By Harry K. Wong
In 2001, with the classic EMD F40PH out of production for nearly a decade, Chicago’s Metra (Metropolitan Transportation Agency) sought to augment its fleet of passenger locomotives. The answer was the burly MP36PH-3S, a 3,600 horsepower four-axle passenger engine built by MotivePower Inc.. Who, you ask? MotivePower Inc. began as a spin-off from the Morrison-Knudsen Corporation – a company famous for massive railroad and dam construction projects, but also well versed in heavy rebuilds and repairs of mainline railroad locomotives during the 1970s and 1980s from its primary locomotive shop in Boise, Idaho.
Measuring within 10 inches of the length of a lanky SD40-2, and fully equipped with a turbocharged 3,600 hp. 16-cylinder EMD 645F3B prime mover, with a bulbous nose with a four-pane windshield, the four-axle MP36PH3-S was the first locomotive to meet stringent new FRA crash survivability requirements then coming into effect. 27 MP36PH3-S locomotives were delivered to Metra between 2003 and 2004. The “S” designation meant that these locomotives were equipped with a static HEP inverter to provide lighting and HVAC for passenger cars. The HEP inverter took its power straight from the prime mover’s driveshaft similar to conventional F40PHs which also operated at a high RPM.
Metra MP36PH-3C 420 is seen at O’Hare International Airport in June 2024. Photo by Justin Franz.
The MP36PH3-S was the first iteration of what became a successful line of five different MPXpress locomotives built by MotivePower Inc, ranging in power from 3,000 to 5,400 horsepower. With the prime mover running at a constant high RPM, prodigious fuel consumption and the resultant operating costs became a concern, so Metra converted its MP36PH-3S fleet to utilize a separate Caterpillar diesel generator for HEP, effectively creating an MP36PH-3C. Unlike MP36PH-3Ss which have a long blank rooftop panel at the rear of the locomotive, all MP36PH-3Cs feature a fifth cooling fan at the rear for the Cat HEP diesel generator.
Now available from Atlas Model Railroad Company are MP36PH-3C locomotives as part of its premium Atlas Master product line. Liveries include Boston MBTA, Chicago Metra in three variations (blue fade, Milwaukee Road Hiawatha heritage, and Rock Island heritage), Metrolink (Los Angeles, white/blue), West Coast Express (Vancouver BC, white/yellow/blue). Each locomotive comes fully detailed with separately applied handrails, grab irons, cut levers, windshield wipers, MU hoses and train line hoses. LED lighting is provided for headlights, ditch lights and cab interior light. Atlas Master “Silver” MP36s are DC/DCC-ready including a prewired speaker for a suggested MSRP of $229.95, while Atlas Master “Gold” MP36s for DC+DCC+Sound operation with a factory-installed ESU Loksound 5 decoder carry a suggested $339.95 MSRP.
MP36PH3-Cs can be distinguished from earlier MP36PH-3Ss by the addition of the fifth cooling fan located at the very rear of the locomotive. The installation of the separate CAT diesel for Head End Power on MP36PH3-Cs necessitated this cooling fan.
