AMERICAN national passenger rail company Amtrak has now replaced most of its 1990s vintage General Electric (GE) built‘Genesis’P42 diesel locos used for the major long-distance trains across the USA with new Siemens-built type ALC-42‘Charger’locos.
The GE P42 locos remain in widespread use hauling regional services south of Washington DC, but this will change in the next year or two. Two smaller classes of‘Genesis’ loco will also eventually be replaced by the new locos.
Amtrak ordered 75 ALC-42 locomotives in 2018, and subsequently in June 2022 increased the number on order to 125. The ALC-42 loco has a Cummins QSK95 4200HP (3100kW) engine and is capable of 125mph/200km/h operation. An 8300-litre diesel fuel tank is fitted to each loco to give them extended range as refuelling is normally only possible at scheduled preplanned