The last F40C locomotive on the Metra roster has been donated to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvis, Ill. RRHMA, which is assembling an impressive fleet of diesel locomotives along with two Union Pacific steam engines, said it plans to restore the rare six-axle passenger unit to operation.
Metra 611 was spotted being moved around Chicago on March 18, and is now en route to Silvis.
“Metra has a deep appreciation for its history, and we are grateful they have chosen RRHMA to receive this unique locomotive,” said RRHMA President Steve Sandberg in a press release. “Our collection includes Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 261, along with several Milwaukee Road passenger cars, including a Skytop observation car, Super Dome, and sleeping car. Adding this locomotive — one that also once wore Milwaukee Road lettering — advances our mission of preserving significant artifacts of Midwest railroading.”
Last year, Meta’s other surviving F40C, No. 614, was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum.
Metra 611 was built in April 1974 as Milwaukee Road 54. The F40C design was unique to the North Suburban and North West Suburban Mass Transit Districts, which supported commuter service over the Milwaukee Road lines north and west of Chicago to Fox Lake and Elgin. The F40C is a six-axle, six-motor locomotive with a “cowl” design intended purely for passenger service. The locomotives’ sides were largely covered in stainless steel to match the Milwaukee Road’s bi-level commuter coaches. They were also equipped with head-end power (HEP) as built. Only 15 F40C locomotives were built, all in 1974 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors at the EMD plant in McCook, Illinois.
Metra 611 was used in daily service on the Milwaukee Road North and West lines until 2004, when it was removed from active service. It and identical F40C 614 were returned to service in 2009. In 2012, Metra permanently retired both units and put them into storage at Western Avenue.
RRHMA owns the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad shop complex in Silvis and plans to turn it into the largest historic railroad equipment restoration facility in the country. The non-profit is presently restoring UP 4-6-6-4 3985 and 2-10-2 5511.
