PTRA 9620 - MK1500D
Rebuilt by MK/MPI in the late 90's, the Houston Port Terminal Railroad Authority once had a fleet of 32 MK1500D locomotives (24 owned by PTRA, 8 owned by HB&T/BNSF). However, by 2023 they were being phased out in favor of leased GP38-2's from GATX/GMTX.
Now in 2025 all the MK1500D's have been sold off, though several still reside as plant switchers for some of the many customers along and around the Houston Ship Channel. For example, Frontier Logistics in Pasadena acquired eight of the locomotives. Here is one of them, PTRA 9620, with its PTRA logos patched over.
PTRA 9620 was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad as GP9 PRR 7020 in November 1955. It later became PC 7020, and eventually CR 7020 in 1976. In the 90's Conrail traded the locomotive into EMD and it would later be sold to Morrison-Knudsen for rebuild, emerging as PTRA 9620 in October 1996.
PTRA MK1500D #9620
Pasadena, TX
April 13th, 2025
PTRA 9620 - MK1500D
Rebuilt by MK/MPI in the late 90's, the Houston Port Terminal Railroad Authority once had a fleet of 32 MK1500D locomotives (24 owned by PTRA, 8 owned by HB&T/BNSF). However, by 2023 they were being phased out in favor of leased GP38-2's from GATX/GMTX.
Now in 2025 all the MK1500D's have been sold off, though several still reside as plant switchers for some of the many customers along and around the Houston Ship Channel. For example, Frontier Logistics in Pasadena acquired eight of the locomotives. Here is one of them, PTRA 9620, with its PTRA logos patched over.
PTRA 9620 was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad as GP9 PRR 7020 in November 1955. It later became PC 7020, and eventually CR 7020 in 1976. In the 90's Conrail traded the locomotive into EMD and it would later be sold to Morrison-Knudsen for rebuild, emerging as PTRA 9620 in October 1996.
PTRA MK1500D #9620
Pasadena, TX
April 13th, 2025