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Examples of Metra F40PH, IHB SD38-2, GTW GP9R and ex-Conrail SD40-2s.

IT IS MAY 3rd, 2002, and Metra F40PH No. METX 103 (named Village of New Lenox) pulls into the old Rock Island depot at Vermont Street, Blue Island, Illinois, with a train from Chicago La Salle Street (Metra’s Rock Island District line). This locomotive was one of the first of a brand new fleet of F40PHs to be ordered by the Chicago Regional Transport Authority in 1976-77 to replace the battered old E-units then in use, and followed a small fleet of F40C locos purchased for the ex-Milwaukee commuter lines in 1974.

Just three years after the Conrail break-up, where the once proud ‘Big Blue’ was hacked apart and split between CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern, the once key CR main line through the Appalachians was still home to unbroken sets of power still wearing the paint scheme of their former owner. This scene, recorded on April 24th, 2002, shows a four-unit SD40-2 helper set approaching Cresson, formed of Norfolk Southern-patched PRR 3334, PRR 3341, PRR 3364 & PRR 3333.

Looking like a cut ‘n’ shut job of a GP38-2 and a GP9, that’s pretty much exactly what Grand Trunk Western GP9R No. GTW 4630 is! Rebuilt from GP9 No. 4933 with a completely new cab and nose and a much modified underframe, the odd-looking machine sits at Canadian National’s (ex-GTW) Flat Rock Yard, Michigan, on April 28th, 2002.

The blistering heat is evident in the heat haze enveloping the familiar water tower backdrop at Franklin Park, Illinois, as Indiana Harbor Belt SD38-2 No. IHB 3862 nears Canadian Pacific’s Bensenville Yard with a transfer freight from Norpaul Yard on May 23rd, 2006. This locomotive was rebuilt from Burlington Northern SD40-2 No. BN 6330.