By Railfan & Railroad Staff

CHICAGO — Metra has a long history with some of the biggest six-axle commuter locomotives ever run — from classic Burlington Northern E9s to iconic Milwaukee Road F40Cs — and this month a new class is arriving, the SD70MACH.

This week, Metra released images of locomotive 500 being delivered to the commuter railroad. The SD70MACH is wearing a heritage scheme based on the Regional Transportation Authority image of the 1970s. In January 2019, Metra’s board of directors approved the purchase of 15 like-new, remanufactured SD70MACH locomotives for passenger service, with the option to acquire an additional 27. According to the commuter agency, the locomotives will begin arriving once per month starting in November. 

The SD70MACHs will join Metra’s already interesting fleet of EMD F40s in commuter service in and around Chicago.