F59PHI’s

If they're as broke as we hear, why are things being painted at all unless they're in need of a paint job? This is taxpayer money and the cost to paint a few engines could pay a person's salary for a year.

F59PHIs have started to be seen on the UP lines within the past week. Would be a nice change of pace to get different power on those lines and also begin retiring some of the older locos operating on other lines.

Yep. New power has been added on other lines, yet the UP and BNSF haven't seen any increases that I've noticed.

Are the units waiting for PTC(I-ETMS) and cab signal installs?

F59PHI #90 is officially the Metra C&NW heritage unit. In my opinion, I think they could have done better. Or they could have used an F40 for the livery...

Here is the official statement from Metra and more photos of the unit.

It's pretty darn close to what I'd have expected on a F40, what else did you expect? Silver trucks?

A 400 series number would have been a nice touch.

I originally made this sketch (on my phone) about a year ago for Metra to do a CNW heritage unit for since before the F59PHIs were assigned to UP West (probably because of this locomotive), the F40 was basically the only locomotive which served the UP (ex-CNW) Lines.

Back in 2018 this topic came up either here or elsewhere... this is what I thought might work for the lines immediately prior to RTA taking over service on the diesel lines. IC is missing intentionally... What Metra actually came up with looks a lot better.

eolesen wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 2:07 am Back in 2018 this topic came up either here or elsewhere... this is what I thought might work for the lines immediately prior to RTA taking over service on the diesel lines. IC is missing intentionally... What Metra actually came up with looks a lot better.

Now that you posted that, I wonder why Metra never made a BN or an NW heritage unit yet. They were able to do so for RTA, which was formed a while after the other railroads which Metra now has heritage units for.

Since MILW is long gone, is there a case that UP, who does have a service mark on Armour Yellow, Harbormist gray, and red striping, might demand royalties from a MILW 2 scheme? After all, CMStP&P painted their entire passenger fleet in overland route colors after becoming the Omaha to Chicago leg.

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 12:06 pm

eolesen wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 2:07 am Back in 2018 this topic came up either here or elsewhere... this is what I thought might work for the lines immediately prior to RTA taking over service on the diesel lines. IC is missing intentionally... What Metra actually came up with looks a lot better.

Now that you posted that, I wonder why Metra never made a BN or an NW heritage unit yet. They were able to do so for RTA, which was formed a while after the other railroads which Metra now has heritage units for.

There is a BN heritage unit. Metra went even farther back and had F40PHM-3 211 painted in CB&Q colors. Metra also had to get permission from today's BNSF to use the Burlington Route logo on the nose of the loco.

Given the present relationship between the UP and Metra, I'm a bit surprised they agreed to allow the CNW logo to be used. They couldn't really argue the colors since UP didn't even use the right shades of yellow & green on UP1995...

Also given the number of UP painted lease units still roaming about in yellow/grey/red, I don't know that they could seriously challenge the color use. Metra isn't in the business of freight railroading, and UP isn't in the passenger business, so it might not be worth pursuing. As much as I'd love to see a F40PH show up in yellow, it's probably not going to happen now that the Hiawatha unit was done. But if they do a BN themed unit (rumored) in addition to the CB&Q, perhaps I can hold out hope.

The RTA unit is long gone. That was always planned to be temporary and applied as a wrap for the anniversary vs. paint.

Rumor has it that the CNW unit will make its public debut tomorrow on the UP-NW, leaving 1000 for Crystal Lake on a nonrevenue run.

Caught out in the wild....

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Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:24 pm F59PHI #90 is officially the Metra C&NW heritage unit. In my opinion, I think they could have done better. Or they could have used an F40 for the livery...

I see where you are coming from and I get the criticism, as it looks a little "off" here.

I think there are two issues here: (1) the green eyebrow, which is probably there so all that oily exhaust in push-mode doesn't spoil the yellow; (2) overall the wedge-shape F59 does not have the same proportions as the E8 so it would take a lot of time from a commercial artist to make the scheme fit. Instead they probably told someone at M119 to make it work by Monday. This is a problem that many heritage units have - the modern wide cab does not have the same proportions as an E3/7/8. Many of the original streamliner looks were designed by Harley Earl to fit the exact engine being sold, so they don't sit right on the modern power.