Metrolink’s Pioneer Locomotive Finds a Permanent Home: F59PH No. 851 Preserved in Fullerton
Published: February 14, 2026
By: Adam Burns
One of Southern California commuter rail’s most recognizable workhorses has officially been saved for the long term. Metrolink has donated locomotive No. 851—its first rostered unit—to the Fullerton Train Museum, where it will be displayed and interpreted as a cornerstone artifact from the region’s modern passenger-rail era.
Metrolink F59PH 868 leads a commuter train away from Glendale, California on August 2, 2007. Wade Massie photo.A “first” that helped launch a system
No. 851 isn’t just another retired commuter diesel. It arrived as the opening chapter of Metrolink’s original locomotive fleet and quickly became tied to the service’s public debut. Trains Magazine notes that Metrolink showcased its new equipment in 1992 with special trains ahead of the start of service, and No. 851 was front-and-center as the agency introduced the concept of a unified commuter network radiating from Los Angeles.
That timing matters. In the early 1990s, Southern California’s commuter-rail landscape was evolving rapidly—new branding, new schedules, new rolling stock, and a new expectation that rail could be a serious, everyday transportation option. Preserving No. 851 captures that moment in a way photographs and brochures can’t. It’s tangible proof of how Metrolink presented itself to riders and policymakers at the beginning: practical, modern, and unmistakably “Southern California.”
From mainline work to museum track
Metrolink delivered No. 851 to the Fullerton area for preservation in January 2026, placing it at the Fullerton Train Museum for static display. The donation gives the museum its first Metrolink locomotive—an important addition for a community located on one of the busiest rail corridors in the West, where commuters, Amtrak trains, and freight traffic share the spotlight every day.
According to Railfan & Railroad, plans call for the locomotive to eventually be repainted into its original Metrolink appearance, restoring the look it wore when the service was new and its identity was still being defined.
There’s also a technical footnote that speaks to how long these machines remained useful: No. 851 began life as an EMD F59PH, but it was later rebuilt into an F59PHR—part of a program intended to extend the type’s service life and keep the fleet viable as requirements and maintenance realities changed over time.
Why No. 851 matters
Preservation often celebrates “firsts,” and in this case the label is well earned. Metrolink is not a 19th-century railroad; it’s a living, modern transit provider. Saving a locomotive from its founding roster helps broaden what railroad preservation looks like in the 21st century: not only steam-era icons, but also the equipment that built today’s passenger rail networks.
It also reflects an ongoing shift in museum collecting. As commuter agencies replace older diesel fleets with newer locomotives—often featuring cleaner emissions systems, updated electronics, and improved crashworthiness—the earlier generation risks disappearing fast. Setting aside a representative unit now, while institutional memory still exists and documentation is accessible, gives curators and historians a stronger foundation for telling the full story.
The F59PH in context: EMD’s commuter workhorse
To understand why Metrolink’s original fleet matters, you have to understand the locomotive model itself. The EMD F59PH was built for commuter service from the late 1980s into the mid-1990s, designed as a four-axle passenger diesel that could provide head-end power (HEP) for lighting, HVAC, and onboard systems. In other words: it was purpose-built for push-pull commuter trains that needed dependable power day in and day out.
Key characteristics of the F59PH family include:
- Prime mover: EMD 12-710G3A (12-cylinder, two-stroke)
- Horsepower: commonly cited at 3,000 hp for the F59PH model
- Passenger power: equipped with a separate head-end power generator rather than taking hotel power directly from the main engine’s alternator—a feature that suited long station stops and frequent acceleration cycles typical of commuter service
The F59PH’s lineage is also important. It followed the famed F40PH era and leaned into commuter realities: frequent starts, short station spacing, timetable reliability, and the need to power full-length trains of passenger cars. Across North America, the type became a familiar sight in regional passenger hubs—especially in California and Ontario—because it fit the mission well.
How many did Metrolink operate?
Metrolink purchased a fleet of 23 F59PH locomotives, numbered 851–873—a tidy, purpose-built roster that formed the backbone of its early operations.
Over time, the fleet’s story became more complex. Wikipedia’s summary of fleet changes notes that seven Metrolink units were rebuilt as F59PHR, while non-rebuilt units were largely retired by 2020, with some locomotives sold off to other operators (including transfers to North Carolina’s passenger operations). Those transitions underscore just how long Metrolink leaned on the design—and how the locomotives’ second lives continue well beyond Southern California.
A preserved commuter locomotive—and a preserved era
For many riders, locomotives like No. 851 were the face of commuter rail: the blunt, muscular nose arriving at the platform, the steady rumble departing on schedule, the sense that rail travel was finally becoming “normal” again in a region defined by freeways. That cultural memory is worth keeping.
With No. 851 now protected at Fullerton, Metrolink’s origin story gains a physical centerpiece: not an abstract “launch date,” but the machine that quite literally pulled the earliest trains. And if the planned repainting into its original livery goes forward, visitors will be able to see the locomotive much as the public did when Metrolink was new—an artifact of recent history that’s already becoming historic.
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