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depending on what it's used for. Some have eight wheels, others
have twelve, and some of the really heavy-duty freight locomo-
tives can have as many as sixteen wheels.
Locomotives
All told, Amtrak has more than 330 passenger locomotives in its
fleet. Most Amtrak trains are pulled by one of three basic types,
but others are used for specialized jobs.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief, with two P-40 locomotives at the head end, pauses for a crew
change in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Photo courtesy of the author
The workhorse of the Amtrak fleet is the diesel-electric P-40
locomotive, first put into service in the late 1990s. You can't miss
these brawny machines. They look big and powerful, as indeed
they are, and can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour. Each pro-
duces 4,000 horsepower, meaning that two of these units can
haul a train that previously would have required three engines.
To provide an example in another context, one P-40 locomotive
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