Amtrak Debuts ‘Pepsi Can’ P42 Livery

An artist rendering of the Phase III Dash 8 heritage livery.

Amtrak debuted its sixth and final locomotive that celebrates the carrier’s 50^th anniversary.

P42DC No. 160 has the modified Phase III livery that was applied in 1991 to P32-8BWH locomotives and dubbed by some railfans as the “Pepsi Can” scheme because of its resemblance to the design of the beverage can at the time.

The 160 made its initial trip on the point of the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington and has since pulled Eastern corridor trains out of Washington.

The “Pepsi Can” look was unique to the P32 units, which saw a lot of service in Midwest Corridors. All of those units have since been repainted into Phase IV and Phase V liveries.

Amtrak’s P32s today are primarly used for trailing unit and switching duties. They are seldom seen leading trains.

Earlier this year Amtrak applied its 50^th anniversary herald to P42 No. 46, which otherwise retains its Phase V blue and silver livery.

Other P42 units given 50^th anniversary treatments include the 161, which wears a Phase I livery and the 108, which is adorned with a modified version of the Phase VI livery.

Another 50^th anniversary unit is P42 No. 100, which wears a one-off “Midnight Blue” livery of a predominately dark blue carbody with red and white stripes as well as the 50^th anniversary herald and slogan.

That unit was described by Amtrak as a tribute to its employees who work its overnight long distance trains.

Amtrak has said the Phase VI livery is a transitional look being applied to eight Siemens ALC-42 Chargers the carrier will take delivery of through 2024. Deliveries are expected to be at a pace of two locomotives per month.

The first of the new Chargers, No. 300, is currently undergoing testing and has yet to be released for duty in revenue service.

The difference between the liveries on the 300 versus the 108 is that the latter lacks the red chevron stripe at the back of the carbody of the 300.

Amtrak has said having the blue on the carbody of the Phase VI livery end at a red chevron is meant to harken back to the similar mark that was part of the Phase I livery.

The second ALC-42, No. 301, wears a one-off “Day One” livery that replicates a scheme applied to one Penn Central E8A used in first day ceremonies on May 1, 1971.

The “Day One” E8A continued in revenue service in that look for several months before being repainted into the then-standard Phase I “pointless arrow” scheme that is replicated on P42 No. 161.

Still to come is the Phase VIII livery that most of the ALC-42 locomotives will wear. In time the ALC-42 will become Amtrak’s standard motive power in the national network, replacing the P42s.

Still plying the rails are a handful of Amtrak heritage units repainted in 2011 for Amtrak’s 40^th anniversary. These include units in Phase II, Phase III and Phase IV schemes.

My Collection of 50th Anniversary Units Has Begun

Model trains, railroad collectibles, print photos, slides, slides, movies and video tapes all take up space in rooms, on walls, and in closets.

With the digital age a flash drive has no issues with taking up space.

I’m happy with digital images and I, like several others, have completed my collection of Norfolk Southern heritage units, Amtrak 40th Anniversary heritage units, and half of Union Pacific heritage units.

The new kids on the block are Amtrak’s 50^th anniversary units. I how have No. 108, the Phase VI unit; and No. 100, the Midnight Blue unit.

Recently in order to photograph any of the 50^th anniversary locomotives on train 48 close to home it train needs to be running at least an hour behind schedule.

Here are two occasions when that worked out. In the top image, No. 108 leads the eastbound Lake Shore Limited through Perry at 7:37 a.m. on July 29.

In the bottom image, No. 100 is on the point as No. 48 cruises past the former New York Central passenger station in Painesville on Sept. 10 at 7:53 a.m.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Catching Up with Amtrak’s New Livery

I bagged the Amtrak Phase VI unit on Thursday morning – one of them anyway).  I woke up hoping to get another shot at the Midnight Blue Amtrak 50th Anniversary engine – P42DC No. 100 – but realized he was on time and I would have to drive pretty far east to catch him. 

However another 50th Anniversary unit – P42DC No. 108 – was leading No. 49, the westbound Lake Shore Limited, and it was running almost three hours late. 

This one I decided to try for and I ended up catching him on the Sandusky Bay bridge and causeway at Danbury.

Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon