Toasters And Transition. Time was already running short for AMTK 942 (AEM7, EMD/ASEA) as it led a Northeast Regional through the Kingston, Rhode Island station on the evening of June 6, 2015. This class of electric motor replaced the remaining former Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 fleet that had not been retired with the arrival of the GE built E60s, with the first unit going into revenue service in 1980. They were nicknamed “Swedish Meatballs” by some due to their Swedish origins and “toasters” due to their appearance. This unit was one of 29 rebuilt to AEM-7AC standards, and served not only as the lead motor on the "Farewell To The AEM-7" Excursion on June 18, 2016 but also a bit beyond its Amtrak retirement in MARC commuter service. Ultimately, it would become part of the operating fleet at Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colorado to test the overhead wire installed for the Acela II program as the Siemens ACS-64 fleet arrived. The station was built in 1875 by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, saw overhead electrification installed as part of the overall program to increase speeds and accommodate Acela service between New Haven, Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts between 1996-2000, and high level platforms were constructed between 2015-2017.
