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Home > Archives > P-32-8 locomotive No. 501 in the snow, 1990s.

P-32-8 locomotive No. 501 in the snow, 1990s.

Black and white photograph showing P-32-8 locomotive No. 501 in the snow; image dates to the early 1990s.

P-32-8 locomotive No. 501 in the snow, 1990s.

Twenty P-32-8 locomotives were built for Amtrak by General Electric at its Erie, Pa., plant and entered revenue service in 1991. Based on a freight locomotive modified for passenger use, the diesel-electric P-32-8 has 3200 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 100 mph.

When Amtrak first received the units, many were used on national system trains. Some were later employed in terminal switching after the new, more powerful GE-built Genesis Series locomotives began to enter revenue service in the mid-1990s.

The Amtrak Office of Engineering Equipment Design came up with the unique paint scheme - using the traditional Amtrak colors of red, white and blue - due to the locomotive's angular design. The movement of the lines, which have varying widths, also helped impart a sense of speed.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Blair Slaughter Collection.