EMD E8
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) |
| Model | E8 |
| Build date | August 1949 – January 1954 |
| Total produced | 450 A units, 46 B units |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| AAR wheel arr. | A1A-A1A |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Trucks | EMD Blomberg A-1-A passenger |
| Wheel diameter | 36 in (914 mm) |
| Minimum curve | 21° (274.37 ft or 83.63 m radius) |
| Length | 70 ft 3 in (21.41 m) |
| Width | 10 ft 7 1⁄2 in (3.239 m) |
| Height | 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m) |
| Loco weight |
A unit: 315,000 lb (143,000 kg), B unit: 290,000 lb (130,000 kg) |
| Prime mover | (2) EMD 567B |
| Engine type | V12 Two-stroke diesel |
| Aspiration | Roots-type supercharger |
| Displacement | 6,804 cu in (111.50 L) each |
| Generator | (2) EMD D-15-A |
| Traction motors | (4) GM D-27-B |
| Cylinders | (2) 12 |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 85–117 mph (137–188 km/h) dep on gearing |
| Power output | 2,250 hp (1,678 kW) total |
| Tractive effort | 56,500 lb (25,600 kg) starting, 31,000 lb (14,000 kg) continuous |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Locale | United States |
| Disposition | most scrapped, several preserved |
The E8 was a 2,250-horsepower (1,678 kW), A1A-A1A passenger-train locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of La Grange, Illinois. 450 cab versions, or E8As, were built from August 1949 to January 1954, 447 for the U.S. and 3 for Canada. 46 E8Bs were built from December 1949 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 at total of 21 E8As were built which used either the 567BC or 567C engines.
In profile the front of the nose of E7, E8, and E9 units is less slanted than earlier EMD units, and 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, 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").
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.
It is estimated that 58 E8s have survived. The former NYC 4085, preserved at the New York Central Railroad Museum, was the lead locomotive on the final eastbound 20th Century Limited. Another surviving E8 was operated by the Midland Railway, in Baldwin City, Kansas. Privately owned, this unit is ex-Chicago, Rock Island & 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. NYC 4096, recently restored, is also on display. New York Central 4097, privately owned, is on display at Merli Manufacturing Company in Duanesburg, New York.
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Wikipedia