EMD Aerotrain - The Train of the Future

Or, rather, the ’50’s version of the train of the future. If the ’57 Corvette were a train, it would be this one. In fact, you can see traces of late ’50’s Corvettes in the fastback roofline and wraparound windshield of the locomotive, designed by future GM design Chief Chuck Jordan “The Chrome Cobra“, who also influence the design of the C5 Corvette. This sexy body covered a standard EMD switch engine; the cars, built from GM bus bodies, had trucks that contained a single wheel on each axle, which made for a very rough high-speed ride for passengers on its test runs with the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and Union Pacific Railroads. For these test runs, two sets were built, consisting of a locomotive and eight cars, the rearmost one having, in the style of the day, tailfins. Following its unspectacular performance as an intercity train, both sets were sold to the Rock Island railroad, which ran them in low-speed commuter service until the late 60’s. The other set, also consisting of a locomotive and tw