#emdfl9

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street).

In this first post, we see a northbound Metro North Hudson River commuter train just north of Peekskill, New York on the former New York Central. That's the Parkway Plaza in the background up on the hillside; the Hudson River is off to the right of the frame.

Number 2006 was built for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in September of 1957. While it most likely later wore an all black or blue and yellow scheme during the Penn Central years, it had been put back in it's original, fabulous New Haven scheme (designed by Herbert Matter) by the time of this photograph. Amtrak also used these units at this time, as you'll see in subsequent posts.

As mentioned above, this locomotive was bespoke for the New Haven due to all the underground running it was to do—it had a diesel prime mover but also a shoe to pick up electricity from the third rail (and it was able to over-run or under-run the rail, could do both). The whole idea was that the FL9 could use diesel out in the countryside but third rail while in the tunnels leading to and within Grand Central Terminal.

Lastly, something to add to this unit's charisma—the FL9 had a B-A1A wheel arrangement, fairly unusual. (Thanks to @alco-luvr for some information on this.)

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street). Please see the first of three posts for details of this unique design built by EMD.

In this third post we first have a going-away shot of a Metro North commuter train kicking up the fallen leaves at Manitou. One can see the Bear Mountain Bridge in the distance. Metro North always ran with the locomotives on the north end of their trains, pulling when northbound, and pushing when southbound.

The second image, of a New York bound Amtrak train, was taken from the top of Bear Mountain itself, on the west side of the Hudson River; Bear Mountain Bridge can be seen in the foreground. The train has just blown through Manitou, which is between Peekskill and Garrison.

While we're here, let me put in an image that actually came just prior to the first one above: that Metro North train approaching Manitou.

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street). Please see the previous post for details of this unique design built by EMD.

In this second post we see Amtrak 486 piloting a train southward through Peekskill, New York, on the former New York Central; in the going away shot we can see that we are forty miles north of Grand Central Terminal.

This particular unit was built for the New Haven as number 2013 in September of 1957. By the time of this photo, it had been rebuilt significantly (in 1980) by Morrison Knudsen of Boise, Idaho.

Recently Published

I have two images in the current is of the Passenger Train Journal, June 2025. These images were chosen for the passenger cars depicted: the sturdy Amfleet cars made by Budd.

We first see a southbound Shawnee at Leverett Junction on the Illinois Central Mainline. This shot was taken on the Bicentennial, July 4th 1976. This was when the F40PHs were brand spanking new; the coaches were pretty new as well—and they are still a mainstay for Amtrak, fifty years later. The second shot shows a northbound Maple Leaf at Bannerman Castle on the Hudson River near Cold Spring, July 1989. This is on the former New York Central's Water-Level Route of course. That's an FL9 on point of the train: a unique unit designed for access to Grand Central Terminal.

Garrison, New York

Here we see a northbound Metro North commuter train making its stop at Garrison, New York. This is on the Hudson Line, which was formerly of the New York Central and later Penn Central.

The locomotive is interesting in that this model was built specifically for the tunnel to, and the bowels of, Grand Central Terminal. The unit can run on diesel but also from the third-rail (to eliminate fumes). I believe the New Haven was the first owner, one of the three railroads which were folded into the Penn Central.

Through the Hudson Highlands

Here we see a New York City-bound train powering through a short tunnel and then rolling into the tiny village of Garrison, New York. The burg is located on the Hudson River directly across from West Point, in the Hudson Highlands.

The two locomotives, EMD FL9s, that are powering the train—pushing, in this case—are unique, built specifically for operation in the Park Avenue Tunnel and bowels of Grand Central Station. This line is formerly the New York Central, which was four tracks wide for much of this stretch down to The City.