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Why would a magazine called Railfan & Railroad focus on transit? Your image of the “railroad,” I wager, is something rather dramatic and maybe a little aggressive. Perhaps it’s a multi-track main line with deep ballast and welded rail, carrying long, heavy freight trains from coast to coast. Or maybe it’s an obscure branch line lost in the tall grass, served by a vintage diesel pulling one or two cars to serve a customer barely hanging on. Perhaps your mental image is something out of the past, like a beautiful streamlined steam locomotive running at full clip, with a dozen matching smooth-side passenger cars on the headpin.

Transit, though? Is that even real railroading?

Within the world of transit, the distinctions between different modes are often debated. Is the Kansas City Streetcar really a streetcar, or has it become more of a light rail line in the wake of its recent extensions? Is New Mexico’s Rail Runner commuter rail, intercity rail, or somehow both? And what about Buffalo’s Metro Rail, which uses light rail-style vehicles but runs underground for half its route? Is it light rail or is it a subway?

At times, these arguments can feel like little more than hair-splitting. Yet of all the debates surrounding transit, the least productive may be whether transit should be considered railroading at all.

First, consider the numbers. According to Amtrak, ridership reached 34.5 million in 2025. Impressive as that may sound, it pales beside the combined ridership of commuter rail, heavy rail rapid transit, light rail, and other rail-based public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association, more than three billion passenger trips were made on rail transit last year. Put bluntly, the average American’s first experience riding a railroad is probably not aboard an intercity train. It is on transit.

Let’s also consider some geography. The vast majority of commuter rail lines actively share tracks with freight and intercity passenger railroads, whether that is one of the numerous agencies operating over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor or something as small as California’s 22-mile-long Sprinter service that operates over a BNSF Railway branch line between Oceanside and Escondido. We can say the same thing about the numerous Metra services radiating out of Chicago or the Sounder system in Seattle, and both, I might add, operate with crews who are in the employ of the freight railways they travel over. Much of transit, then, is a direct part of the national rail network, operating over the same lines, with the same rules, and sometimes even the same personnel.

Then there are the many light rail and heavy rail services. Several of these operate over rights-of-way that were originally used by conventional railways or electric interurbans, from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Agency (with many former Pacific Electric routes) to Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s South Shore Line, which is a direct descendant of the vaunted Chicago, South Shore & South Bend interurban. Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority can likewise draw an unbroken line to the city’s original streetcar transit systems, as can San Francisco’s Muni.

The reality is this — the various modes of rail transit have far more in common than they do separating them, and the same is true when comparing transit with main line railroading. For most Americans, the first train they ride will be operated by a transit agency, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. These systems are part of daily life for millions of people, shaping how they travel, work, and experience their communities. That alone makes them more than worthy of our attention and appreciation.

—Alexander Benjamin Craghead is a transportation historian, photographer, artist, and author.

The post Does Transit Count as ‘Railroading’? appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

by Gordon Lloyd, Jr./photos as noted

The 1970s were a dark time for the passenger train. Following years of decline and divestment, passenger railroading on the continent — both short- and long-haul — was at a low point. Freight railroads wanted out of the obligation to run passenger trains, and national, state, and local governments often had to step in to pick up the pieces to maintain service. Unfortunately for them, the equipment supporting those services was often outdated and in poor condition. Aging steam-era passenger cars hauled by worn-out first-generation diesels were the rule rather than the exception.

It was against that backdrop that a new locomotive hit the rails, one which would ultimately become the face of passenger railroading during the late 20th century and into the 21st — the F40PH. Between 1975 and 2007, EMD and its licensees built more than 500 F40PHs for long-haul operators like Amtrak and VIA Rail, as well as commuter rail agencies coast to coast. Simply put, the F40PH would become one of the most successful locomotive designs of all time, helping propel passenger railroading into a new, optimistic era.

The F40PH was not the first locomotive to carry an “F40” designation. In 1974, EMD built 15 F40C locomotives for Chicago-area commuter service on Milwaukee Road lines later operated by Metra. Unlike the four-axle F40PH, the F40C was a six-axle, cowl-bodied locomotive derived from the SDP40F/SD40-2 family, rated at 3,200 hp, and equipped for head-end power. Built for heavy commuter trains, the F40C remained unique to Chicago with the last examples retired from regular service in 2004 (though briefly revived in 2009 and 2012 before permanent retirement).

