop as a Conrail employee from 1981 to 82.
Metro-North was created by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on January 1, 1983, to operate commuter lines north of New York City after Conrail was directed to exit the passenger business after the end of 1982.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
The P32AC-DM (GENESIS Series II, short for “Passenger, 3,200 hp (2,400 kW), Alternating Current, Dual Mode”) was developed for both Amtrak and Metro-North. They can operate on power generated either by the on-board diesel prime mover or power collected from a third rail electrification system at 750 volts direct current; the third-rail shoes are used on the over-running third-rail into Penn Station for Amtrak units and the under-running third-rail into Grand Central Terminal for Metro-North.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Wonderful job nicely done by the loyal and talented Metro-North.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Beautiful job Metro North. Conrail was always my favorite railroad.