BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has released its heritage locomotive honoring the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. It is the second in a planned series of three locomotives honoring predecessor operators of commuter rail service in the MBTA service area.
The orange, black, and white locomotive — displaying the New Haven “McGinnis” scheme introduced in 1955 — made its first revenue runs on Thursday, Feb. 5.
The locomotive is a recently overhauled F40PH-3C, part of the group of 37 that first entered service between 1987 and 1991. The overhauled units have been upgraded to include remote monitoring and diagnostics, forward-facing and in-cab cameras, and modern brake and control systems.
New Haven routes form the bulk of the MBTA’s Southside lines. The MBTA purchased former New Haven infrastructure and rolling stock in 1973, including the Providence/Stoughton Line, Fairmont Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line, and the Old Colony Lines (Kingston, Greenbush, Fall River, and New Bedford).
A locomotive honoring the Boston & Maine entered service in September [see “News photos: MBTA introduces …,” Trains.com, Sept. 9, 2025]. Still to come is a New York Central locomotive, which the MBTA says will be in service “in the coming weeks.”
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That would be an interesting series for perhaps Trains Classic? A compendium of major fallen flags to include lines abandoned, those still in use, AND the corporate history. I’m willing to bet the Rock Island would be fascinating, as well as companies like Pinsley.
Very sharp indeed. The lawyer in me wonders if MBTA had to clear this first with CSX & NS who may hold the rights to these predecessor paint schemes.
Indeed I think part of the reason for the Heritage painted locos (UP and NS) is so the design continues to be used and the owners can continue to enforce their rights.
Interesting comments, Steven. You may be correct that CSX is a successor company to NYNH&H. I’m no lawyer but I’ve always wondered who gets what (what asset and what liability) when a company splits. The New Haven is split into so many parts and pieces they can’t be counted. Could be that some things just get lost in the wash, like rights to a livery or logo of a railroad that last ran in 1968 and has one remaining fan still alive (me).
MetroNorth has a P32 in classic hunter green and gold
Forgot about that.
Seeing the photo makes me happy. The New Haven Railroad lives on in my memory. That said, same comment as Metro North, CTrain, and Shore Line East —- why not the pre-McGinnis liveries? I’m not old enough to remember them, only from photos. They’re gorgeous.
Mr. Landey, I concur.