Heritage unit


A heritage unit or commemorative locomotive is a railroad locomotive painted in an honorary paint scheme; usually the paint scheme is that of a now-defunct railroad that merged with or was acquired by the locomotive's owner.

Among North American railroads

Heritage units are popular among North American railroads. As of 2023, most Class I railroads have official heritage units, the only exception being the BNSF Railway.
The Union Pacific Railroad painted six EMD SD70ACes in stylized paint schemes of six of its predecessors between 2005 and 2006. The Norfolk Southern Corporation did the same in 2012 with 20 of its locomotives for its 30th Railroad Anniversary. 10 of them are EMD SD70ACes, while the others are GE ES44AC units. For its 40th anniversary in 2011, Amtrak painted four GE P42DCs, a P40DC, and an NPCU, an F40PH converted to an NPCU into its older paint schemes. Several more were painted for its 50th anniversary in 2021.
In 2019, the Canadian Pacific Railway, now Canadian Pacific Kansas City, painted ten EMD SD70ACU units CP 7010-7019 in a maroon and gray paint scheme with a different font style. In late 2020, the Canadian National Railway revealed five new heritage units in addition to two sets of yard slugs, and CN 7601, and 601m painted in the Illinois Central deathstar scheme, after they had been first spotted a month earlier. These included four GE ET44ACs and one EMD SD70M-2. They were painted in honor of the 25th anniversary of CN's initial public offering. Beginning in 2023, CSX revealed its first of many heritage units, ES44AH 1827 with a Baltimore & Ohio paint scheme.