ABOVE: GO Transit 511 is at Mimico, Ont., on February 10, 1990. GO Transit acquired six General Motors Diesel Division-built F40PH locomotives in 1978. Numbered 510–515, they were the first F40PHs built in Canada and remained in service until 1990, when they were sold to Amtrak. —Peter Jobe, LTL

GP40s in Passenger Service
As soon as the first passenger car was coupled to a locomotive, there was both a desire and a need to provide power to the train itself for heating, cooling, lighting, and other onboard amenities. An early solution for heat was to use steam directly from the locomotive. Later, steam-powered generators or axle generators were installed on passenger cars to charge batteries for lighting and other needs. When diesel locomotives replaced steam locomotives in the 20th century, some had boilers to allow for the continued use of steam heat. In the mid-20th century, railroads like Chicago & North Western began to experiment with “head-end power,” or HEP, using generators on locomotives driven by a shaft extending from the air compressor (itself shaft-driven by the prime mover). Generators, housed in a boxy enclosure on the long hood, provided low-voltage 32-volt d.c. power for lighting and 240 volts for air conditioning.

In the late 1960s, Toronto’s commuter carrier, GO Transit, opted for an HEP-equipped version of the GP40, distinguished by its SD40-sized frame. The increased length was used to accommodate a GM 12V-149 engine, which drove a 500-kW alternator. The apparatus was housed in a boxy extension of the long hood. These GP40TC units were the first new-build HEP-equipped locomotives.

ABOVE: A trio of Amtrak F40PHR locomotives leads Train 5, the westbound California Zephyr, through Byers Canyon, Colo., on Denver & Rio Grande Western in July 1989. The “R” designation means these units were built from parts traded in to EMD from Amtrak’s short-lived SDP40 fleet which was plagued with problems in the 1970s. —James House

Other railroads also opted to purchase GP40s for passenger service, including Central Railroad of New Jersey (which purchased 13 GP40Ps in 1968) and Southern Pacific (which purchased three GP40P-2s in 1974). Interestingly, because of the old equipment they were being matched with, CNJ and SP’s versions were delivered with steam generators.

While all the units had unique visual differences due to the service they were in (extended long hoods), the front end looked like any other low-nose GP40 running in freight service. It wouldn’t be the last time the GP40 was adapted for passenger service. In the decades to come, commuter operators like Metro-North, New Jersey Transit, MARC, Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority would all use variations of the GP40 for passenger service. That model would also be the basis for the locomotive that would come to define passenger railroading during the last quarter of the 20th century.

ABOVE: ABOVE: Regional Transportation Authority 100 is seen at Blue Island, Ill., on November 12, 1977. This would be the first of 115 F40 locomotives owned by RTA/Metra, making up the second-largest fleet. —Arthur H. Peterson, LTL

Amtrak Looks for New Power
When Amtrak cobbled together a national network on May 1, 1971, it predominantly received equipment the freight railroads no longer wanted. While some railroads, such as Great Northern, had invested in passenger equipment in the 1960s (like new EMD SDP40s), they weren’t about to give up a still-new locomotive to Amtrak, especially when it could easily be placed in the regular freight pool. Instead, Amtrak was left with what the Class Is didn’t want, mostly tired old F- and E-units.

Looking to modernize its fleet, Amtrak contracted with General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division for a new locomotive model. The SDP40F, created from established SD40-2 engineering and performance data, formed the basis for Amtrak’s first new locomotive purchase, and deliveries began in June 1973. The SDP40F utilized a 16-645E3 engine for 3,000-tractive hp, Dash-2 control system, HTC trucks, six D77 traction motors, and a 57:20 gear ratio; the engine, main alternator, auxiliaries, and steam generator were housed under an attractive FP45-like cowl hood.

ABOVE: Altamont Commuter Express F40PH-3C 3103 pushes a commuter train on Altamont Pass in California on March 8, 2012. The train originated in San Jose and is heading for Stockton. —Steve Barry

Problems began to emerge with the locomotives, however, most notably a series of derailments. The incidents often occurred when traveling between 40 and 60 mph through 2-degree curves. Typically, it was the first car (the baggage car) that ended up off the rails. After nearly a dozen incidents, speed restrictions were established for the locomotives on certain curves, and Burlington Northern even attempted to ban them from its routes. Exactly why the derailments occurred was never determined, but the issue was enough to make Amtrak reconsider how it wanted to build its roster. Its next locomotive order was a fleet of HEP-equipped P30CH locomotives from General Electric. It continued to work with EMD on a new locomotive design, though, specifically for routes that used its newly acquired Amfleet cars.

The result was the 3,000-hp F40PH, essentially a GP40 with a cowl carbody and with plenty of room for HEP. Following the path of the F40C, the F40PH employed a main-engine-driven alternator connected via a gearbox. The alternator was a Delco product, with 500kw, 480v a.c. nominal output. The geartrain increased the alternator RPM to 1800. Two takeaways from this type of application are a loss of traction horsepower when the head-end power alternator was producing power for the trailing train, and the need for the prime mover to operate at its highest throttle setting to produce electricity, even when stationary…

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by Tim Doherty/photos by the author except as noted

The missed romantic connections of two Bostonians along the Blue Line in the 1998 film “Next Stop Wonderland” make an apt comparison to the one Boston subway line still seeking its own connections with others. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Blue Line leaves downtown Boston, travels beneath Boston Harbor, emerges in East Boston, passes Revere Beach, and ends at Wonderland. Assembled in the first half of the 20th century from former streetcar lines and the route of the nation’s busiest narrow gauge steam railroad, it is one of four rapid transit lines operated by MBTA.

