Rail Operations Heritage Roster

Since our company-wide 40th Anniversary in 2019, and continuing through Rail Operations’ 40th Anniversary in 2023, NJ TRANSIT decorated six locomotives in “heritage” paint schemes to honor the predecessor railroads and employees that make up our system. Read below to learn more about their histories:

ALP-46A 4636: “Pennsylvania Railroad”

Built by Bombardier in 2010 and wrapped by NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations in September of 2019, the 4636 wears the iconic Pennsylvania Railroad “Tuscan Red” paint scheme in honor of that railroad’s innovative and behemoth GG1 locomotive. NJ TRANSIT inherited several GG1s at its formation, one of which (4877) had been decorated in the Tuscan Red scheme in 1981 with help from the Jersey Central Railroad Historical Society. The GG1s were all retired by October of 1983 during the railroad’s first year of operation. The 4636 can be found operating on any NJ TRANSIT line powered by overhead electric catenary, which are the wires above many of our tracks.

ALP-45DP 4519: “Erie Lackawanna”

 

Built by Bombardier in 2011, the 4519 is a dual-power locomotive, meaning it can operate on any NJ TRANSIT line. In 2019, Rail Operations wrapped the 4519 in its classic Erie Lackawanna Railway gray, yellow, and maroon scheme found commonly on freight and passenger trains in the 1960s and 70s after the merger of the Erie and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroads in 1960. When in service, the 4519 can be found operating on nearly every NJ TRANSIT line.

GP40PH-2 4109: “Central Railroad of New Jersey”

Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) in 1968, the 4109 is one of 13 GP40P locomotives ordered for the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to replace older motive power assigned to the Raritan Valley and North Jersey Coast Lines. Initially built as GP40P No. 3677, the locomotive was absorbed into the NJ TRANSIT fleet during the 1980s and was eventually rebuilt and renumbered to GP40PH-2 No. 4109. When new, these locomotives provided heat to conventional coaches via steam generators but were later upgraded to provide power for lighting, heating, and air conditioning for the train from a diesel head-end power unit. Rail Operations repainted the 4109 into CNJ colors during September 2019 to pay tribute to its “as-delivered” paint scheme in celebration of NJ TRANSIT Corporation’s 40th Anniversary. The locomotive is generally found on the Morristown, Montclair-Boonton, Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley Lines.

GP40PH-2 41O1: “NJDOT”

As the fourth installment in our heritage fleet, GP40PH-2 41O1 was repainted into its transition-era “Bluebird” scheme in September of 2022 to honor the role NJDOT and Conrail played before NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations was created. Like 4109, the 4101 is also part of the 13-unit GP40P order from EMD purchased by the CNJ in 1968. While it originally wore the 4109’s CNJ scheme, it was renumbered and repainted into the NJDOT “Bluebird” scheme worn by multiple locomotives during the period of NJDOT-funded, Conrail-operated commuter service prior to the commencement of NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations in 1983. This unit wore “Bluebird” colors from 1978 until 1981. The unit number displayed on the locomotive uses a “Capital Letter O” instead of the numeral zero which was consistent with Conrail practice at that time. Rail Operations repainted the 41O1 into its “Bluebird” scheme in September of 2022. Like 4109, the 41O1 is also generally found on the Morristown, Montclair-Boonton, Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley Lines.

ALP-46A 464O: “NJ TRANSIT Chevron Scheme”

Repainted and decaled in August of 2023 by NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations in honor of its 40th Anniversary, the 464O pays homage to the agency’s chevron (commonly known as “Disco Stripe”) logo, which was once found on nearly the entire NJ TRANSIT fleet, including prior electric locomotives like the E60CH and ALP-44. If you look closely, you will notice the nose of 464O mimics the nose of an ALP-44, while the sides are an adaptation of the E60CH’s scheme. This locomotive also features the 40th Anniversary logo, which can now be seen in stations, yards, and other facilities across our system. The 464O can be found operating on any line powered by overhead electric catenary.

