WELCOME TO 4RR.COM - 2025 TRAIN ASSIGNMENTS FOR SURVIVING AMTRAK P42'S

What is a P42 and where are they? Stay tuned. That is what our site is about. If you are using a smaller device, using your reader or voice speaker app may help with our site. The site is set up for computers and tablets, less so for phones. This entire page is a hyperlink to our contents page, as are all of our photos. Current train assignments are also updated frequently.

Amtrak had 146 working P42 locomotives on December 1, 2024, and 148 as of December 31, 2024 (up two). At the first of December 80 of them in revenue service, while at the end of 2024 it was 83. About half of those are currently on the northeast corridor and its feeder commuter routes. Another 20 or so are usually on turns from the day before. The latest non-NEC train assignments for those are found on our site (click anywhere on this page to go there). General Electric produced 44 P40 and 207 P42 diesels for Amtrak. Most p40's were scrapped. Sixty or so P42's are now retired as well along with the P40's. The list of retired P42's on Dave's page is also linked here (just click anywhere).

In October, #9700 appeared (previously P42 #184) now converted to a cab car and shipped back to Rensselaer. It is now designated as a P42C. Will surviving Genesis-cabbed units eventually be converted to cab cars? What do you think?

General Electric's passenger locomotives at Amtrak (originally known as AMD-103's and later "Genesis") are currently being supplemented with Euro designed engines from the German firm Siemens Mobility. That Florin, California-assembled-product is designated as ALC-42, commonly known as a "long distance Charger." They have trickled east from California on train 6, usually two at a time.

Most prolific year of production of P42's at Erie was 1997 with 74 units in a full year of production. The next largest volume year was close behind with 72 in 2001. By the build stickers, there were 46 units produced in the short 1996 year (August-December), and 15 in the partial year of 2000. The total was 207 for Amtrak, not counting P32 dualmodes (which are Genesis-cabbed). From the class of 1996 there were 25 available remaining locomotives as of December 31 2024. From the class of 1997, 55 were available (no change). Thirteen still run from the 2000 group, and 55 also from 2001.

Implementation of ALC-42's into long distance corridors began in February 2022 on Empire Builder, trains 7/27 and 8/28. Seventy-five were initially ordered, with a later expansion of fifty more. So far there have been no regular overnight revenue runs of Chargers on Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, or Southwest Chief. Chargers on train 6 (California Zephyr) have only been new delivery units going east, but in December Charger #341 was touring the California Zephyr route for crew familiarization. Chargers may be expected on Zephry runs in January, 2025. None have yet run in revenue service in the northeast. Delivered road numbers for ALC-42's so far are 300-369. The total order, planned for completion by 2030, is assumed to reach at least to road number 424.

STATUS OF THE GENESIS PROJECT AMD-103

We are not associated with Amtrak or any other entity. But by observation, we note that by 2024 many units have been retired, and some others are shopped and/or on light duties. GE built 321 Genesis series locomotives (Amtrak monococque diesel, 103 mph), most of which went to Amtrak starting in 1993. Upgraded P42s accounted for 207 of them (road numbers 1-207). Six P40s left servicable as of December were 817 821 824 830 835 and 837. Of those P40 units earlier sold off by Amtrak, four have recently been privately rebuilt for Keewatin: 801=KRC 2506, #802=KRC 2507, 803=KRC 2508, and 839=KRC 839. Amtrak also rebuilt some for Connecticut DOT that now run on Metro North with CDTX marks.

As of January 2025 urviving P42 road numbers #85-132 are currently assigned to NEC east coast commuter routes. Originally #101-111 were northeast corridor units, but the number based in the east has significantly expanded. This is in keeping with what happened in 2001, when Amtrak retired its previous generation of diesels (the EMD F40) to the northeast just prior to scrapping them. While most eastern locomotives are from the 1997 subgroup, one is from 1996 (#46), one from 2001 (#145), and #121-132 are from 2000. Rarely a northeastern engine will go to Florida, and even more unusual, toNew Orleans on the Crescent. The farthest west they are typically seen is Chicago on Lake Shore turns.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMTRAK GENESIS SERIES

The 1980's "Genesis project" (AMD-103) P40 series for Amtrak produced 1993 deliveries of 44 units, road-numbered 800-843. Amtrak eventually sold off most of those for scrap but 15 were rebuilt again in 2011 for Auto Train. As mentioned, several were rebuilt so far for Connecticut DOT (by Amtrak Beech Grove shop) and lately the Keewatin Railway (by LTE). Much of the technology employed in the building of the locomotives had its heritage in the development of the Edward G. Budd Company of Red Lion and Philadelphia, PA. Budd pioneered stainless steel rail car building, and indeed most of the cars Amtrak still uses today (Amfleet) were built by Budd before much of the company was acquired by Thyssen in 1978. Rail car building continued until 1987, when most of the remaining assets went to Bombardier.Thyssen merged with Krupp, another German steel making firm, and Amtrak collaborated with Thyssen/Krupp in the development of the "Genesis Project." Bombardier's rail division itself was acquired by Alstom in 2020. Very little rail car or locomotive building remained under North American ownership at that point, with European firms completing the takeover of the industry.

