EMD F3

The EMD F3 is a 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW) B-B freight- and passenger-hauling carbody diesel locomotive produced between July 1945 and February 1949 by General MotorsElectro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. A total of 1,111 cab-equipped lead A units and 696 cabless booster B units were built.

EMD F3
BN #9762, ex-NP #6502, leading the North Coast Hiawatha into Yakima, Washington in August 1971.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderGeneral Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
ModelF3
Build dateJuly 1945 – February 1949
Total produced1,111 A units, 696 B units
Specifications
Configuration:
  AARB-B
Gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
TrucksBlomberg B
Wheel diameter40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve23° (250.79 ft or 76.44 m radius)
Wheelbase39 ft (11.89 m)
Length50 ft 8 in (15.44 m)
Width10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Height15 ft (4.57 m)
Loco weight234,000 lb (106,000 kg)
Fuel capacity1,200 US gal (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal)
Prime moverEMD 567B
RPM range275-800
Engine typeTwo-stroke V16 diesel
AspirationRoots-type supercharger
Displacement9,072 cu in (148.66 L)
GeneratorEMD D-12
Traction motors(4) EMD D-17-B or D-27-B
Cylinders16
Cylinder size8 12 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm)
Performance figures
Maximum speed103 mph (166 km/h)
Power output1,500 hp (1.1 MW)
Tractive effort55,000 lb (25,000 kg)

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 F3's had the same D27 traction motors, along with the heavier-duty electrical cables, used in the F7, and were referred to as model F5 by EMD's Engineering Department.

Engine and powertrain

The F3 used a 16-cylinder 567B series diesel engine developing 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) at 800 rpm. The 567 was designed specifically for railroad locomotives, a mechanically scavenged, or "blown" 2 stroke 45 degree V type with 567 cu in (9.29 L) displacement per cylinder, for a total of 9,072 cu in (148.66 L). A D.C. generator powered four traction motors, two on each Blomberg B truck. EMD has built all of its major components since 1939.[1][2]

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 fabricated stainless steel grille.

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

F3 phases

The identification of locomotive "phases" is a creation of railfans. EMD used no such identification, and instead only kept track of the marketing name (e.g. F2, F3, F7, etc.) and individual locomotives' build (serial) numbers. During the production cycle of a particular model, as design and production techniques improved, all builders would invariably make minor changes. To better keep track of noticeable, and not so noticeable differences in appearance that a locomotive model would acquire during the course of its production run, locomotive historians began documenting any subtle or minor changes made to a particular diesel locomotive model as "phases", and referring to these as such. This practice has proved very popular over the years among diesel locomotive modelers looking to create the most "true to life" models possible.

Despite not being official designations, phase descriptions are quite useful to the diesel spotter and record keeper, but sometimes tricky as many of the changes described are mostly cosmetic and easily altered features of a locomotive - roof fans, body panels, grilles, etc. that could be - and often were - updated or swapped interchangeably during production runs.

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 highly modified locomotives survive from this series, rebuilt as FP10s, 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, pancake fans.

Phase III

Built from March 1948. (Surviving F3's former BAR 42,44,46 are still Phase 2 and were built in MAY 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.

"F5"

The first "F5A" EMDX demonstrator #59 was built in March 1948. Production of the "F5" started in August 1948 through the end of F3 production in February 1949. The difference between the "F5" and the F3 were the D27 traction motors with heavier-duty cables and higher capacity traction motor blowers fitted. Nearly all previously built F3's received the same upgrades by 1955. A total of 381 F5As and 238 F5Bs were produced. The note in the January 1, 1959 EMD Service Department Locomotive Reference Data states, "All F5 locomotives were delivered as F3 units." All EMD DC traction motors are backwards compatible so as the better motors became available the D37, D47, D57, D67 and D77 all could be found on an F unit.

