EMD FL9 - Legacy

Legacy

The FL9s could be considered successful, despite being under-powered compared to the powerful electrics they replaced and other problems, but for other reasons the New Haven never did abandon its electrification, negating the primary reason for their purchase. In 1969, the FL9s passed to Penn Central on the merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad, and some were repainted in Penn Central schemes, while others remained in their former New Haven paint. When the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") began funding these commuter services in 1970, many were repainted blue with a bright yellow nose, although they remained Penn Central-owned. The locomotives passed to Conrail in 1976. 12 FL9s were sold to Amtrak, six of which were remanufactured by Morrison Knudsen starting in 1978.

In 1983, Conrail passed its commuter operations to state agencies. In New York State, the MTA formed Metro-North Railroad as a subsidiary company to operate these, and operations in Connecticut under contract with that state. The locomotives were repainted in Metro-North colors, and a large number of them, now in some cases over 25 years old, were rebuilt and modernized. 10 rebuilt for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) were painted in the original New Haven paint scheme, which has since been applied to remanufactured locomotives in the CDOT's Shoreline East service pool, and on four new GE Genesis II P32AC-DM dual-mode locomotives.

Many were replaced only in the early years of the 21st century by new power, a service life of almost 50 years. Metro-North and Connecticut DOT along with the Housatonic Railroad operated a "Farewell to the FL-9's" fan trip from Stamford Ct to Canaan Ct and return on October 23, 2005. The last FL-9 to see passenger service was in late 2007. Metro-North oficially retired all remaining FL-9s in 2009. Six owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation are currently retired and are being stored in New Haven Yard awaiting sale.

|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/06commute.html?_r=1&oref=login |title=The Last Stop Draws Near: Catching Up With the FL9 |first=Jack|last=Kadden |work=New York Times |date=2005-11-06 |accessdate=2010-01-03 }} The FL9s are restricted to branch lines since they no longer have the ability to operate on third rail. A number have been donated to museums in the area; the Amtrak units were purchased by New Jersey's Morristown and Erie Railway for tourist train service, and two of them are now serving in Maine for the Maine Eastern Railroad.