Phase 4-Life
In the mid-90s, the professional wrestling stable known as the New World Order was the hottest thing in pop culture at the time. The nWo, as it was known, had a saying, "When you're nWo, you're nWo 4-LIFE!" 25 years later, Amtrak has apparently taken a page out of the nWo's playbook. When Amtrak's heritage unit 184, painted in the "Phase IV" livery in 2011 in celebration of the railroad's 40th anniversary, was painted back to standard "Phase V" in early 2023, everyone thought "Phase IV" was officially done. Then, unexpectedly and from seemingly out of nowhere, in early May 2023, Amtrak released 164 as the new Phase IV heritage unit (albeit missing the 40th Anniversary niceties.) The first anyone seemingly ever knew of this unit was when it suddenly showed up in Chicago Union Station. Two days later it was leading it's maiden voyage on Train #5, the westbound California Zephyr. Here it can be seen passing through Somonauk, IL, on the return portion of this maiden voyage on the point of the Zephyr's eastbound counterpart, Train #6. In tow behind trailing locomotive 54 is a special treat, two brand new Siemens ALC-42 Chargers, 330 & 331, in Amtrak's newest "Phase 7" livery. So it would seem that, like the New World Order, when Amtrak is Phase IV, it is Phase IV-LIFE!.
Phase 4-Life
In the mid-90s, the professional wrestling stable known as the New World Order was the hottest thing in pop culture at the time. The nWo, as it was known, had a saying, "When you're nWo, you're nWo 4-LIFE!" 25 years later, Amtrak has apparently taken a page out of the nWo's playbook. When Amtrak's heritage unit 184, painted in the "Phase IV" livery in 2011 in celebration of the railroad's 40th anniversary, was painted back to standard "Phase V" in early 2023, everyone thought "Phase IV" was officially done. Then, unexpectedly and from seemingly out of nowhere, in early May 2023, Amtrak released 164 as the new Phase IV heritage unit (albeit missing the 40th Anniversary niceties.) The first anyone seemingly ever knew of this unit was when it suddenly showed up in Chicago Union Station. Two days later it was leading it's maiden voyage on Train #5, the westbound California Zephyr. Here it can be seen passing through Somonauk, IL, on the return portion of this maiden voyage on the point of the Zephyr's eastbound counterpart, Train #6. In tow behind trailing locomotive 54 is a special treat, two brand new Siemens ALC-42 Chargers, 330 & 331, in Amtrak's newest "Phase 7" livery. So it would seem that, like the New World Order, when Amtrak is Phase IV, it is Phase IV-LIFE!.