Genesis Units

eneral Electric’s "Genesis" passenger locomotives — introduced for Amtrak in the early 1990s — were designed around a streamlined, lightweight carbody optimized for higher-speed passenger service rather than heavy freight tonnage. The series was produced with an overall height lower than the Electro-Motive F40PH these units were purchased to replace; the 14-inch lower carbody ensured clearance through tunnels in the Northeast Corridor. The series also produced 25% more power than its EMD predecessors, with a 25% fuel savings. Amtrak’s first deliveries were the P40DC beginning in 1993, followed by larger deliveries of the P42DC later in the decade. As aging F40PH's were retired, both GE models became the backbone of diesel power on Amtrak routes outside the electrified Northeast.

The P40DC and P42DC are four-axle (B-B), diesel-electric, DC-traction locomotives using GE’s four-stroke 7FDL-16 prime mover, with the P40DC rated around 4,000 hp and the P42DC around 4,250 hp (with higher maximum speed gearing on the P42DC). A key passenger requirement was head-end power (HEP) for lighting and HVAC in the Amfleet, Superliner, and Viewliner rolling stock fleets. The Genesis design supplies HEP from the main engine, and when providing HEP the engine is typically held at a governed speed (a “HEP mode”), which reduces the traction power available compared with full-power operation. Published reference specs commonly cite maximum speeds of about 103 mph (P40DC) and 110 mph (P42DC), along with a shared overall length of about 69 ft. A P32AC-DM "dual mode" model was also produced for use in certain Amtrak corridors in the Northeast.

The Genesis models were designed as fully computerized locomotives. Onboard systems automatically manage a wide variety of functions, including adjustments to engine output based on environmental and operational variables. Its unique monocoque carbody design was developed by industrial designer Cesar Vergara, and the German firm Krupp Verkehrstechnik produced the unique trucks. By the end of their production, Amtrak had purchased 269 Genesis units in three configurations. Other operators included Metro-North Railroad and Canada's VIA Rail — a combined 52 units. Although many of Amtrak's units remain in service, in 2021 their replacements begin arriving on the roster in the former of Siemens Mobility's Charger, the ALC-42.