Original owners

RailroadQuantity
A units
Quantity
B units
Road numbers
A units
Road numbers
B units
Notes
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrators)
2
2
291A1, 291A2
291B1, 291B2
291A1 to Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway 100A, 291A2 wrecked, 291B1 to TP&W 100B, 291B2 to EMD 754B1, to Monon 65C
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrators)
2
754A1, 754A2
to Monon 85 A,B
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrators)
1
951
to Kansas City Southern Railway (Louisiana and Arkansas Railway) 59A
Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad
2
200–201
201 to Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac 1111
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
12
12
336–347
336B–347B
Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway
1
1501
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
46
47
16,C–36,C,
200,C–201,C
16A,B–36A,B, 32A:2nd
200A,B–201A,B
Passenger units, 32A returned to EMD and replaced by 32A (2nd), 32A (1st) rebuilt as F7B later sold to ATSF as 48A
Freight units
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
8
4
500A–507A
600B–603B
A units renumbered 40–47, B units to Pennsylvania Railroad 9530B-9536B even. #44 and #46 are repainted Lackawanna and are the oldest operating unmodified F3A's as of May, 2015
Boston and Maine Railroad
2
2
4227A–4228A
4227B–4228B
4227AB-4228AB were Phase IV F3s built with D17 traction motors
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
67
7
82,A–86,A, 88 (even),
113,A–171,A (odd)
82X,AX–86X,AX, 88X (even)
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
58
52
116A,D–138A,D, 160A,C–162A,C, 9960A,C–9962A,C
116B,C–138B,C, 160B–162B, 9960B–9962B
9960–9962 passenger units
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
16
7
1200–1205,
1400–1409
1300–1301,
1500–1504
passenger units
freight units (as dual service locomotives)
Chicago Great Western Railway
33
16
101–115A,C, 150–152
101B–112B, 101D–104D
150–152 passenger units
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway (“Monon”)
22
5
51A,B-52A,B 61A,B–64A,B
81A,B–84A,B, 62B:2nd, 64A:2nd
61C–64C, 64C:2nd
62B:2nd, 64A:2nd, and 64C:2nd are wreck replacements, 81A,B–84A,B passenger units
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road")
8
8
80A,D-83A,D
80B,C-83B,C
81D,C-83D,C renumbered 84A,B-86A,B
Canadian National Railway
4
2
9000, 9002, 9003, 9005
9001, 9004
Central of Georgia Railway
9
901–909
Central Railroad of New Jersey
10
5
50–59
A–E
Chicago and North Western Railway
28
11
4051C–4054C, 4055A,C–4066A,C
4055B–4063B, 4065B–4066B
Clinchfield Railroad
6
3
800–805
850–852
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
24
16
605A,C–606A,C, 621A,C, 655A–662A, 801A,C–805A,C
605B–606B, 622B, 655B–662B, 801B–805B
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
8
8
5521/4–5541/4, 5561/4
5522/3–5542/3, 5562/3
D&RGW #5561-5564 are listed in EMD Product Data Jan. 1, 1959 as F7s built in November 1948.
Erie Railroad
24
17
706A,D–710A,D,
800A,D–806A,D
706B,C–710B,C,
800B–806B
Florida East Coast Railway
8
4
501–508
551–554
Georgia Railroad
1
1001
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
