Locomotive profile: Alco’s C630 diesel electric locomotive

Norfolk & Western C630 No. 1134 at Roanoke, Virginia.

Norfolk & Western C630 No. 1134 at Roanoke, Virginia. Rick Johnson C630 •YEARS BUILT: 1965-1969 •MANUFACTURERS: Alco, Montreal •OPERATED ON: Atlantic Coast Line, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Chesapeake & Ohio, Louisville & Nashville, Norfolk & Western, Pacific Great Eastern, Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading, Southern Pacific, others •NAMES: C630, M630 •QUANTITY: 133 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN FOR: The […]

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Locomotive profile: DDA40X

Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska.

DDA40X Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska. Jim Wrinn DDA40X •YEARS BUILT: 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific (special order from UP) •NAME: Centennial, named to mark the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah. •QUANTITY: 47 •HORSEPOWER: 6,600 •KNOWN FOR: The most successful of UP’s twin-engine freight […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD F40PH series diesel electric locomotives

Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011.

Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011. Jim Wrinn F40PH-series •YEARS BUILT: 1976-1988 •MANUFACTURERS: Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, GMD of Canada •OPERATED ON: Amtrak, GO Transit, MBTA, Metra, Via Rail Canada •NAMES: F40PH, F40PHR, F40PH-2, F40PH-2M, F40PH-2C, F40PHM-2C; nicknames, Winnebago, Screamer, Thunder Box, Thunder Wagon •QUANTITY: 486 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD GP38 diesel electric locomotive

Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special.

Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special. Jim Wrinn GP38/AC/-2 •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1986 •MANUFACTURER: EMD/GMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: GP38, GP38AC, GP38-2; nicknames: Geep, High Hood (for SR and N&W), Wide Nose (for CN) •QUANTITY: 3,231 (967 GP38, GP38AC), (2,264 GP38-2) •HORSEPOWER: 2,000 •KNOWN FOR: […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD SD45 series diesel electric locomotives

Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum. Jim Wrinn SD45/-2 series •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1975 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: Hustle Muscle, Flares, Speed Machines, Tunnel Motor (for SD45T-2) •QUANTITY: 1,695 (1,312 SD45, SDP45), (383 SD45-2, SD45T-2) •HORSEPOWER: 3,600 •KNOWN FOR: Angled radiators at the rear on […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD SD70 series locomotives

BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana.

BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana. Jim Wrinn EMD-built SD70 series locomotives •YEARS BUILT: 1993-present •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: SD70, SD70I, SD70M, SD70MAC, SD75I, SD75M, SD70M-2, SD70ACe, SD70ACe-P4, SD70ACe-P6, SD70ACe-T4, and SD70-ACe-T4P4; nicknames: Big Mac, Mac, Grinstein, Flags, Flares […]

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Locomotive profile: Fairbanks-Morse Train Master

Canadian Pacific Train Master No. 8905 at ExpoRail in Montreal, Quebec.

Canadian Pacific Train Master No. 8905 at ExpoRail in Montreal, Quebec. Jim Wrinn Train Master •YEARS BUILT: 1953-1956 •MANUFACTURER: Fairbanks-Morse •OPERATED ON: Canadian National; Canadian Pacific; Central of New Jersey; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Pennsylvania Railroad; Reading; Southern; Southern Pacific; Virginian; Wabash •NAMES: Train Master, H-24-66 •QUANTITY: 127 •HORSEPOWER: 2,400 •KNOWN FOR: Poor performance at […]

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Locomotive profile: Gas-electric turbine locomotives

Gaselectricturbine

A Union Pacific gas-electric turbine locomotive at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. Jim Wrinn Gas-electric turbines •YEARS BUILT: 1938-1962 •MANUFACTURERS: Partnerships between General Electric & Alco; GE, Baldwin & Lima; Westinghouse & Baldwin •OPERATED ON: Chesapeake & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, Pennsylvania, Union Pacific •NAMES: Jawn Henry on N&W; Blue Goose for Westinghouse, […]

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Locomotive profile: GE, Wabtec Evolution series locomotives

Canadian Pacific Evolution series ES44AC No. 8888 in Wisconsin.

Canadian Pacific Evolution series ES44AC No. 8888 in Wisconsin. Jim Wrinn Evolution series •YEARS BUILT: 2003-present •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: ES40DC, ES44DC, ES44AC, ES44C4, ET44AC, ET44C4 •QUANTITY: 7,325 as of Dec. 31, 2017 •HORSEPOWER: 4,400 •KNOWN FOR: Primary freight locomotive of the early 21st century in […]

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Locomotive profile: U25B

U25B No. 3100 calls Orange Empire Railway Museum home.

U25B No. 3100 calls Orange Empire Railway Museum home. Jim Wrinn U25B •YEARS BUILT: 1959-1966 •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Santa Fe, Burlington, Chesapeake & Ohio, Erie Lackawanna, Great Northern, Louisville & Nashville, Milwaukee Road, New York Central, New Haven, Pennsylvania Railroad, Frisco, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Rock Island, Wabash •NAME: U-boat •QUANTITY: 478 •HORSEPOWER: […]

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Locomotive profile: U50

Union Pacific U50 No. 45 at Kearney, Nebraska, in September 1970.

Union Pacific U50 No. 45 at Kearney, Nebraska, in September 1970. Francis Wiener, T. Hoffman Collection U50 •YEARS BUILT: 1963-1965, 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific, Southern Pacific •NAMES: U50 and U50C; nicknames, Twin Diesels, Double Diesels, Whirlybirds, Choppers, Stalkcutters, Rock Crushers •QUANTITY: 66 •HORSEPOWER: 5,000 •KNOWN FOR: Large cab with curved nose; […]

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