List of heritage units

Below is a list of heritage units in active service by various railroads.
RailroadRoad numberPaint schemeLocomotive model
Alaska Railroad4328F-Unit SchemeEMD SD70MAC
Amtrak---
Amtrak130Phase IIGE P42DC
Amtrak145Phase IIIGE P42DC
Amtrak160Dash 8 Phase III "Pepsi Can"GE P42DC
Amtrak164Phase IVGE P42DC
Amtrak90406 Phase IIIEMD NPCU
Amtrak301"Day 1" liverySiemens ALC-42
Ann Arbor 3879Ann ArborEMD GP38
Berkshire and Eastern7879G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
California Northern2403G&W "Whisker Stripes"KLW SE24B
Canadian National600Classic CN GreenEMD GY430A
Canadian National601Illinois CentralEMD GY430A
Canadian National3008Illinois CentralGE ET44AC
Canadian National3023Elgin, Joliet & EasternGE ET44AC
Canadian National3069Wisconsin CentralGE ET44AC
Canadian National3115BC RailGE ET44AC
Canadian National7600Classic CN GreenEMD GP40-3
Canadian National7601Illinois CentralEMD GP40-3
Canadian National8952Grand Trunk WesternEMD SD70M-2
Canadian Pacific Kansas City3084CP Tuscan red and grey EMD GP38-2
Canadian Pacific Kansas CityCP 7010,7012–7014CP Tuscan red and grey EMD SD70ACU
Canadian Pacific Kansas CityCP 7015–7019CP Tuscan red and grey EMD SD70ACU
Carolina Coastal1501Norfolk Southern EMD GP15-1
Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern4032G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern4034G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
CSXHLS1Chessie System & Chesapeake & OhioEMD SD45-2
CSX1-3Baltimore & OhioEMD F40PH-2
CSX1827Baltimore & OhioGE ES44AH
CSX1834Georgia-
CSX1836RF&P-
CSX1850Louisville & Nashville-
CSX1851NC&StL-
CSX1852Western Maryland-
CSX1853New York Central-
CSX1869Chesapeake & Ohio-
CSX1871Atlantic Coast Line-
CSX1875Pittsburgh & Lake Erie-
CSX1877Chicago & Eastern Illinois-
CSX1897Monon-
CSX1899Pere Marquette-
CSX1900Seaboard Air Line-
CSX1902Clinchfield-
CSX1967Seaboard Coast Line-
CSX1972Family Lines System-
CSX1973Chessie System-
CSX1976Conrail-
CSX1981Pan Am-
CSX1982Seaboard System-
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad4068Delaware and HudsonALCo RS-3
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad2452Erie LackawannaALCO C425
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad2461Erie LackawannaALCO C425
East Midlands Railway43102InterCity British Rail Class 43
Genesee & Wyoming125G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD GP38-2
Genesee & Wyoming1899G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C44-9W
Genesee & Wyoming4055G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
Georgia Central543G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE B32-8
GB Railfreight66789BR "Large Logo" blueBritish Rail Class 66
GB Railfreight66793Trainload Freight ConstructionBritish Rail Class 66
GB Railfreight69002BR "Large Logo" blueBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight69004Railway Technical Centre blue and red liveryBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight69005BR Green with half-height yellow warning endsBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight69007BR Corporate blueBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight69009BR Maroon with white cabsBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight69012Two tone BR GreenBritish Rail Class 69
GB Railfreight73128Network SouthEastBritish Rail Class 73
Green Mountain Railroad405Rutland RailroadALCO RS-1
Huron and Eastern3865G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD GP38-2
Huron and Eastern3866G&W "Whisker Stripes"-
Indiana and Ohio4078G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
Indiana and Ohio4091G&W "Whisker Stripes"GE C40-8W
Iowa Interstate513Rock IslandGE ES44AC
Iowa Interstate516Rock IslandGE ES44AC
Lake State Railway6437Pere MarquetteEMD SD70M
Locomotive Services Limited37140BR BlueBritish Rail Class 37
Locomotive Services Limited37401BR "Large Logo" BlueBritish Rail Class 37
Locomotive Services Limited37409ScotRailBritish Rail Class 37
Locomotive Services LimitedD6817BR GreenBritish Rail Class 37
Locomotive Services LimitedD6851BR GreenBritish Rail Class 37
Locomotive Services Limited43046Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43047Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43049Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43050Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43055Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43058Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services Limited43059Midland PullmanBritish Rail Class 43
Locomotive Services LimitedD1944Two-tone BR GreenBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services Limited47593BR "Large Logo" BlueBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services LimitedD1935Two-tone BR GreenBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services LimitedD1924Two-tone BR GreenBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services Limited47830Two-tone BR GreenBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services Limited47853BR Corporate BlueBritish Rail Class 47
Locomotive Services Limited57003BR Railfreight DistributionBritish Rail Class 57
Locomotive Services Limited60081Great Western Railway GreenBritish Rail Class 60
Long Island Rail Road1011979 Blue & WhiteEMD SW1001
Marquette Rail2042G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD GP38-2
Maryland Midland2060Maryland MidlandEMD GP38-3
MBTA Commuter Rail1030Boston & MaineEMD F40PH-3C
MBTA Commuter Rail1071New Haven EMD F40PH-3C
MBTA Commuter Rail11291980s-era MBTA GMD GP40MC-3
MBTA Commuter Rail1130Original MBTA LiveryGMD GP40MC-3
Metra90Chicago & North WesternEMD F59PHI
Metra211Burlington RouteEMD F40PHM-3
Metra405Milwaukee RoadMPI MP36PH-3C
Metra425Rock IslandMPI MP36PH-3C
Metra500RTAEMD SD70MACH
Missouri and Northern Arkansas3598G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD GP38-2
Metro-North/CTDOT201ConrailGE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT2031979 "MTA Central"GE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT2081980s-era Metro-NorthGE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT211New York CentralGE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT217Penn CentralGE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT222New Haven GE P32AC-DM
Metro-North/CTDOT228-231New Haven GE P32AC-DM
NJ Transit1319LackawannaArrow III
1502/1503Penn Central-Arrow III
4109Jersey CentralEMD GP40PH-2-
4101New Jersey DOT EMD GP40PH-2-
4202Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore LinesEMD GP40PH-2B-
4208ConrailEMD GP40PH-2B-
4210ErieEMD GP40PH-2B-
4519Erie LackawannaBombardier ALP-45DP-
4636PennsylvaniaBombardier ALP-46A-
46401980s-era NJTBombardier ALP-46A-
New York, Susquehanna and Western3024Silver and Red StripeEMD SD40-2
NCDOT1893Original Piedmont Livery EMD F59PH
Norfolk Southern1065Savannah & AtlantaEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1066New York CentralEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1067ReadingEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1068ErieEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1069VirginianEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1070WabashEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1071Jersey CentralEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1072Illinois TerminalEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1073Penn CentralEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1074LackawannaEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1080Delaware & HudsonEMD SD70ACe
Norfolk Southern1700Erie LackawannaEMD SD45-2
Norfolk Southern4851TAG RouteGE AC44C6M
Norfolk Southern5260Belt LineEMD GP38-2
Norfolk Southern8025MonongahelaGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8098ConrailGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8099SouthernGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8100Nickel Plate RoadGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8101Central of GeorgiaGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8102PennsylvaniaGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8103Norfolk & WesternGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8104Lehigh ValleyGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8105InterstateGE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern8114Norfolk Southern GE ES44AC
Ohio Central2014G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD GP38-2
Ontario Northland1730Classic ON SchemeEMD SD40-2
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern1983Blue Mountain and ReadingEMD SD40-2
Nordic Re-finance AB1160Amtrak X995 Phase IISJ RC4
Rock Island 2127Rock Island 1975 SchemeGE C40-8
SEPTA Regional Rail276Pennsylvania RailroadSilverliner IV
280, 293Reading Lines--
304Conrail--
401Penn Central--
SEPTA Metro101Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Co.Kawasaki K-car
SEPTA Metro9000, 91001980s-era SEPTAKawasaki K-car
Shenandoah Valley367Norkfolk and WesternALCO RS-11
Shenandoah Valley5940Chesapeake & OhioEMD GP9
Shenandoah Valley6512Baltimore & OhioEMD GP9
St. Lawrence and Atlantic4022G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD SD70MAC
St. Lawrence and Atlantic4024G&W "Whisker Stripes"EMD SD70MAC
Union Pacific1982Missouri PacificEMD SD70ACe
Union Pacific1983Western PacificEMD SD70ACe
Union Pacific1988KatyEMD SD70ACe
Union Pacific1989Rio GrandeEMD SD70ACe
Union Pacific1995Chicago & North WesternEMD SD70ACe
Union Pacific1996Southern PacificEMD SD70ACe
Wheeling and Lake Erie101Pittsburgh and West VirginiaEMD GP35
Wheeling and Lake Erie107 AC&YEMD GP35
Wisconsin and Southern4187Grow Wisconsin EMD SD40-2