Identification

The S-2 and S-4 are distinguishable externally from the very similar S-1 and S-3 660 hp (490 kW) switchers in that they have a larger exhaust stack with an oblong base and a larger radiator shutter area on the nose sides. The S-1/S-3 radiator shutter area is taller than it is wide, while the S-2/S-4 radiator area is wider. The larger stack is due to turbocharging. The carbody and cab of late S-2s are nearly indistinguishable from those of S-4s. Hence, a truck swap can cause many to mis-identify a unit.

History

ALCO, Fairbanks-Morse, and Baldwin had all introduced road switchers before EMD, whose first attempt at the road-switcher, the BL2 was unsuccessful in the market, selling only 58 units in the 14 months it was in production.[7] Its replacement, the GP7, swapped the truss-framed stressed car body for the un-stressed body on a flatcar-like frame that EMD’s competitors had used on their road-switchers from the start. Unfortunately, in heavy service, the GP7’s frame would bow and sag over time.[8] The GP7 proved very popular, and EMD was barely able to meet demand, even after opening a second assembly plant at Cleveland, Ohio. Later, locomotives in EMD's GP-series came to be nicknamed ‘Geeps’. Many GP7s can still be found in service today, although most Class 1 Rail carriers stopped using these locomotives by the early 1980s.

Identification

The GP7, GP9 and GP18 locomotives share a similar car-body that evolved over time. Most GP7s had three sets of ventilation grills under the cab (where the GP9 only had one), and two pair of grills at the end of the long hood (where only the pair nearest the end was retained on the GP9).[3] However, some late GP7s were built with car-bodies that were identical to early GP9s. Early GP7s had a solid skirt above the fuel tank, while late GP7s and early GP9s had access holes in the skirt (see photo of Illinois Terminal 1605, top left). Many railroads later removed most of the skirt to improve access and inspection.

Locomotives could be built with the engineer’s control stand installed for either the long hood, or the short hood designated as the front. Two control stands for either direction running was also an option, but one end would still be designated as the front for maintenance purposes. The GP7 was also available with or without dynamic brakes, and a steam generator installed in the short hood was also an option. In the latter case the 1,600 US gallons (6,100 l; 1,300 imp gal) fuel tank was divided, with half for diesel fuel, and half for boiler water. One option available for locomotives without dynamic brakes, was to remove the two 22.5 × 102 in (0.57 × 2.59 m)[9] air reservoir tanks from under the frame, and replace them with four 12 × 150.25 in (0.30 × 3.82 m)[4] tanks that were installed on the roof of the locomotive, above the prime mover. These “torpedo tubes” as they were nicknamed, enabled the fuel and water tanks to be increased to 1,100 US gallons (4,200 l; 920 imp gal) each, although some railroads opted for roof-mounted air tanks and 2,200 US gallons (8,300 l; 1,800 imp gal)[10] fuel tanks on their freight ‘Geeps’.

Modifications and conversions

Many railroads rebuilt their GP7s with short hoods, some railroads went further in their rebuilding than others. Missouri Pacific Railroad upgraded their GP7s with 567BC engines and replaced the standard EMD 2-stack exhaust with a 4-stack “liberated” exhaust, raising their power output to 1,600 horsepower (1.19 MW). Illinois Central Railroad rebuilt most of its GP7s with 567BC engine blocks, liberated exhausts, paper air-intake filters, 26-L brakes (their original 6-BL brakes made them operationally incompatible with locomotives fitted with 24-RL or 26-L brakes).[12] All but the first locomotive rebuilt had their front (short) hood reduced in height for improved crew visibility. The IC designated these rebuilt locomotives GP8. The IC acquired many second-hand units through Precision National Corporation (PNC), and then started offering GP8 rebuilding services to other railroads.

A total of 3,444 units of this locomotive model were built for American railroads, with an additional 646 for Canadian railroads and ten for Mexican railroads. Five units were built for a railroad in Brazil, four units were built for a railroad in Peru and six units were built for a railroad in Venezuela. Of the GP9B, 165 examples were built for American railroads.

There were 40 GP9M units built that are included in the 3,444 units built for United States railroads. A GP9M was built with parts from another older EMD locomotive, either an F unit or a damaged GP7. The use of parts from these older locomotives caused the GP9Ms to have a lower power rating than a GP9. This would be either 1,350 horsepower (1.01 MW) if the donor locomotive was an FT/F2 or 1,500 horsepower (1.12 MW) from F3/F7/GP7 locomotives.

