The Fourth AEM-7

A brand-new preservation organization announced today that they've acquired Amtrak 927, an AEM-7 electric locomotive built in 1981 by Electro-Motive. This is the fourth AEM-7 to be preserved and the second example that was rebuilt by Amtrak with AC propulsion equipment and traction motors. Number 927 has obviously lost a few parts, but is assumed to be essentially complete, judging from the above photo from today's announcement. The locomotive has been sitting for quite a few years in the dead line, recently in Davisville, Rhode Island, and was supposedly next in line to meet the torch when its now-owners stepped in.

So, what is this organization? It's called Northeast Rail Heritage Inc., and depending on which of their pages you look at, they were founded in either 2023 or 2024 (they are described as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, so perhaps the group was created in 2023 and gained nonprofit status this year?). Their website is nicely done but limited in scope, and other than general information about the significance of  the AEM-7, it mostly consists of board member bios. Amtrak 927 is their first acquisition; since they don't seem to have a museum site at the moment, I've set their location in PNAERC as the location of their rolling stock collection: Davisville, RI.

As a point of obscure trivia, among mainline electric locomotives, the AEM-7 is now second only to the GG-1 in terms of how many have been preserved. It has passed up the S-motor, "Little Joe," and Ferrocarril Mexicano boxcab types, all of which can boast of three preserved examples apiece.