SDP40F locomotive No. 503, 1970s.
Black and white photograph showing SDP40F locomotive No. 503; image dates to the 1970s.
- Photograph Details
-
- Date Archived:
- October 28, 2014
- Geography:
- National
- Decade:
- 1970s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
In this image, SDP40F locomotive No. 503 wears the Amtrak Phase I paint scheme introduced in 1972. 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.
A color image of No. 503 is also held in the Amtrak Archives.
Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.
