Chicago Trainspotting METRA: The Last F40C Locomotives.

Sorry for my hiatus during the month of May. I'm back with more Chicago trains!

A luck would have it,  my new climbing gym is right next to the METRA Western Yards giving me many opportunities for METRA spotting.   I previously shared pictures of METX 8, a 1968 SW1500, today I've got two more gems and more will be coming in the future

Without further ado, it is with a bit of melancholy that I present the only two remaining operable F40C locomotives in existence.

METX 614

METX 611

The design of these locomotives is derived from an SDP40F and all 15 were built in 1974, for the Milwaukee Road's portion of Chicago's RTA commuter service.  Upon formation of METRA they continued to operate on the same lines.   F40C's seemed free of the issues that led to the early retirement of AMTRAK's SDP40Fs and so they served in regular service for 30 years until the 2004s when 13 were taken offline and later scrapped.  As METRA explains on their website, these last two worked again periodically between 2009 and 2013 but are no longer reliable enough for service and their future is uncertain. 

Historically, these are additionally notable as EMD's last 6 axle diesel-electric passenger locomotives and the longest lasting of the breed.  GE built the P30CH until 1976, but those were all retired and scrapped by the early 90's.  

For a bit of perspective, here's what 30 years of separation looks like with METRA's oldest and youngest passenger loco types. Coincidentally, MP36PHs like the one below were originally ordered for the specific purpose of replacing the 13 F40Cs mentioned above.

If you cruise down Grand Ave east of Humbolt park you might be able to catch a glimpse of both!

Happy Trainspotting

-Karl