By Railfan & Railroad Staff

WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s newest locomotives are getting a new look. On Wednesday, the passenger railroad revealed what the first five ALC-42 Siemens Charger locomotives being built for long-distance service will look like. The railroad also announced that a sixth locomotive will wear a special livery to mark its 50th anniversary in 2021. That scheme has not yet be revealed.  

Amtrak has ordered 75 Charger locomotives for long-distance service and the first ones are expected to arrive late this year or early next year. Earlier this year, Amtrak tested some SC-44 Chargers currently used on its Midwest services on the Empire Builder, Coast Starlight and California Zephyr routes.

The ALC-42 locomotives will serve as the  “new face of Amtrak,” officials say. The first five will be blue with red and white highlights. Officials say that only five locomotives will appear in this scheme and “a final livery will be unveiled later as part of a fleet-wide plan.”

The new locomotives will feature a 4,400 horsepower, 16-cylinder engine and will be capable of 125 miles per hour, although most long-distance trains usually top out at 70 miles per hour. The entire fleet is expected to be in service by 2024 and will replace the older P40 and P42 locomotives on all the long-distance routes. 

A look at the new ALC-42 locomotives. Courtesy of Amtrak.