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EMD E8

{{Short description|Model of 2250 hp American passenger cab locomotive}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2018}}

{{more footnotes|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox locomotive

| name = EMD E8

| powertype = Diesel-electric

| image = Rock Island locomotive 652.jpg

| imagesize = 300

| caption = Rock Island E8 #652, Formerly operated by Midland Railway of Baldwin City, Kansas.

| builder = General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

| buildmodel = E8

| builddate = January 1950– January 1954

| totalproduction = 450 A units, 46 B units

| aarwheels = A1A-A1A

| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}

| trucks = EMD Blomberg A-1-A passenger

| wheeldiameter = {{convert|36|in|0|abbr=on}}

| minimumcurve = 21° ({{convert|274.37|ft|m|2|abbr=on|disp=or}} radius)

| length = {{convert|70|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}

| width = {{convert|10|ft|7+1/2|in|2|abbr=on}}

| height = {{convert|14|ft|7|in|abbr=on}}

| locoweight = A unit: {{convert|315000|lb|0|abbr=on}},
B unit: {{convert|290000|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| primemover = (2) EMD 12-567B

| generator = (2) EMD D-15-A

| tractionmotors = (4) GM D-27-B

| enginetype = V12 Two-stroke diesel

| aspiration = Roots blower

| displacement = {{convert|6804|cuin|L|abbr=on}} each

| cylindercount = (2) 12

| maxspeed = {{convert|85-117|mph|abbr=on}}
depending on gearing

| poweroutput = {{convert|2250|hp|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} total

| tractiveeffort = {{convert|56500|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} starting,
{{convert|31000|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} continuous

| locale = United States

| disposition = About 58 preserved, remainder scrapped

}}

The EMD E8 is a {{convert|2250|hp|0|adj=on}}, A1A-A1A passenger-train locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of La Grange, Illinois. A total of 450 cab versions, or E8As, were built from January 1950 to January 1954, 447 for the U.S. and 3 for Canada. 46 E8Bs were built from December 1950 to January 1954, all for the U.S. The 2,250 hp came from two 12 cylinder model 567B engines, each driving a generator to power the two traction motors on one truck. The E8 was the ninth model in the line of passenger diesels of similar design known as EMD E-units. Starting in September 1953, a total of 21 E8As were built which used either the 567BC or 567C engines.{{cite book |last1=Foster |first1=Gerald L. |title=A field guide to trains of North America |date=1996 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=Boston |isbn=0-395-70112-0 |page=100}}

In profile the front of the nose of E7, E8, and E9 units is less slanted than earlier EMD units, so E7/8/9s (and their four axle cousins, the F-unit series) have been nicknamed "bulldog nose" units. Earlier E-unit locomotives were nicknamed "slant nose" units. After passenger trains were canceled on the Erie Lackawanna in 1970 (excluding their commuter service, which the State of New Jersey subsidized starting in the late 1960s), 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 ("Conrail"). Amtrak used 148 E8As, 3 E8AMs, and 5 E8Bs, these all being retired between 1975 and 1985.{{cite web |first1=Jack | last1=jackmp294.5|title=Amtrak E8's on the NYC Water Level Route on the Hudson River, 1976-1978 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2FzgrfdjiQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/v2FzgrfdjiQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=jackmp294.5 |access-date=3 August 2021 |language=en}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web |first1=Jack |last1=jackmp294.5 |title=AMTRAK E8's, late 1970's... Bonus, AMTRAK FL9's, 1996 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6JCWCdhDo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/bR6JCWCdhDo| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=jackmp294.5 |access-date=3 August 2021 |language=en}}{{cbignore}}

Units noted with the designation E8m were rebuilt using components from earlier EMC/EMD locomotives. Externally the units look just like E8s. The difference in horsepower produced in these E8m units is because the older generators are reused.

