Amtrak NPCU ‘Cabbage’ locomotives
Unpowered locomotives help stretch Amtrak's roster further
Amtrak has been using unpowered F40PH locomotives for decades in various corridors across the country.
For its shorter-distance trains — where one or both ends of the run lack turning facilities — these units allow Amtrak to assign only one powered locomotive instead of two.
The first F40PH converted was AMTK No. 200, which had its prime mover, main generator, and traction motors removed. The conversions began after the P40DC and P42DC fleet was establishing itself as the primary long-distance power across the country. A roll-up door was installed on the long hood, allowing Amtrak to store baggage where the prime mover and main generator were formerly located. While officially called NPCUs (Non-Powered Control Unit) by Amtrak, these earned the nickname “cabbage car” for its dual-use cab car/baggage car design.
Fast forward to today, with the new Siemens ALC-42s establishing themselves as the new long-distance locomotives, the time to extend the usefulness of a portion of the P42 fleet has arrived.
The first P42DC to be converted was AMTK No. 184, which became P42C No. 9700. These new control cars were modified differently than the original NPCUs, retaining their internal components for weight purposes. The original NPCU fleet didn’t have enough ballast applied, which gave the engineer a rougher ride when occupied. AMTK P42C No. 9700 doesn’t feature a roll-up door on its sides due to the lack of use of the baggage compartment in the existing NPCU fleet, and because the P42DC has a monoque design in which the carbody is part of the structural support for the entire locomotive.
Amtrak is planning for an eventual fleet of 20 P42Cs to cover its needs across its system. For reference, Amtrak rebuilt 22 F40PHs to form its original NPCU fleet.
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