Amtrak has donated an AEM7 to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. Photos below are from the Baltimore Chapter NRHS and NOT MINE!
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That should be a nice addition. I hope there is somewhere good to display/store it. (I'm guessing somewhere outside in the yard/turntable area would be most likely.)
Thanks for sharing.
-Dave
They're smaller than I expected, dwarfed by Strasburg's SW!!
It's almost scary to see "modern" equipment going into museums.
Rusty
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
It's almost scary to see "modern" equipment going into museums.
Rusty
It was only a matter of time. I wonder if the museum will repaint it into Phase III as-delivered paint?
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
It's almost scary to see "modern" equipment going into museums.
Rusty
Aren't they 40 years old now?
yeah! this are one of the few Modern locos that deserves to be preserved. They worked tirelessly with minimal complaints for the four decades of service. I hope the RR Museum of PA gives the little might its original paint scheme back. This current scheme was uncalled for and is just BLAND!
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
It's almost scary to see "modern" equipment going into museums.
Rusty
Aren't they 40 years old now?
That's why I put modern in quotes. Doesn't seem like 40 years has passed since they hit the rails.
Rusty
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
It's almost scary to see "modern" equipment going into museums.
Rusty
Aren't they 40 years old now?
That's why I put modern in quotes. Doesn't seem like 40 years has passed since they hit the rails.
Rusty
Me neither, as I was the EMD Sales Engineer on the first Amtrak order.
Now would maybe be a good time to add an HHP-8 to the donation as well. I realize that these are very modern and were not in service long but they were interesting failures. I have always liked the GG1 / HHP-8 naming similarity. I am sure these would be interesting to younger people to see modern trains mixed into the museum collection.
These have recently also been pulled from service and now would be the time to grab one before they are gone.
As far as the toaster I hope it goes under cover quickly it would be a shame to have to restore it while it is in good in service shape now. I would leave it in its paint until it is time to repaint it. Save that effort for something else.
Some of the AEM7s are now approaching 40 years of service......I believe most have been re-built/updated.......but they, as a group, have been very successful, durable work-horses.
Peter
I guess we should be lucky that trains last as long as they do. In the automotive world, new models of cars come out every year. Amtrak waited 35 years before ordering new electrics, and in the early 90's the Genesis units to replace the F40PH's.
Originally Posted by Robert K:
I guess we should be lucky that trains last as long as they do. In the automotive world, new models of cars come out every year. Amtrak waited 35 years before ordering new electrics,
How do you figure THAT? Amtrak was begun in something like 1970 or 1971, and they quickly ordered new diesels for the Santa Fe route, i.e. the SDP40F units. Then in the mid 1970s, Amtrak started working on the order for the AEM7 units for the Northeast Corridor, and they were delivered before Amtrak was even 10 years old.
and in the early 90's the Genesis units to replace the F40PH's.
Interesting to see an Amtrak engine in a modern paint scheme going in to a museum.
I second the petition to acquire an HHP-8 for preservation.
Just thought that I’d let everyone know that the majority of AEM-7s still survive in Bear and Wilmington DE despite the rumors of all being scrapped. Followed by these units is the HHP-8s. All 15 of these units are in front of the Wilmington shop or next to them. They have been renumbered so that the follow the ACS-64 number sequence. If anyone wants to know how to get to the AEM7s, please feel free to post below.
May 1, 1971. Amtrak begins.
Hot Water posted:Originally Posted by Robert K:I guess we should be lucky that trains last as long as they do. In the automotive world, new models of cars come out every year. Amtrak waited 35 years before ordering new electrics,
How do you figure THAT? Amtrak was begun in something like 1970 or 1971, and they quickly ordered new diesels for the Santa Fe route, i.e. the SDP40F units. Then in the mid 1970s, Amtrak started working on the order for the AEM7 units for the Northeast Corridor, and they were delivered before Amtrak was even 10 years old.
and in the early 90's the Genesis units to replace the F40PH's.
I took Hot Water's statement as Amtrak waited 35 years to replace the AEM-7s.
You know your getting on in years when things like trains are retired in your lifetime.....LOL
Dan Padova posted:You know your getting on in years when things like trains are retired in your lifetime.....LOL
Especially if you remember when they were first acquired! 
Dan Padova posted:Hot Water posted:Originally Posted by Robert K:I guess we should be lucky that trains last as long as they do. In the automotive world, new models of cars come out every year. Amtrak waited 35 years before ordering new electrics,
How do you figure THAT? Amtrak was begun in something like 1970 or 1971, and they quickly ordered new diesels for the Santa Fe route, i.e. the SDP40F units. Then in the mid 1970s, Amtrak started working on the order for the AEM7 units for the Northeast Corridor, and they were delivered before Amtrak was even 10 years old.
and in the early 90's the Genesis units to replace the F40PH's.
I took Hot Water's statement as Amtrak waited 35 years to replace the AEM-7s.
You know your getting on in years when things like trains are retired in your lifetime.....LOL
Everytime I go to the EBT, the Rockhill Trolley Museum has a Siemens LRV on the lead track at the entrance to the museum, I scratch my head and say "am I THAT old that an LRV made it to a trolley museum?". 
Yup, you know it's getting old when "contemporary" equipment is being retired and you're still working. It used to be men 30 years and machine 50 years. Now it's the other way around.
Illinois Railway Museum is also getting (or already has) AEM-7 945.
Rusty
Farmer_Bill posted:Yup, you know it's getting old when "contemporary" equipment is being retired and you're still working. It used to be men 30 years and machine 50 years. Now it's the other way around.
True dat! My only concern would be that taking in "contemporary" equipment takes space and resources from classic or antique equipment that does belong in a museum.
It does make for a great contrast and certainly would be great in any museum presentation on the evolution of trains and how motive power has changed since the first US railroads of the 1800s.
And what's going to happen with the ACELA sets when they are replaced in a couple of years!
Rule292 posted:Farmer_Bill posted:Yup, you know it's getting old when "contemporary" equipment is being retired and you're still working. It used to be men 30 years and machine 50 years. Now it's the other way around.
True dat! My only concern would be that taking in "contemporary" equipment takes space and resources from classic or antique equipment that does belong in a museum.
It does make for a great contrast and certainly would be great in any museum presentation on the evolution of trains and how motive power has changed since the first US railroads of the 1800s.
Once upon a time, classic or antique equipment was contemporary.
Look at it this way: If you don't save "contemporary" equipment now, you might not get a chance to save it later.
Rusty
Amtrak may not have ordered the AEM if the E60 did not derail on the last test on the NEC. Seems Amtrak at first wanted big and heavy locomotives. All thtee had a tendency to derail on bad track, sharp curves, and/or light baggage cars behind them.
With the electric situation, Amtrak tested motors from Europe. I think the AEM was based on the Swedish R4c class.
We are somewhat smarter about preservation than in the previous decades. What is contemporary now will in short due time be historic. Thankfully these got donated before Amtraks ex Delta man Anderson could get a scrap weight value on them.
prrhorseshoecurve posted:And what's going to happen with the ACELA sets when they are replaced in a couple of years!
It was reported that the current ACELA sets would be placed into regional service. Who knows what the plan is with current Amtrak management though.