Original owners

class="wikitable"

!Railroad !! Quantity
A units !! Quantity
B units !! Road numbers
A units !! Road numbers
B units !! Notes

Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator)style="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |5600Astyle="text-align:center;" |—to Southern Pacific 6018
Electro-motive Division (demonstrator)style="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |952style="text-align:center;" |—to Rock Island 643 1st E8A built
Electro-motive Division (demonstrator)style="text-align:center;" |2style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |810-811style="text-align:center;" |—to Delaware Lackawanna & Western 810-811
rowspan=2|Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |2style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |83A–84AModel E8m, rebuilt from ATSF 1 & 1A
style="text-align:center;" |62style="text-align:center;" |3style="text-align:center;" |2, 4, 5, 82, 84–87style="text-align:center;" |4A, 80A, 82AModel E8m, rebuilt from E1A and E1B
rowspan=2|Atlantic Coast Line Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |6style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |532, 544–548style="text-align:center;" |—532 rebuilt from E7; all except 547 inherited by Seaboard Coast Line and renumbered 575-579, inherited by Amtrak and renumbered 233-237
style="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |500style="text-align:center;" |—Model E8m, rebuilt from E3A, renumbered 574 by Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, and renumbered by Amtrak to 232
Boston and Maine Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |3821style="text-align:center;" |—to Missouri Pacific 42 in 1962
rowspan=2 |Baltimore and Ohio Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |16style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |26,A–32,A, 90,A–96,Astyle="text-align:center;" |—Even numbers only; 26,A-32,A were built with 567BC engines.
style="text-align:center;" |5style="text-align:center;" |6style="text-align:center;" |51, 53–56style="text-align:center;" |51X–56XModel E8m, rebuilt from EA and EB
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |38style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |9937B, 9938A,B–9948A,B, 9949A, 9964–9977style="text-align:center;" |—
Central of Georgia Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |2style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |811–812style="text-align:center;" |Delivered in CofGa Blue/Gray/Orange, later repainted into Illinois Central Chocolate/Orange and used as pool power for the Seminole
Chicago and North Western Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |22style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |5019B, 5021A,B–5030A,B, 5031A5019B rebuilt from E7Several former Union Pacific B units rebuilt and fitted with "Crandall Cabs"{{cite web | url=https://utahrails.net/cnw/cnw-number-index.php | title=C&NW Number Index }}{{cite web |title=C&NW's "Crandall Cab" Locomotives: Specs, Photos, History |url=https://www.american-rails.com/crandall-cabs.html |website=American-Rails.com |access-date=3 August 2021}}
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |13style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |644–656style="text-align:center;" |—656 is Model E8m (Rebuilt from an E6A by EMD)
Chesapeake and Ohio Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |31style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |4000–4030style="text-align:center;" |—
Canadian Pacific Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |3style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |1800–1802style="text-align:center;" |—Bought for joint Boston and Maine service in New England; only E-units purchased new by a Canadian railway. 1800 and 1802 to VIA Rail.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |9style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |812–820style="text-align:center;" |—EMD Demonstrators 810-811 became DL&W 810-811
Erie Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |14style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |820–833style="text-align:center;" |—E8A No. 833 survives.
Fort Worth and Denver Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |2style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |9981A,Bstyle="text-align:center;" |—
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad,style="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |100Astyle="text-align:center;" |—Model E8m, rebuilt from an ex-B&O EA
Illinois Central Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |16style="text-align:center;" |2style="text-align:center;" |4018–4033style="text-align:center;" |4104–41054031 and 4109 destroyed in the 1971 Salem, Illinois derailment and retired and scrapped.
rowspan=2|Kansas City Southern Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |4style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |26–29style="text-align:center;" |—
style="text-align:center;" |1style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |23style="text-align:center;" |—Model E8m, rebuilt from E3A
Louisville and Nashville Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |4style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |794–797style="text-align:center;" |—
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |9style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |106A,B, 107A,B, 131–135style="text-align:center;" |—
Missouri Pacific Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |4style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |7018–7021style="text-align:center;" |—renumbered 38–41
New York Central Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |8style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |4036–4095, 4003, 4020style="text-align:center;" |—4003 and 4020 rebuilt from 1953 wrecked E7s; same numbers
Pennsylvania Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |74style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |5700A–5716A, 5760A–5769A, 5788A–5799A, 5801A–5810A, 5835A–5839A, 5884A–5899A, 5902A–5905Astyle="text-align:center;" |—
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |15style="text-align:center;" |5style="text-align:center;" |1001–1015style="text-align:center;" |1051—10551013-1015 were built with 567BC engines
Seaboard Air Line Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |11style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |3049–3059style="text-align:center;" |—to Seaboard Coast Line 588-598, all except 597 inherited by Amtrak and renumbered 246-254
St. Louis–San Francisco Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |17style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |2006–2022style="text-align:center;" |—Named after famous horses, mostly racehorses.{{cite web|url=https://www.condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco-Museum-All-Aboards/AA1987.5.v1.12.pdf|title=Twenty-Four of Frisco's diesel passenger locomotives were named after famous horses| publisher=All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, May, 1987 (accessed on CondrenRails.com) | access-date=January 20, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco-Museum-All-Aboards/AA1987.6.v2.1.pdf|title=The Frisco Stable| publisher=All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, June 1987 (accessed on CondrenRails.com) | access-date=January 20, 2021}}
Southern Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |7style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |2923–2929style="text-align:center;" |—renumbered 6900-6905, 6916
Southern Railway (New Orleans and North Eastern)style="text-align:center;" |10style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |6906–6915style="text-align:center;" |—6906-6909 were built with 567BC engines; 6910-6915 were built with 567C engines.
Texas and Pacific Railwaystyle="text-align:center;" |8style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |2010–2017style="text-align:center;" |—renumbered 30–37
rowspan=2|Union Pacific Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |18style="text-align:center;" |24style="text-align:center;" |925–942style="text-align:center;" |926B–949B
style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |4style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |922B–925Brebuilt from E2B
Wabash Railroadstyle="text-align:center;" |14style="text-align:center;" |—style="text-align:center;" |1003–1015, 1000style="text-align:center;" |—
Totals45046

