| The distinctive GP40TC road
switchers were purchased a number of years ago from GO
Transit in Toronto. They are extended GP40 carbodies
which are mounted on a longer frame, supposedly from an
SD40. The extra length, at the rear of the unit, houses
an extra power plant that generates head-end power (HEP)
for the passenger cars. This would enable GP40TCs to
serve as road units on passenger trains, and they have
occasionally been used for this purpose, but their main
task is usually to move entire trainsets around from
station to yard to service facility, and the like. For
example, there is often a GP40TC sitting in Boston's
South Station, and it is used to bring in the assembled Lake
Shore Limited consist from the yard. Then the road
diesels couple to the other end of this consist, if not
there already, and depart with it. Vice versa, when a
train arrives, it pulls into the station
locomotives-first, and the GP40TC can then be used to
bring it back out to the yard. With the delivery of new P42DCs that number up to 207, the GP40TCs had to be renumbered from their original 190-series to the 520-series, which puts them in the same numbering category as most of Amtrak's switchers. They were also re-designated as GP40Ps. However, only a few of them see active service. I myself have seen 520, 522, and 525 recently, which I believe are the former 192, 194, and 197 respectively. Before the renumbering I used to frequently see the 194 performing the switching duties in Boston. |
| Click photos to enlarge | Description | Date | Location |
||
 |
GP40TC #194 sits in Boston's South Station, waiting for its next assignment. |
7/23/00 | Boston, MA | ||
 |
Amtrak no. 522, designated a GP40P, waits for duty at South Station. |
11/20/01 | Boston, MA | ||
 |
A side view of the 525, showing the extra length at the rear for the HEP generator. Also note the pair of small fans on the roof at the rear and the louvers on the side doors. |
4/01/02 | Boston, MA |
