MTA Metro-North unveiled the eighth Heritage Series locomotive honoring U.S. veterans, and after a staff survey and a 12-member committee, the railroad chose patch-style insignia for a Grand Central display.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

MTA Metro-North unveils 8th Heritage locomotive for veterans
Photo: Marc Hermann/MTA

Designers translated every emblem into uniform-style patches — fleet numbers, the agency logos, the Heritage badge. The nose carries the American flag, and the sides show silhouettes of iconic military equipment; the look reads crisp and intentional.

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The railroad staged a reveal ceremony and then moved the unit to Grand Central Terminal for Veterans Day viewing. Afterward, it will visit employee facilities and, by the end of November, enter regular service.

Once in service, the locomotive can appear anywhere on the Hudson, Harlem, or New Haven lines. Riders will see the tribute in daily operations — not just at events — which matters for visibility and, frankly, pride.

MTA Metro-North: staff input, design choices, and reception

Veteran employees guided the concept from the start because experience on the job — and in uniform — sharpened the brief. A 12-member committee weighed proposals and, to be fair, pushed for details that feel earned, not ornamental.

Officials framed the result as practical storytelling: patches commuters recognize, colors that photograph well, and symbolism that stays readable at speed. The outcome nearly functions as rolling signage — a simple idea, executed with care.

MTA Metro-North Heritage Series in context

The Heritage Series began in May 2023 to mark the railroad’s history. The first unit echoed Metro-North’s original paint scheme; later wraps nodded to predecessor roads and, still, to the current workforce keeping trains moving.

Today, eight Heritage locomotives work in normal rotation across three lines. In practice, that means the program isn’t a museum piece; it’s part of the operating fleet, which is precisely why the veterans theme lands with commuters.

This veterans unit adds a public-facing layer to internal culture. For many riders, it’s a quick read — “a rolling salute,” as officials put it — but for employees, it signals that their service, past and present, counts.

Because the reveal coincides with Veterans Day, timing strengthens the message without overstating it. And the end-of-November service start gives the railroad a clean handoff from ceremony to operations.

Source: www.progressiverailroading.com

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