Surviving examples

Image:Sep22 0007.jpg

It is estimated that 58 E8s have survived.{{cite web| url=http://membrane.com/bigtoys/rail/units/e_units.html |title=Surviving E Units List |access-date=August 5, 2007 |publisher=Andrew Toppan}} The former NYC 4085, preserved at the New York Central Railroad Museum, was the lead locomotive on the final eastbound 20th Century Limited.{{cite web | url=http://www.nycrrmuseum.org/tour.html | title=National New York Central Railroad Museum - Tour | publisher=nycrrmuseum.org | access-date=August 5, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811132052/http://www.nycrrmuseum.org/tour.html | archive-date=August 11, 2007 | df=mdy-all }} Another surviving E8 was operated by the Midland Railway, in Baldwin City, Kansas. Privately owned, this unit is ex-Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad E8A #652 and was used for special events. It and its companion, E6A #630, have been sold to a new museum in Iowa, which will be centered around the Rock Island. New York Central 4097, privately owned, is on display at Merli Manufacturing Company in Duanesburg, New York.

The Monticello Railway Museum owns a former Pennsylvania Railroad E8A. It is currently undergoing restoration, and Monticello plans to paint it up as an Illinois Central E8 to match their collection of former Illinois Central passenger cars.

There are four Southern Railway E8As preserved. Unit #6900 is operational at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina, while the railway's #6901 is preserved at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA, and recently underwent an operational restoration by Norfolk Southern. These engines have pulled the Southern Crescent and both bear this train's distinct logo. A Southern Railway E8, #6913, is being restored at the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum in Oak Ridge, TN for their Southern excursion train. Yet another, Southern #6914, is nearing the completion of a nearly two-decade-long restoration at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, having been unveiled at the railroad's 2018 "Railfest", resplendent in green and gold complete with "NO&NE" sublettering.

The St Louis, Iron Mountain, & Southern Railway owns former Pennsylvania Railroad E8A #5898. It was previously owned by the Blue Mountain & Reading. It is the main engine used on their tourist train, and it was repainted in 2015.

Union Pacific E8AM #942 is owned by the Southern California Railway Museum, and is occasionally used on their tourist train, usually pulling the museum's small collection of former Union Pacific passenger cars. It carries the designation E8AM from its time in Chicago-area commuter service. After its time on the Union Pacific, #942 was sold to the Chicago and Northwestern, which used it in commuter service. After serving with CNW, the 942 moved on to serve Chicago's RTA. Upon retirement, it was donated to the museum, and subsequently restored to UP colors in 2012. It was rebuilt with a HEP generator which is what gives it the designation E8AM. However, unlike many E units rebuilt for commuter service, it retained its twin EMD 12-567B prime movers.

File:Union Pacific Railroad No. 942 at the Southern California Railway Museum, Perris California - August 2022.jpg.]]