32
8
800A,B–810A,B, 811A, 880A,B-882A,B, 883A–885A
B60–B64, B80–B82
Great Northern Railway
53
24
225–231, 259A,B, 260A–261A, 262A,B–265A,B, 266A–267A, 306A,C, 350A,C–358A,C, 375C–376C, 430A,D–438A,D (even)
260B–261B, 266B–267B, 306B, 350B–358B, 430B,C–438B,C (even)
350–358 passenger units
Grand Trunk Western Railroad
22
9006–9027
#9016-9027 were Phase IV units built with D17 traction motors
Kansas City Southern Railway
12
12
30A–31A, 50A,D–54A,D
30B–31B, 50B,C–54B,C
Kansas City Southern Railway (Louisiana and Arkansas Railway)
8
8
55A,D–58A,D
55B,C–58B,C
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
2
3
2500–2501
2550–2552
Lehigh Valley Railroad
10
10
510–528 (even)
511–529 (odd)
Maine Central Railroad
8
2
671A–672A, 681–686
671B–672B
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad
14
7
201A,C–207A,C
201B–207B
Missouri Pacific Railroad
28
16
513–524, 561–576
513B–518B, 561B–570B
Missouri Pacific Railroad (International-Great Northern Railroad)
12
6
525–528, 553–560
525B–526B, 553B–556B
Missouri Pacific Railroad (St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway)
24
529–552
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
6
248A,C, 348A,C, 448A,C
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
9
12
800–808
900–911
Northern Pacific Railway
25
24
6011A,D–6017A,D,
6500A-6506A, 6503C-6506C (2nd)
6011B,C–6015B,C,
6500B,C–6506B,C
6000s freight units (as dual service locomotives), 6500s passenger units, many renumbered.
New York Central Railroad
34
18
1606–1635
3500–3503
2404–2419
3600–3601
Freight units (as dual service locomotives)
Passenger units
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
5
2
821–822, 501–503
821B–822B
Pennsylvania Railroad
80
40
9500A–9561A, 9563A-9567A, 9677A–9689A
9500B–9528B, 9540B–9546B, 9548B-9554B (even)
Reading Company
6
6
260A–265A
260B–265B
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
11
4022–4032
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (“Frisco”)
18
18
5000–5017
5100–5117
Soo Line
10
200A,B–204A,B
Soo Line (Wisconsin Central Railway)
2
1
2200A,B
2200C
Southern Railway
79
65
4128–4206
4320–4384
Southern Railway (Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway)
8
4
6106–6113
6153–6159
Southern Railway (Alabama Great Southern Railroad)
12
6
6702–6713
6750–6755
Southern Railway (New Orleans and North Eastern Railway)
3
1
6804–6806
6829
Southern Pacific Company
80
80
6100A,D–6139A,D
6100B,C–6139B,C
6100A,D-6117A,D to Texas & New Orleans 300-337, 6100B,C-6117B,C to Texas & New Orleans 500-537, 6118A,D-6139A,D renumbered 6138-6179, 6118B,C-6139B,C renumbered 8038-8079
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
3
800A1, 800A2, 802
Renumbered 800–801. 801-802 to BN 9750,9752
Union Pacific Railroad
89
90
905–910, 964A–968A, 1400A–1441A, 1442–1463, 1550–1563
905B,C–909B,C (odd), 969B–978B, 1442B–1471B, 1430B,C–1458B,C (even)
964A-968A renumbered 900-904, 1400A-1441A renumbered 1400-1441, 969B-978B renumbered 900B,C-904B,C, 1442B-1471B renumbered 1400B,C-1428B,C (even)
Western Railway of Alabama
1
501
Western Maryland Railway
2
51–52
Western Pacific Railroad
3
6
801A–803A
801B,C–803B,C
Totals1111695