P42 PAINT JOBS - GENERATION ONE - 1993-1996

Genesis P40/P42 series locomotives have had four styling generations. Only one unit (#82) has worn all four. As-delivered in 1996-1997, Amtrak's road numbers 1-100 (and #112-120 for Coast Starlight) were painted in 1G platinum mist, and carried traditional bicentennial striping. There was a minor striping change from the P40's, but otherwise the 1993-inspired livery carried over. New York's dualmodes have recently been converted back to a variation of 1G (with modified trap-door noses for narrow-clearance New York City tunnels). Engine #145 still carries a variation of 1G bicentennial striping as a 50 year anniversary repaint.

GENERATION TWO

In 1995, a second generation "northeastern" 2G variant appeared with modified stripes. It was originally just applied to a handful of New York dualmodes and dedicated northeast corridor P42's (#101-111). After 1997 the 2G scheme briefly spread to a few other P40 and P42's that were being repainted after wrecks and paint refreshes. In particular, surviving P40's were redone that way, as well as P42's in road number 1-28 group. The only new P42's to arrive in 2G straight from GE were #101-111 in 1997, #121 and #122 in 2000. That handful of New York dualmodes also wore it. A 40th anniversary (of Amtrak's operational debut in 1971) heritage unit retro-painted 2G was #182, now having lost its 2G paint at the latest major shopping. For the 50th anniversary, #164 received G2 treatment, and still wears it as of January 2025. A change in Amtrak management and budget cuts killed the repainting program, as did the revised 3G scheme that started appearing in 2001.

GENERATION THREE

A third change took place when more new engines began arriving in 2000. This was 3G (millennium) and applied to road numbers 123-135 in 2000 and 136-168 in 2001. In 2001, minor mods took place at road number #169, when small Amtrak side logos disappeared, and a blue skirt band was narrowed. Originally delivered that way were road numbers 169-207. No post-2000 unit ever wore 1G or 2G except for 121/122 and as applied to a handful of commemorative 40 or 50 year anniversary special heritage units. It should be noted that the "pepsi-can" scheme now on heritage engine #160 was never actually employed on any other Genesis-cabbed GE locomotive (that livery was employed only on a handful of 1991-vintage converted freight platforms now used mostly as terminal yard switchers by Amtrak).

Amtrak has also employed some stickers, banners, and wraps over the years. 3G became the new fleet standard until 2024. All active P42's were in common 3G narrow skirt band livery between 2006 and 2024. Starting in January 2024, yet another new livery was introduced o overhauled P42's, evidently inspired by 2022-era long distance Chargers.

GENERATION FOUR

In January 2024 a new 4th generation scheme was introduced on engine #174. It more or less matches what has been appearing on the new 2022-vintage Siemens long-distance Chargers. Amtrak generally rereshes paint at its Beech Grove, Indiana shop, averaging one unit per month. An even dozen showed up in new 4G refreshed scheme in 2024: #69, #75, #79, #82, #87, #125, #138, #167, #174, #176, #187, and #196. In a surprise, #9700 (former #184) was released as a cab car and painted again into 4G. It is our understanding that #9700 still carries most of its innards for weight (previous F40 cab conversions used concrete to compensate for removal of power plants). It's apparent assignment will be Rensselaer, New York for use on Ethan Allen, or perhaps on Downeaster. The October 24 release of #176 and #196 was the first time in a while that two repainted units had come out of Beech Grove together.

Along with the new 3G paint, a new corporate logo was also first introduced in 2000. As noted, there were initially additional smaller logos on the skirt flanks that were later removed. Beginning around 2006, often-smashed steel noses were also replaced with bolt-on versions. It took over a decade to replace them all. So there have been some variations in how cab-fronts look. The "three-sheets" 2020 logo has been carried over to the new 2024 G4 paint scheme.

Three major variants of numberboards have also occurred over the years, and there have been many non-standard ones. Check out our contents page to see photos and train assignments for surviving P42's.

We do tend to emphasize the locations and status of the 1996-built units, which may be the most likely to disappear first. We also like the new 4G units. Contents Page./p>

Amtrak's diesel motive power strength is not where it was in 2001. At that time there were about 275 road diesels available. Today it is about half that number and losses keep happening, most commonly due to truck vs. train incidents at road crossings.

Thanks for looking and we hope you enjoy the info, which is for private non-commercial use only.

January 13, 2025. Update by 4rr.com - feedback "at" 4rr.com