GP40PH-2B 4210: “Erie Railroad”

Locomotive 4210 wears an adaptation of the Erie Railroad’s black-and-yellow scheme to honor one of the original NJ TRANSIT predecessor railroads with a main line running from New Jersey west to Chicago. EMD built the 4210 in 1968 for a different NJ TRANSIT predecessor, Penn Central, to be used in freight service under road number 3082. The 4210 then passed to Conrail before finding its ultimate home within NJ TRANSIT’s fleet. The 4210’s scheme was commonly found on locomotives leading passenger trains out of the DL&W’s Hoboken Terminal after the Erie’s passenger operations shifted there from Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City. This locomotive can generally be found on the Morristown, Montclair-Boonton, Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley lines.

Arrow III Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) 1319: Delaware, Lackawanna and Western

Arrow III Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) railcar No. 1319 wears the herald of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to honor that railroad’s investment and legacy in North Jersey commuter railroading, which endures to this day under NJ TRANSIT’s ownership. As ridership rapidly grew on the Lackawanna’s suburban services in the 1920s, the Lackawanna decided to electrify several of its heavily-trafficked lines in northern New Jersey. Between 1929 and 1931, the DL&W electrified 160 miles of track using a 3,000-volt direct current (DC) overhead catenary wire system. The wires stretched from Hoboken west to Montclair, Gladstone, and Dover. On September 3, 1930, the first electric train on the Lackawanna departed Hoboken Terminal for Montclair. At the controls was famed inventor Thomas Edison, a major proponent of DC electrification. The Lackawanna employed a large fleet of EMUs to provide its electric service utilizing a mix of newly-purchased cars and converted coaches built as early as 1912. In 1983, NJ TRANSIT inherited this equipment and territory and rebuilt the Lackawanna’s electric system to supply 25,000 volts of alternating current (AC) electricity. AC-powered Arrow II and III cars like the 1319 entered service on the former Lackawanna territory in 1984 and replaced the DC-powered Lackawanna MUs on August 24, 1984. Accordingly, the 1319 commemorates the legacy of the DL&W’s electric operations in New Jersey. In September of 2024, NJ TRANSIT applied Lackawanna heralds to the 1319 to honor the 40th anniversary of the Lackawanna MU retirement.
 

GP40PH-2B 4208: “Conrail”

GP40PH-2B Locomotive No. 4208 is the latest addition to the NJ TRANSIT heritage fleet, which was repainted into its iconic Conrail blue livery in the fall of 2024. This locomotive honors NJ TRANSIT’s rich history with Conrail, which operated passenger trains throughout New Jersey from 1976 to 1983 and was the immediate corporate predecessor to NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations. In fact, NJ TRANSIT selected No. 4208 as our Conrail heritage unit to honor the eight original railroad companies in New Jersey that were ultimately absorbed into Conrail and then transferred to NJ TRANSIT. As a result, many of the rail lines, stations, and rolling stock that formed the original NJ TRANSIT commuter rail network came directly from Conrail, and most of our railroad operating employees at that time had previously served under that carrier. Today, Conrail and NJ TRANSIT still maintain an operating relationship on the Raritan Valley and Atlantic City rail lines and the River LINE light rail system. We are grateful for Conrail’s support in allowing us to showcase its historic logo in our heritage program.
 

Roster Note: NJ TRANSIT also maintains a sizable fleet of specially decorated locomotives honoring a variety of causes. These include the 4500 (Space Force); 4501 (Army); 4502 (Armed Forces “Screamin’ Eagle”); 4503 (Atlas Model Railroad); 4504 (Marines); 4507 (Veterans Salute I); 4508 (African-American History); 4510 (Navy); 4511 (Coast Guard); 4518 (Armed Forces Seals); 4523 (Air Force); 4533 (First Responders); 4534 (Veterans Salute I); 4540 (40th Anniversary); 4609 (“Ride with Pride”); 4635 (Veterans Salute II); 4641 (Veterans Salute II); 4645 (Veterans Salute II); and 4659 (Veterans Salute II) units.