The EMD F40PH-2 is a variation of the F40PH, a four-axle diesel electric locomotive.

The Regional Transportation Authority ordered 24 F40PH-2s (numbered 150-173) in 1983 for use on the Ex-CNW commuter lines operating out of Madison Street Station (Now Chicago Ogilvie Transportation Center). 
Metra in the late 80s ordered 11 more (numbered 174-184) for use on various lines.

In 2017,  Metra sent 174-184 and their F40PHM-2s to Progress Rail in Patterson, GA, for rebuilding for an extended service life. 173 was also sent for rebuild after 205 was destroyed in a derailment while being transported to Georgia, but 150-172 remained unrebuilt.

In 2019, Metra ordered 24 rebuilt SD70MACs from Progress Rail to indirectly replace the unrebuilt F40PH-2s, and in 2022, a year before the first “new” SD70MACH arrived on Metra property, they started to store F40PH-2s in Antioch, and in 2025, 4 were sold to MXV Rail in Colorado.

Metra currently has only 9 unrebuilt F40PH-2s in service, and that number will soon go down with more SD70MACHs arriving until 2027. 
Railfans love the F40PH-2s for many reasons, and nobody wants to see them disappear, which is why one should be preserved. 
With 18 of them able to be preserved, there are many options to choose from, here are a few that are somewhat significant.

 

METX 150:

 

150 is the first ever F40PH-2, which pretty much explains why it could be preserved.

 

METX 156:

 

156 may not seem so special to any normal person, but to UPNW railfans (specifically Barrington ones) love this unit for obvious reasons.

 

METX 165:

 

165 is special as it was the last ever RTA-painted locomotive, lasting until 1995! Because of this, it would be a good option for it to be preserved, and possibly repainted back into RTA colors.

Once again, the F40PH-2s are unique as they are the only F40PHs on Metra that were never rebuilt, and that’s why one or multiple should be preserved. The F40PH-2s are the best example of an original Metra F40, and all will most likely be gone from Metra by 2027, so one should be preserved now. 
A museum in the Midwestern US would be the best home for one of these, but as long as one is at a museum, it doesn’t really matter.

 

Overall, one or more of Metra’s F40PH-2s are worth preserving due to their significance to Chicagoland, and being replaced completely.