Metra as we know it wouldn’t exist without the railroads that first made Chicago the rail center of the country. To honor the legacy of these storied railroads, Metra created a locomotive painting program that brings a glimpse of the past to tracks across Chicagoland.
Through its heritage locomotive program, Metra is reproducing the color schemes of its predecessors on its locomotive fleet. So far, five locomotives have received special paint jobs.
The element of surprise has been a cornerstone of the program since its inception. Most of the locomotives received a new paintjob at Metra’s KYD facility as part of the final stages of our in-house locomotive rehabilitation, but only a handful of Metra employees know which ones will receive heritage colors, and which railroads or events they’ll honor. Because the paintjob is part of the regular rehab, the special ones don’t cost any extra money. But the payoff is huge.
Locomotive 425, an MP36PH-3S, was the first to receive a vintage livery. Making its debut in December 2017, it was painted red and yellow to honor the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad as well as outgoing CEO Don Orseno, who started his railroad career there in 1974.
In January 2019, Locomotive 405, an MP36PH-3S, emerged in the orange, maroon and black of the Chicago Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (also known as the Milwaukee Road). The locomotive also features a Hiawatha decal. The powerful figure represents the golden age of passenger travel and was the icon of the Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha routes.
Locomotive 211, an F40PHM-2, the third in the series, was unveiled in October 2019. Metra partnered with BNSF Railway to create a design that honored the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad’s stainless-steel E-series passenger locomotives that ushered in the diesel era. Progress Rail’s Patterson, Georgia, team executed the design.
The fourth installment in the series honors the Illinois Legislature’s 2019 passage of the state’s first capital program in more than a decade, which will provide Metra with more than $1.4 billion over the next five years to make capital improvements. The State of Illinois Locomotive 402, an MP36PH-3S, debuted in April 2020.
Metra’s latest heritage locomotive pays tribute to the Chicago & North Western Railroad, the forerunner of routes operated for Metra today by Union Pacific Railroad. The green and yellow paint scheme adorning the F59PHI locomotive made its first public appearance at KYD in August and is slated to begin serving passengers in September.