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We as railfans, preservationists, museums have asked ourselves how
could some magnificient locomotives or railroad equipment slip away
without preserving at least one, or more for future generations to
recognize as a piece of American history.
Take New York Central's Hudson on the 20th Century Limited, or the Alco
PA that a lot of railroads had for an example, immediately after
retirement none were preserved in the U.S. Luckily four PA's went to
Mexico, two of which eventually came back to the U.S. for a chance to
be preserved as they should've been.
With these experiences in mind, there's quite a preservation effort in
full-swing across the U.S., from bringing dead steam locomotives in the
park back to life, to officially ear-marking locomotives still in
active service, such as the DRGW #5371, to be destined for a museum.
There are also some who believe certain locomotive preservation isn't
currently necessary or worthy, which is the category the F40PHR and
SDP40F falls squarely in! Ironically, the New York Central Hudson and
Alco PA were once in that category until it became irreversable by the
scrapper's torch. Preserving the 231 and 644 is just an example of
staying a step ahead to ensure future generations can see a piece of
American history, especially with the 644 being the last of its kind
still intact as-is.
A couple years after Amtrak formed in 1971, the National Passenger Rail
Corporation's first large locomotive order was 150 SDP40Fs to replace
the aging E and F locomotives inherited by the bankrupt private
passenger rail network.
Eventually, they were traded back to EMD for the production of F40PHR
locomotives, and a handful were sold to the Santa Fe Railroad.
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Amtrak F40PHR 231 on Train 754,
Portland Oregon
Shortly after Amtrak began receiving the SDP40Fs, another locomotive
order was placed for P30CHs, also known as "pooches" to supplement with
the shorter routes that didn't quite need the large fuel and water
capacities. Unfortunately, none were preserved, and every year there's
always postings on various message boards that "one should've been
saved."
To replace most of the SDP40Fs, a shorter, more economical design was
developed in 1976 as the F40PH that ultimately carried Amtrak into the
next century. They could be found on virtually every Amtrak train that
was out there from the 70s thru to the late 90s, lasting into 2001.
A few dozen F40s were built as new, while the rest were designated with
"PHR" indicating they were built with not-so-old engine parts from the
SDP40F's that were traded in. |
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Fundraising for the preservation of 231 is complete, and the locomotive
is now officially owned by the Friends of SP 4449. This preservation
effort wouldn't have been possible without the hundreds of supporters,
many of whom donated funds towards paying off the loan that was used
for purchasing 231 from Amtrak just days before it was to be scrapped.
The F40PHR 231 continues to reside at Brooklyn Yard, with the temporary
paint job,
and mechanical work ongoing. The prime mover and all the
components are in place, and after a few tests on the drive shaft and
electrical components we found some issues with the turbo.
231 sports a Daylight red and orange paint scheme, chosen to be the
temporary paint used for controlling the rust issues that plagued the
locomotive. It will eventually be repainted back into Amtrak colors as
intended for preservation. |
Out and about on the Portland & Western Railroad, SDP40F 644 is
working hard on freight trains between Linnton, Banks, Beaverton,
Wilsonville, Salem, and Albany, Oregon.
The locomotive was purchased, then donated to the Northwest Rail Museum
for preservation by a group effort made up of railfans and those
involved with the preservation societies. We thank the BNSF
for
recognizing the historic significance of this unit, and willing to work
with us on its preservation.
The revenue currently generated by 644 is already
being used in the rehabilitation and repair of the fleet of existing
rail cars within the Northwest Rail Museum organization, which are
often used by the steam locomotive groups and others.
Long term plans include restoring 644's original nose configuration,
and repainting it into as-delivered "Pointless Arrow" Amtrak paint
scheme. |
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