Nose of a SDP40F locomotive, 1970s.
Color slide showing the nose of a SDP40F locomotive; image likely dates to the 1970s.
- Film Slide Details
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- Date Archived:
- May 31, 2016
- Geography:
- National
- Decade:
- 1970s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
The SDP40F locomotive shown here wears the Amtrak Phase I paint scheme introduced in 1972 - locomotives painted in this scheme are known for their red noses. The first locomotive built expressly for Amtrak, the SDP40F was a six axle diesel-electric unit that sported a 3,000 horsepower engine. It was manufactured in 1973 and 1974 by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division.
Since many passenger rail cars were still heated via steam, the SDP40F included two steam generators and a water tank. Within a decade, most of these locomotives were replaced with F40PH models that could operate more easily with the new and refurbished fleet of all-electric passenger cars.
Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection (Marketing Library).