Surviving examples

A Metro-North FP10 that was formerly an F3 (originally GM&O and later an Illinois Central #880A) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, operates for Metro-North Railroad in 2005. This locomotive was rebuilt into an FP10 for the MBTA.

Twelve F3s survive today at a variety of museums; ten being A units and two being B units.

Metro-North Railroad still had three FP10 units in service, which are rebuilt F3s, before BL20GHs took over. Lately, with the leasing of GE P40DCs from Amtrak, their usage of in revenue service has declined. Those went to the Shore Line East when the BL20GHs took over. These units were originally built for the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio railroad and rebuilt by Illinois Central to FP10 status for MBTA. Metro North originally acquired four of the units, but one was acquired by the Adirondack Scenic Railway for service out of Utica, New York. The CN and three ex-BAR surviving F3 units retain their original appearance and specifications.

The Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton, Alberta owns Canadian National F3 #9000. #9000 was the first diesel road freight locomotive ordered for a Canadian railway and one of the only six F3's to be owned by a Canadian Railway. #9000 was built in 1948 and was part of an order for six locomotives (two A-B-A sets).[3]

Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania is home to former Bangor and Aroostook F3s 44 (owned by the Tri-State chapter of the NRHS in Morristown, New Jersey) and 46 (owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society). Both engines were initially restored as Jersey Central 56 and 57, but as of 2012 have been repainted as Lackawanna 663 and 664. These engines, along with BAR 42, are the oldest "chicken wire" style F3s in existence and are used on most long distance excursions from the park. The ARHS also owns a former Boston & Maine F7B (4268B), which has been altered to resemble a F3B. It is also currently located in Scranton, and as of May 2014 has been cosmetically restored as DL&W 664B, with mechanical restoration still to come.

The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, the corporate successor to BAR, owned #42, which was renumbered back to its original number, 502, when it was repainted into the original gray and yellow scheme. After the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster and the subsequent bankruptcy and liquidation of the railway, this locomotive was purchased, along with most of the rest of the former railway's assets, by the Fortress Investment Group and formed into the Central Maine and Quebec Railway.

The Southern Appalachia Railway Museum owns Clinchfield Railroad F3 #800. In 2018 it was repainted to the classic CRR black and yellow by CSX, and operated on excursion trains in Orlando, FL until leaving to move Chesapeake and Ohio 2716 from New Haven, KY to Ravenna, KY. It is now at SARM over one year after its acquisition by the museum. During the time the #800 was operated by CSX, it wore the railroad's then-current YN2 paint scheme.

There is a ex-Clinchfield Railroad F3B unit, originally numbered 852 and rebuilt to an F7B, stored at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN. It’s owned by Vintage Locomotive Inc but is stored on the property, making it not likely to be restored by the TVRM.

Wilson, the main protagonist of the children's television show Chuggington, is based on an EMD F3 cab unit.

Since 1948, Lionel has made models of the F3 in many versions and paint schemes. The 1948 to 1949 Santa Fe F3 is arguably the most famous toy train ever made. The 2345 Lionel Western Pacific, in production for only one year, is the one of the rarest and most sought after variants of postwar Lionel F3 model train production.

References

Notes

  1. Pinkpank, Jerry A (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter’s Guide. Kalmbach Books. pp. 13, 26, 90–101. ISBN 0-89024-026-4.
  2. Ross, David, ed. (2003). The Encyclopedia of Trains and Locomotives. pp. 261, 273. ISBN 978-0-7607-9679-5.
  3. http://www.railwaymuseum.ab.ca/node/21#9000 Archived 2010-10-26 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

  • Dorin, Patrick C. (1972). Chicago and North Western Power. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing. pp. 119–121. ISBN 0-87564-715-4.
  • Furhman, Jim. EMD F2-F3-F5 Phase Chart. Retrieved January 2, 2005
  • Lamb, J. Parker (2007). Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive. Railroads Past and Present. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34863-0.
  • Marre, Louis A. (1995). Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years: A Guide to Diesels Built Before 1972. Railroad Reference Series. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-258-2.
  • Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 7, 12, 26, 91–94. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.
  • Russell, Larry G. "The F5" Extra 2200 South #96 pages 19–22, and 28.
  • Schafer, Mike (1998). Vintage Diesel Locomotives. Enthusiast Color Series. Osceola, Wisconsin: MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7603-0507-2.
  • Solomon, Brian (2000). The American Diesel Locomotive. Osceola, Wisconsin: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7603-0666-6.
  • Solomon, Brian (2005). EMD F-Unit Locomotives. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-192-5.
  • Solomon, Brian (2006). EMD Locomotives. St. Paul, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2396-0.
  • Solomon, Brian (2010). Vintage Diesel Power. Minneapolis, Minnesota: MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7603-3795-0.
  • Solomon, Brian (2011). Electro-Motive E-Units and F-Units: The Illustrated History of North America's Favorite Locomotives. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-4007-3.
  • Solomon, Brian (2012). North American Locomotives: A Railroad-by-Railroad Photohistory. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-4370-8.
  • Wilson, Jeff (1999). F Units: The Diesels That Did It. Golden Years of Railroading. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-374-9.

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