Washington DOT to unveil Amtrak Cascades locomotive

One of the new Amtrak Cascades locomotives will be displayed for public view for the first time in Seattle on May 21, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced yesterday.

The Siemens Charger locomotives will be on display at Seattle's King Street Station from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will be able to view the exterior close up. Due to safety issues, the interior will not be open for tours, WSDOT officials said in a press release.

WSDOT purchased eight of the Siemens Charger locomotives for $59 million as part of a larger $800 million federal grant to improve passenger-rail service.

Siemens built the locomotives at its rail-manufacturing plant in Sacramento, Calif. The units are powered by 16-cylinder, 4,400-horsepower Cummins engines.

The locomotives will be used along the along the Amtrak Cascades corridor from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Ore. Amtrak Cascades is jointly administrated by WSDOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

To learn more about the passenger-rail locomotive marketplace, read this feature in Progressive Railroading's May issue.