Built from five original islands in Boston Harbor, East Boston became part of Boston in 1836. Maverick Square was named for Samuel Maverick, its first resident, who grazed cattle on one of the islands. East Boston remained largely rural until the 1830s, when a land development company acquired the property, laid out streets, and sold lots. Because East Boston has no land connection to downtown Boston, residents had to cross the harbor. The first ferry service began in 1835 with two boats, East Boston and Maverick. As development spread, new land filled the gaps between the islands, while horse-drawn streetcars connected residents with ferry slips for the trip into the city.

ABOVE: The three-foot gauge Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn was the only Boston-area railroad to electrify its main line. Always frugal, the railroad motorized its existing coaches for electric service, such as this train at Orient Height. Abandoned in 1940, the Blue Line uses the old right-of-way from Wood Island to Wonderland.  —Roy W. Bruce photo, Otto M. Vondrak collection

Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn
One of the more unusual public transportation systems serving Boston was the 13-mile, three-foot-gauge Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn. Promoted and built as a land development scheme, the railroad tapped the city of Lynn’s desire for a competing route to Boston and opened large sections of Revere land acquired by developers. Built to three-foot gauge for economy, it became known to generations of passengers simply as the “Narrow Gauge.” Using its own ferry boats between East Boston and downtown Boston, the railroad opened in 1875 with service through to Lynn. Its route survives today as the outer segment of the Blue Line.

Ferries from East Boston crossed the harbor to Rowes Wharf, where passengers landed on Atlantic Avenue and, after 1901, could connect with the Atlantic Avenue elevated. From the East Boston ferry slip at the base of Jeffries Point, the railroad passed through a two-bore tunnel, then crossed tidal flats on a series of trestles to Orient Heights. Those flats were later filled to build Logan Airport. The railroad served six stations in Revere, including four along Revere Beach, before crossing the Saugus River into Lynn. Its traffic included businesses and residential neighborhoods, along with the hotels, amusement parks, and beaches of Revere. In 1884, the Narrow Gauge leased two storm-damaged lines in Winthrop and created a loop connecting with the main line at Orient Heights.

ABOVE: Members of the Suffolk University softball team board the Blue Line at Airport Station on September 12, 2025. They are traveling from their practice fields in East Boston to the university’s downtown Boston campus. —Tim Doherty

Narrow gauge service opened the 4.5-mile sandy expanse of Revere Beach to day-trippers from Boston and surrounding communities. As publicly accessible beaches disappeared elsewhere, civic leaders persuaded the state’s Metropolitan Parks Commission to take responsibility for Revere Beach. Bathhouses, restaurants, and private shacks that blocked views of the water were removed, and the railroad, originally built along the edge of the beach, was relocated 400 yards inland in 1895–96 to the present Blue Line alignment. Revere Beach reopened in July 1896 to a crowd of 45,000 and claims the title of the oldest public beach in the United States.

Operating with the intensity of a rapid transit line, Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn was likely the busiest narrow gauge railroad in the country. Although the line needed investment to handle its heavy traffic, management was reluctant to spend until an ownership change in 1927.

Boston’s only large-scale commuter rail electrification project began in 1928, when the Narrow Gauge was converted to overhead wire. In keeping with the railroad’s frugal nature, the existing passenger cars were rebuilt as electric multiple units rather than replaced with new equipment.

ABOVE: A Bowdoin-bound Blue Line train approaches Wood Island Station in East Boston on December 31, 2025. The line’s 94 No. 5 East Boston cars were built by Siemens and delivered between 2007 and 2009. —Tim Doherty

The timing could hardly have been worse. The Great Depression began at the end of 1929, and the commuter and beach traffic the Narrow Gauge depended on fell sharply. In 1934, the Sumner Tunnel opened, providing the first automobile route under Boston Harbor. The railroad struggled through the 1930s, hoping a public takeover by Boston Elevated Railway — whose streetcars paralleled much of the route — might save it. The Narrow Gauge finally gave up in January 1940.

After abandonment, much of the railroad quickly disappeared. Ironically, three former passenger cars survive today on the narrow gauge East Broad Top. Built in 1882 by Laconia Car Company, East Broad Top coach 8 and combines 14 and 15 were purchased from Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn in 1916. The wooden cars remained in regular use on East Broad Top until their replacement by new steel cars in 2022…

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