F40PH

[TerryC]

When did Metra purchase their F40PH's? How many did Metra buy?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=81020
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=76800
Ps. I do not mean the F40PHM-2's and a google search yielded no information.

[metraRI]

The first F40's for Metra (RTA) were built in 1977. 28 were bought, 100-127.

[MikeF]

The locomotives shown in the two pictures are not F40PH's. They are the identical-looking F40PH-2's, which were built in four orders, delivered as follows: 128-149 in 1979-1980, 150-173 in 1983, 174-180 in 1988-1989 and 181-184 in 1989.

Only 174-184 were delivered as Metra locomotives -- the earlier units were delivered to the RTA in pre-Metra days wearing the paint scheme shown in the first picture you listed above.

[TerryC]

Thank you metraRI & MikeF.

http://trainiaxindex.cjb.net/ (out of order (10/27/04)
keep asking, keep learning

[Kangaroo of 72]

You know, I used to HATE the RTA paint scheme when it was current, but seeing these photos has made me all nostalgic for the '70s!

[bones]

The RTA scheme was much better than the Metra (F40) scheme. I'm not talking about the new scheme on the 400's, that's just fine. The blue and orange scheme on the F40's is god awfull. Who came up with that a five year old? Blue and orange together? That makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm not saying the RTA scheme was great, but it was better than blue and orange. Notice how the RTA scheme was close to the Rock Island scheme of the 70's? Back then the Rock was responsible for heavy maintainence of the F40's, and I'll bet the RTA scheme and the P5's were a Rock Island influence. DOn't know that for a fact, but it's a theory.

[Kangaroo of 72]

Blue and orange together? That makes me sick to my stomach.

Yeah, U of I is pretty tacky that way, too.

The RTA scheme was much better than the Metra (F40) scheme.

My kid agrees with you, btw. I guess I wasn't very objective -- I guess I just didn't like the RTA colors because they represented the demise of the CNW. So, basically, anything other than yellow & green with a slanted Saturn-looking logo would have been bad in my biased view.

Like I said, seeing these pictures from the late '70s & early '80s has made me all nostalgic for RTA, the Blues Brothers, and Jane Byrne, ha!

[F40CFan]

I wasn't real keen on the RTA scheme either, but it definately is better than the Metra carrot top.

I'm partial to the original F40C livery, with all the side panels intact. What Metra did to them when they repainted them is vandalism in my mind.

[AmtrakFan]

You know, I used to HATE the RTA paint scheme when it was current, but seeing these photos has made me all nostalgic for the '70s!

I hate the Metra Paint especially the new MP36's but I like the RTA unit better.

AmtrakFan

[trempeleau]

I ran F40,s for metra. 26 years. they were the best and still were until Metra bought the new Junk. they will not learn

[metra 613]

i like the f40cs to in the older paint i wish irm got 613 or 614 so there can paint in back in the blue and white and put the nortran on . Be cool to do that since pace has a Nortran bus in the old blue and white is number 460 then ween my dad takes it to irm i can get a pic of it next to the f40c

[byte]

I actually like the regular Metra orange-and-blue paint. I was a little dissapointed when they said the MP36s were going to get a new paint scheme. Seems to me, though, that the reason the current paint scheme (on the F40s) is what it is probably has to do with high visibility. Whether people like it or not, bright blue and orange (with the striped front) isn't really a combination of colors that wil easily blend in with their surroundings.

[F40CFan]

"Whether people like it or not, bright blue and orange (with the striped front) isn't really a combination of colors that wil easily blend in with their surroundings."

While that's true, I doubt if it is as much of a consideration as it used to be. Now the locomotives and cab cars have so many gyrating and oscillating lights on the front, they look like a UFO comming at you. You can't even tell what color they are due to all the lights.

[Kangaroo of 72]

Now the locomotives and cab cars have so many gyrating and oscillating lights on the front, they look like a UFO comming at you

Well, I for one like that! It used to be difficult to ascertain distance. When you were standing on a platform, the approaching light could be anywhere from a half mile to several miles away. Now, the ditch lights make it very easy to tell when a train is close, and they also make it clear that what you're seeing is a loco/cab & not a car's headlight, or a porch light, or anything else.

[F40CFan]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it I just stated that the color scheme isn't as much a factor as it was in making the train visible.