Video by Chris Guss
Metra heritage unit No. 211 sits at the platform in Aurora on Tuesday after arriving from downtown Chicago.
Chris Guss
CHICAGO — Metra’s newest heritage locomotive, F40PHM-2 No. 211, made its debut Tuesday on BNSF’s Chicago Subdivison when it led a PTC test train from downtown Chicago to Aurora, Ill.. The three-car train included F40PHM-2 No. 197 trailing No. 211. It departed just before 10 a.m. from downtown, arriving a little after 11 a.m. in Aurora before returning east.
The locomotive’s design resembles a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy paint scheme used on the road’s E units. While the logo and striping on the side of the locomotive is largely from Metra’s current livery, the nose includes features found on early CB&Q passenger locomotives, including the Burlington Route logo.
This locomotive is the third Metra locomotive to honor fallen-flag railroads that operated commuter service in Chicago. The first two are MP36PH-3S No. 405, painted for the Milwaukee Road, and No. 425, painted for the Rock Island.
Revenue service began Tuesday night for No. 211 between Chicago and Aurora and the unit will continue doing shakedown runs with a second locomotive as protection power for the next few weeks before being released solo.
All that money on rebuilds and they still can’t get them out of Run8 when not necessary.
Just because it looks like a kitbashed model doesn’t mean that I won’t ride one of the coaches it’s pulling. Give Metra an “A” in effort for at least giving it a go.
People who complain about heritage engines not being “perfect” representations of the originals slay me. How about the railroads do what would be most economical? Just paint’em black, put safety striping on the front, a little vinyl logo on the side and numbers, and let them go make money. Stop whining.
The painted imitation grilles on either side of the headlight are an interesting detail, harking all the way back to the Pioneer Zephyr. I believe this could be termed a skeuomorph, defined in Wikipedia as “a derivative object that retains nonfunctional ornamental design cues…from structures that were inherent to the original.”
For the CB&Q purists out there, this engine is simply a representation, not a reproduction.
Brett Reid,
You need to calm down and relax before giving yourself a heart attack, take a step back and look up what Heritage actually means…then you might understand how correct everyone is.
STOP calling these things “heritage” these things weren’t born yet when these old flags were running real Locomotives. Theres plenty of real Heritage diesels that meet up in Steamtown, want a real Heritage Locomotive? Use the real deal!! A Heritage run uses real stuff, Cars, Harleys, Boats, Planes etc. Only the “railroad” paints an ugly “new” locomotive and calls it “heritage”, STOP!!!! This and the mp36 that supposed to be a Rock Island locomotive, Its pathetic. Like lipstick on a pig!!
Compared to all the other Heritage freight and passenger locos out there, this is an aesthetic failure.
That being said, the more I hear the word “Burlington” the happier I am, as also is my cat Burlington. For those not fortunate enuff to spend their lives trackside on Burlington Street, LaGrange Illinois, along the Chicago Division (as I do), to this day many METRA cars are labelled “BURLINGTON” on the headboard.
Like it, thanks metra bnsf rr!
Is a C&NW heritage unit next on the agenda? And I wonder if Metra would even extend the program to Wabash, GM&O/Alton, and Soo. (Not that Soo ever operated a true suburban service on the present North Central line.)