Many rebuilt GP9s remain in service today with shortline railroads and industrial operators. Some remain in rebuilt form on some major Class I railroads, as switcher locomotives. Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway still have many in their fleets in 2007 as switcher locomotives.

Spotting features

The GP38-2 differs externally from the earlier GP38 only in minor details. There is a cooling water level sight glass on the right side of the hood, and the battery box covers are bolted down, instead of hinged. It can be distinguished from the contemporary GP39-2 and GP40-2 in that its Roots blown engine had two exhaust stacks, one each side of the dynamic brake fan if fitted, while the turbocharged GP39-2 and GP40-2 has a single stack. The GP39-2 has two radiator fans on the rear of the long hood like the GP38-2, however the GP40-2 has three. It was also available with either a high short hood, which is common on Norfolk Southern units, or a low short hood, which is common on most other railroads.

Original buyers

1,801 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads and industrial concerns, 257 for Canadian railroads and industrial, 156 for Mexican railroads and industrial and one unit for the Saudi Government Railroad. A total of 29 of the GP38-2s were built with high short hoods containing steam generators for use on Mexican railroads.

Production

Standard GP40-2 production totalled 861 units, with 817 built for U.S. railroads, and 44 for Mexican roads. In addition, three GP40P-2s, passenger versions of the GP40-2, were built for Southern Pacific in 1974, and 279 GP40-2L(W) and GP40-2(W) units, equipped with wide-nosed cabs, were built by General Motors Diesel (GMD), for Canadian National and GO Transit between 1974 and 1976. Of the CN units, 233 were built with a taller and lighter frame to allow for a larger fuel tank. These units were officially classified GP40-2L but are commonly referred to as GP40-2L(W). The balance of CN's fleet, 35 units, and the 11 unit GO Transit fleet, used standard frames and smaller fuel tanks; they are often referred to as GP40-2(W) but are classified as GP40-2. Total production of the GP40-2 and its variations totalled 1,143 units.

Although the GP40-2 was a sales success, it sold fewer units than the earlier GP40 and the contemporary GP38-2 and SD40-2 models. The popularity of high-horsepower 4-axle diesels began to decline with the GP40-2, with 6-axle models gaining in popularity for their superior low-speed lugging performance.

Performance

Like the SD40-2, the GP40-2 has a long-standing reputation for reliability, and a large number of GP40-2s are still in service. Changes such as the modular electronics system improved reliability over the GP40. Their high power-per-axle rating, however, meant that they were better suited to high-speed service than low-speed drag freights, where they were prone to wheelslip. With the oldest GP40-2s now well over 30 years old, many (notably GP40-2Ls) have been retired from Class-1 railroads and sold to regional or shortline railroads.

Spotting Features

The GP40-2 retains the clean lines of other EMD locomotives of the same era. There are three radiator fans at the rear of the hood and a single fan in the middle for the dynamic brakes (if equipped). The radiator intakes are smaller than those of the later GP50, and the walkways lack the end "porches" of the 6-axle SD40-2.

The GP40-2 can be told from the earlier GP40 by the oval-shaped water-level sight glass at the right rear of the hood; bolted (rather than hinged) battery boxes ahead of the cab; lengthened walkway blower duct; and various minor cosmetic differences in the front air intake and rear hood doors. A number of GP40-2s also came with the new Blomberg M-type trucks, with single-clasp brakes, rubber pads replacing the central leaf springs and a shock strut over each axle.

Phases

A number of minor changes were made to GP40-2s throughout their production run:

* Phase 1: 1972-1976—chickenwire radiator intakes, 81-inch short hood, older steps, bolted front battery boxes, bolted cab side panel * Phase 2a: 1977-early 1979—corrugated radiator intakes, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) clean-cab modifications, which necessitated an 88" long low short hood, notched stepwells, new battery box hinges. * Phase 2b: early 1979-late 1979—welded cab side panel * Phase 2c: late 1979-1981—EMD "Q-fans" and exhaust silencer. * Phase 3: 1984-1986—new large blower duct, hinged front battery boxes, straight frame profile

The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) bought 105 U18Bs, far more than the second-best U.S. customer, the Maine Central Railroad (MEC), which ordered 10. Most of the SCL and MEC U18Bs rode on refurbished Blomberg trucks, recycled from old EMD locomotives, making the U18B even more visually distinct from other GE locomotives.

