Santa Fe CF7

{{Short description|EMD F-unit railroad locomotive converted for switching duty}}

{{stack|

{{Infobox locomotive

| name=Santa Fe CF7

| powertype=Diesel-electric

| image=Suffolk Va.JPG

| caption=Locomotive #517, a CF7, was the main power on the Commonwealth Railway in Suffolk, Virginia.

| builder=General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD);
rebuilt by Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, Cleburne, Texas shops

| buildmodel=CF7

| rebuilddate=February 1969/1970 – 1978

| numberrebuilt=233

| aarwheels=B-B

| uicclass=Bo′Bo′

| gauge={{track gauge|ussg}}

| length={{convert|48|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}

| locoweight={{convert|249000|lb|tonne}}

| primemover=EMD 16-567BC

| enginetype=2-stroke diesel

| aspiration=Roots blower

| displacement={{convert|9072|cuin|L|1|abbr=in|sp=us}}

| cylindercount=V16

| cylindersize={{convert|8.5|x|10|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| transmission=DC generator,
DC traction motors

| maxspeed={{convert|65|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}

| poweroutput={{convert|1750|hp|kW|-1|abbr=on}}

| tractiveeffort={{convert|62250|lbf|kN|1|abbr=on}}

| locobrakes=Straight air

| trainbrakes=26 L air on later units, 24RL on earlier units

| locale=North America

}}

The Santa Fe CF7 is an EMD F-unit railroad locomotive that has had its {{clarification needed span|text=streamlined carbody removed and replaced with a custom-made, "general purpose" body|reason= How was this done, as a carbody is a structural element of the unit?|date=May 2025}} in order to adapt the unit for switching duty. All of the conversions were performed by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway's Cleburne, Texas, workshops between February 1970 and March 1978.Is rebuilding the answer? Railway Age June 8, 1970 pages 29/30{{Cite book|last=Glischinski, Steve.|title=Santa Fe Railway|date=1997|publisher=Motorbooks International|isbn=0-7603-0380-0|location=Osceola, WI, USA|page=121|chapter=p121|oclc=37567382|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lBKFXZC-_ZYC&pg=PA121}} This was Santa Fe's most notable remanufacturing project, with 233 units completed during that time.Santa Fe's born-again road-switchers Railway Age September 14, 1981 pages 40-44, 106 The program was initiated in response to a system-wide need for more than 200 additional four-axle diesel road switchers to meet projected motive power demands on branch lines and secondary main lines.

Santa Fe's aging fleet of F7 units were approaching retirement age in 1970. These units were remanufactured into switchers and named CF7. Santa Fe used them for a decade and sold many of them to short lines around the states. Many of those were still being used as of 2003.{{Cite book|last=Solomon|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HNrEwI2U4kC&pg=PA48|title=Santa Fe Railway|publisher=Voyageur Press|year=2003|isbn=1610606728|pages=48}}

In service

The CF7s worked within all segments of the Santa Fe system. While most saw action switching cars and transporting local freight, others could be found in multiple unit consists hauling mainline drags. The units distinguished themselves working on potash trains between Clovis and Carlsbad, New Mexico; Nos. 2612–2625, all equipped with remote control equipment (RCE), were typically "mated" to road slugs (converted cabless F-units). CF7s also powered grain trains across the Plains Division.

The Santa Fe had planned in the mid-1980s to renumber its CF7 fleet from 2649–2417 to 1131–1000 and repaint the units in the new Kodachrome paint scheme, all in preparation for the planned Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad merger. However, the Interstate Commerce Commission subsequently denied the merger application, and no CF7s were decorated in the new livery. Amtrak used some of them, with mixed results.

=Secondary roles=

File:Pittsburg August 2015 12 (Watco CF7 No. 5).jpg CF7 #5 at Pittsburg, Texas, in August 2015]]

Changing philosophies regarding motive power expenditures led the Santa Fe to begin trimming its CF7 roster in 1984. The majority of the locomotives were sold for as little as $20,000 to short-line and regional railroads such as the Rail Link, Inc., the York Railway, and the Maryland & Delaware Railroad (6 were involved in wrecks and 3 others sent directly to the scrap yards), though Amtrak and GE Transportation were among the major initial purchasers. As of 2017, any CF7s still in service are over 60 years old.

Preservation

Several CF7s are preserved and operational on many tourist and local trains. Among them are:

2546 at the Kentucky Railway Museum{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyrail.org/equipment/|title=Equipment|website=Kentucky Railway Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-27}}
2571 at the Oklahoma Railway Museum{{Cite web|url=https://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/plan-your-visit/exhibits-grounds/equipment/|title=Equipment|website=Oklahoma Railway Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-29}}
IMC 204 at the Florida Railroad Museum{{Cite web|url=https://www.frrm.org/locomotives/|title=Equipment|website=Florida Railroad Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2025-05-29}}

References

{{cite web|title=Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe CF7|work=QStation|url=http://www.qstation.org/CF7/index.html|accessdate=December 6, 2005}} Includes background and modeling information, equipment rosters, and a photo gallery.
{{cite web|title=CF7: The Ugly Duckling? |work=Locomotive Rebuilding Programs |url=http://www.trainweb.org/indianashortlines/cf7.htm |accessdate=December 6, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217013230/http://www.trainweb.org/indianashortlines/cf7.htm |archive-date=December 17, 2005 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite web|title=The History of EMD Diesel Engines|work=Pacific Southwest Railway Museum|url=http://www.sdrm.org/roster/diesel/emd/history/|accessdate=December 14, 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060113133914/http://www.sdrm.org/roster/diesel/emd/history/|archive-date=January 13, 2006}}
{{cite book|author=Duke, Donald |author-link=Donald Norman Duke |year=1997|title=Santa Fe: The Railroad Gateway to the American West, Volume Two|publisher=Golden West Books |location=San Marino, CA|isbn=0-87095-110-6}}
{{Cite journal | last1 = Middleton | first1 = Keel | year = 2005 | title = Wheat Harvest on the Plains Division | journal = The Warbonnet | volume = 12 | issue = 4| pages = 6–23 }}
{{cite book|author=Pinkepank, Jerry A.|title=The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing Co. |location=Milwaukee, WI|year=1973|isbn=0-89024-026-4}}

Santa Fe CF7

In service

=Secondary roles=

Preservation

See also

References

Further reading