page_title: EMD F40PH
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: EMD F40PH / History
caption_attribution_description: GO Transit F40PH 510 on CN's Kingston Sub in the area around Scarborough Golf Club Road.
context_page_description: The EMD F40PH is a four-axle 3,000–3,200 hp B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in several variants from 1975 to 1992. Intended for use on Amtrak's short-haul passenger routes, it became the backbone of Amtrak's diesel fleet after the failure of the EMD SDP40F. The F40PH also found widespread use on commuter railroads in the United States and with Via Rail Canada. Additional F40PH variants were manufactured by Morrison-Knudsen and MotivePower Industries between 1988 and 1998, mostly rebuilt from older locomotives.
  Amtrak retired its fleet of F40PHs in the mid-1990s in favor of the GE Genesis, but the locomotive remains the mainstay of Via Rail's long-distance trains and an image of the locomotive hauling the Canadian was featured on the frontier series of the Canadian $10 bill. The F40PHs are still a common sight on many other commuter railroads throughout the United States, and a semi-rare sight on freight railroads. In addition, Amtrak has kept a number of de-engined F40PHs in use as cab cars.
context_section_description: Amtrak ordered its first 30 F40PHs on May 8, 1975; the first of the new locomotives entered service on April 9 the following year. Amtrak intended the locomotives for short routes such as the San Diegan in California and Northeast Corridor services in the then non-electrified portion between New Haven, Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts. The long-distance routes were protected by the then-new EMD SDP40F, described by J. David Ingles in late 1975 as the "stars of Amtrak's long-distance trains". Two events led to a major change in thinking within Amtrak. The first was a sharp decline in the mechanical reliability of the EMD SDP40F, including several derailments. The second was the unusually harsh winter of 1976–1977, which sidelined many of Amtrak's aging steam-heated coaches. Amtrak suspended numerous routes and pressed the new HEP-equipped Amfleet I coaches, designed for short runs, into service. The F40PH, with its built-in HEP generator, was the natural choice to haul these trains.
  As problems with the EMD SDP40F mounted, Amtrak adopted the F40PH as its long-term solution nationwide for diesel service. In the spring of 1977 Amtrak traded 40 SDP40Fs back to EMD; components including the prime mover were installed into an F40PH's frame. The 40 rebuilt locomotives were designated F40PHR and were identical to new-build F40PHs, incorporating the larger fuel tank and more powerful HEP generator which had become standard. Amtrak ultimately acquired 132 F40PHRs in this manner, which combined with new orders between 1975–1988, and the purchase of six GMD F40PHs from GO Transit in 1990, led to a fleet of 216 locomotives, the country's largest fleet.
  The first commuter rail operator to order F40PHs was Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), a forerunner to Metra, who ordered 74  between 1977–1983. Metra ordered 41 more between 1988–1992. Other agencies who bought the F40PH included the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) (18), Caltrain (20), GO Transit (6), New Jersey Transit (17), and Via Rail Canada (59). Finally, the rail construction firm Speno ordered four. In total EMD built 449 locomotives, including the F40PHR trade-ins.
  The F40PH performed well for Amtrak; at the start of the 1990s only four had been retired and the locomotive was at the center of Amtrak's advertising. Trains magazine estimated that on average, each F40PH traveled as many as 175,000 miles (282,000 km) a year. Amtrak began replacing the F40PH with the GE Dash 8-32BWH in 1991, the GE P40DC in 1993 and the GE P42DC in 1996. Most were retired by 2000 and their last regular assignment was on the Maple Leaf in December 2001.
  The F40PH has continued to serve Via Rail into the 21st century; between 2007–2012 Via refurbished its entire fleet for CAD $100 million. The rebuild program included separate HEP generators, overhauled engines, a 3rd headlight addition, cab reconditioning, additional safety horns at the front, and repainting into the newer VIA scheme. A rebuilt locomotive, No. 6403, pulling the Canadian through the Rocky Mountains, was included on the back of the redesigned Canadian ten-dollar note in 2013 (the actual 6403 was later renumbered to 6459). As of 2018, VIA has 53 such locomotives in service. These locomotives are now supplemented by GE P42DC locomotives delivered in 2001.
  Three ex-Amtrak F40PHs have been preserved: No. 231 is owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation in Boulder City, Nevada, No. 281 is at the California State Railroad Museum, and No. 307  is at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
caption: GO Transit F40PH 510 on the CN Kingston Subdivision in March 1981
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