Chicago and North Western #5022B, later renumbered to 519 and then used by Metra, is now labeled as "MREX 97", is at the Arizona Railway Museum. It is privately owned and stored on display.{{cite web | url=https://www.azrymuseum.org/roster/roster.html | title=ARM Equipment Roster }}

Baltimore & Ohio E8A #92 was kept offsite on a relic track at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland for many years after obtaining the unit from Amtrak (DOTX #210). On March 4, 2004, the museum gifted the unit to the West Virginia Railroad Museum. The WVRR Museum partnered with the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad to undertake restoration of the unit as of February 20, 2024. {{cite web | url=https://www.mybuckhannon.com/w-va-railroad-museum-durbin-greenbrier-valley-partner-to-save-historic-locomotive/ | title=B&O #92}}

Of the 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 (never operated{{cite web |url=https://www.the-boring-the-adoring.com/conrail-blog/conrail-4022-e8a-ocs |title=Conrail E8A 4022 }}), and two were sold off to Bennett Levin, CEO of the Juniata Terminal Company, where they have been overhauled and painted as twin Pennsylvania Railroad E8's. As of 2019, these units are not in operation due to a decision by the owner not to retrofit them with positive train control (PTC).{{cite magazine |author= |title=Private car owner: Safety issues, behavior led to Amtrak decision |url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/04/16-private-car-owner-safety-issues-behavior-led-to-amtrak-decision |magazine=Trains |publication-place=Waukesha, Wisconsin |publisher=Kalmbach Media |date=2018-04-16 |access-date=2019-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018164530/http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/04/16-private-car-owner-safety-issues-behavior-led-to-amtrak-decision |archive-date=2018-10-18 |url-status=live}}

Another, the former EL 833, was purchased by the New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad in 2007. The unit was repainted in its original livery as Erie 833, and was on display for a while on the turntable at Port Jervis, NY. Erie Railroad's E8A No. 833 is stored at Port Jervis station, in Port Jervis, New York, and had occasionally run on excursion trains.

In June 2008, two authentic New York Central E8 units (4080 & 4068) were brought to the Medina Railroad Museum in Western New York.{{cite web |last1=Widdifield |first1=Noel F. |title=NYC E8's move to Medina, NY |url=https://nycshs.org/2008/06/12/nyc-e8s-move-to-medina-ny/ |website=New York Central System Historical Society |access-date=3 August 2021 |language=en |date=12 June 2008}}

See also

{{portal|Trains}}

References

=Notes=

{{reflist}}

=Bibliography=

{{refbegin}}

  • {{Dorin-North Western|page=132}}
  • {{Lamb-Evolution}}
  • Marre, Louis A. (1982). Rock Island Diesel Locomotives - 1930-1980. Railfax, Inc. {{ISBN|0-942192-00-1}}.
  • {{Marre-diesel-50}}
  • {{Pinkepank diesel spotters guide 2|pages=EMD–124}}
  • Reich, Sy (1973). Diesel Locomotive Rosters – The Railroad Magazine Series. Wayner Publications. No Library of Congress or ISBN.
  • {{Schafer-Vintage Diesel}}
  • {{Solomon-American Diesel}}
  • {{Solomon-EMD Locomotives}}
  • {{Solomon-Vintage Diesel}}
  • {{Solomon-Electro-Motive}}
  • {{Solomon-North American Locomotives}}
  • {{Wilson-E Units}}
  • EMD Product Reference Data Card dated January 1, 1959 has the 567BC and 567C engine data used in the as-built roster.

{{refend}}

External links

{{commons category|EMD E8 locomotives}}

  • {{cite web |url=http://thedieselshop.us/Data%20EMD%20E8.HTML|title=EMC E8 Data Sheet|author=Bachand, Jean-Denis|access-date=January 27, 2013}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204090803/http://midland-ry.org/midland/mrr_eqp.html Midland Railway roster]
  • [http://membrane.com/bigtoys/rail/units/e_units.html Andrew Toppan's list]
  • [http://www.trainweb.org/galt-stn/cproster/topindex.htm CPR Diesel Locomotive Roster]

{{Amtrak rolling stock}}

{{Via Rail rolling stock}}

{{EMD cab and cowl}}

Category:A1A-A1A locomotives

Category:Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States

E8

Category:Locomotives with cabless variants

Category:Passenger locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1949

Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of Canada

Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States

Category:Diesel–electric locomotives of Canada

Category:Streamlined diesel locomotives

Category:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway locomotives

Category:Baltimore and Ohio locomotives

Category:Chicago and North Western Railway locomotives

Category:Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotives

Category:Chesapeake and Ohio locomotives

Category:Delaware, Lackawanna and Western locomotives

Category:Erie Railroad locomotives

Category:Illinois Central locomotives

Category:New York Central Railroad locomotives

Category:Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives

Category:St. Louis–San Francisco Railway locomotives

Category:Union Pacific Railroad locomotives