A heritage unit or commemorative locomotive is a railroad locomotive painted in an honorary paint scheme; usually the paint scheme is that of a now-defunct railroad that merged with or was acquired by the locomotive's owner.
Among North American railroads
editHeritage units are popular among North American railroads. As of 2023, all major Class I railroads have official heritage units, except for BNSF Railway.[a][1][2]
The Union Pacific Railroad painted six EMD SD70ACes in stylized paint schemes of six of its predecessors between 2005 and 2006.[3] The Norfolk Southern Railway did the same in 2012 with 20 of its locomotives for its 30th Railroad Anniversary.[4] 10 of them are EMD SD70ACes, while the others are GE ES44AC units. For its 40th anniversary in 2011, Amtrak painted four GE P42DCs, a P40DC, and an EMD F40PH converted to an NPCU into its older paint schemes. Several more were painted for its 50th anniversary in 2021.[5]
In 2019, the Canadian Pacific Railway, now Canadian Pacific Kansas City, painted nine EMD SD70ACU units in a maroon and gray paint scheme with a different font style. In late 2020, the Canadian National Railway revealed five new heritage units after they had been first spotted a month earlier. These included four GE ET44ACs and one EMD SD70M-2. They were painted in honour of the 25th anniversary of CN's initial public offering.[6][7] Beginning in 2023, CSX revealed its first of many heritage units, ES44AH 1827 with a Baltimore & Ohio paint scheme.[8]
List of heritage units
editBelow is a list of heritage units in active service by various railroads.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Although BNSF released several commemorative celebrating their 25th Anniversary, which featured logos of predecessor railroads, these are not considered as heritage units. BNSF also has several units in older “Warbonnet", “Bluebonnet”, "Cascade Green", and "Grinstein" paint schemes, but these are generally also not considered heritage units.
- ^ 161 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ 160 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ 46 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ 108 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ 100 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ Out of service as of June 2021
- ^ 301 has 50th Anniversary markings
- ^ 7011 wrecked in a derailment on April 15th, 2023.
- ^ 9017 has been reacquired by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (then known as Canadian Pacific) following the 2020 CMQ acquisition
- ^ Wrecked in 2021, repaired and returned to service in 2023)[21]
References
edit- ^ "CN heritage locomotives sighted, but company won't comment". Trains. 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Canadian National Puts New Heritage Units into Service". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. 17 November 2020.
- ^ Our Heritage
- ^ "Norfolk Southern's Heritage Locomotives". Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
- ^ Adapting the Heritage Paint Schemes
- ^ "CN heritage locomotives sighted, but company won't comment". Trains. 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Canadian National Puts New Heritage Units into Service". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore & Ohio heritage locomotive is the first of many to come, CSX confirms". Trains. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2021/11/12/193000065/mengenal-lokomotif-ka-livery-vintage-jadul-akan-menyapa-lintas-jakarta [bare URL]
- ^ a b Franz, Justin (16 September 2019). "Canadian Pacific releases two SD70ACU heritage locomotives". Trains. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Repaint for record-breaker as EMR marks end of HSTs Rail issue 926 10 March 2021 page 30
- ^ "News photo: MBTA's 'Cranberry' locomotive". Trains. 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ^ Guss, Chris (August 18, 2020). "Metra unveils C&NW heritage locomotive".
- ^ "Metra unveils Burlington-themed heritage unit".
- ^ "Metra unveils State of Illinois-themed heritage unit".
- ^ "Metra unveils Milwaukee Road-themed heritage unit".
- ^ "Metra unveils Rock Island-themed heritage unit" (Press release).
- ^ "News photos: Metra unveils first SD70MACH (Updated)". 19 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "NJ Transit reveals heritage locomotives". Trains News Wire. October 5, 2019.
- ^ Franz, Justin (2022-10-14). "NJ Transit Paints GP40PH-2 into DOT 'Bluebird' Scheme". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- ^ "Train derails in Baldwin; East Carson, River Road closed as clean-up commences". 12 December 2021.