Many railfans refer to the GE Universal Series locomotives as "U-Boats." Due to its smaller size, the U18B received the nickname "Baby Boat."

Not many U18Bs still exist, but some shortline railroads, such as the Pickens Railway, still have several U18Bs in everyday service.

GE included information about a B18-7 locomotive (which would have followed the U18B) in its 1978 "Series-7 Road Locomotives" service manual, but none of these updated units were ordered, sold, or built.

The F3 was the third model in GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit diesel locomotives, and it was the second most produced of the series. The F3 essentially differed from the EMD F2 in that it used the “new” D12 generator to produce more power, and from the later EMD F7 in electrical equipment. Some late-model F3s had the same D27 traction motors used in the F7, and were nicknamed F5 models.

Identification

As built, the only way to distinguish between the F2 and F3 was the nose number panels on the A units, which were small on the F2 and large on the F3 and subsequent locomotives. However, these could and were often altered by the railroad. Few F2s were built, however.

Early versions of the F3 had the "chicken wire" grilles along the top edge of the carbody. Later production featured a distinctive stamped stainless steel grille.

All F-units introduced after the FT have twin exhaust stacks and four radiator fans arranged close together atop their roofs, unlike the FT's four stacks and separated pairs of fans.

F3 phases

The identification of locomotive "phases" is a creation of railfans. EMD used no such identification. EMD kept track of the marketing name (F3) and individual locomotives' build numbers. During the production cycle of a model, EMD would make changes. To keep better track of the variations of locomotives identified the same by the manufacturer, railfans began referring to phases; critical changes to a locomotive line.

Despite not being official designations, the phase description is useful. However, many of the changes described are cosmetic, easily changed features of a locomotive; roof fans, body panels, grilles and the like could be and sometimes were updated or swapped.

The following are normally identified as F3 phases:

Phase I

Built from July 1945. High, flat-topped 36 in (914 mm) roof fans. Top third body panel had "chicken wire" in openings only. Short rear vent panel. Center-third body panel with three equally-spaced porthole windows and D17 traction motors. As-built Phase I F3 units are identical to the F2, they differ only in electrical equipment and numberboard size. Three locomotives survive from this series, rebuilt as F10s, all for Metro-North Railroad.

Phase II (early)

Built from February 1947. Top third body panel now had full-length "chicken wire". Long rear vent panel. Center third body panel now had two portholes; area between covered with chicken wire, over 4 smaller rectangular openings.

Phase II (late)

Built from December 1947. Roof radiator fans change to low, pan-topped items.

Phase III

Built from March 1948. Center third body panel now has no chicken wire between the portholes; the four rectangular openings now have louvres.

Phase IV

Built from August 1948. Chicken wire upper-third panel is replaced with full-length horizontal stainless steel grille.

The noses of the E8 cab units had the appearance of a bulldog's snout when viewed from the side. Therefore, the E7, E8, and E9 units (as well as their four axle cousins, the F-unit series) have been nicknamed “bulldog nose” units. Earlier E-unit locomotives had a more slanted nose and were nicknamed “shovel nose” units or “slant nose” units. After passenger trains were canceled on the Erie Lackawanna in 1970, the E8s were re-geared for freight and were very reliable for the EL. These units were on freight trains until the early years of Consolidated Railroad Corporation, more commonly known as "CONRAIL."

It is estimated that 58 E8s have survived into preservation. A notable example is the former NYC 4085, preserved at the New York Central Railroad Museum, which has the distinction of having being the lead locomotive on the final eastbound 20th Century Limited. Another surviving E8 is operated by the Midland Railway, in Baldwin City, Kansas. Privately owned, this unit is ex-Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad E8A #652 and is used for special events. NYC 4096, recently restored from scrap in the past, is also currently on display. Southern Railway E8A unit #6900 is operational at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. It pulled the original Southern Crescent consist. Southern #6901 is on display in Duluth, GA, at the Southeastern Railway Museum. Another Southern Railway E8 #6913 is currently being restored at the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum in Oak Ridge, TN for use on their Southern excursion train. And yet another, Southern #6914, is under restoration at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Of the aforementioned units owned by Conrail, three were saved after their freight-service retirement and went on to be refurbished by the Juniata Locomotive Shops in Altoona, PA for use as Conrail's Office Car Special (OCS) until the merger of 1999. One unit went to CSX, and two were sold off to Bennett Levin, CEO of the Juniata Terminal Company, where they have been meticulously overhauled and painted up as twin Pennsylvania Railroad E8's.