GE NAMING CONVENTION PART 1: A TALE OF THREE NEW SERIES AND THE DASH 8

   

A promotional GE paper depicting the C30-7A, a model unique to Conrail.
Note that this paper describes the locomotive as having 3100 horsepower.

  
    General Electric's locomotive catalog had a constantly changing, very comprehensive naming system designed to differentiate every model at a glance without having to see the model. Every part of their naming convention was specially designed to differentiate different models, and allow for simplicity of naming and discussion... Except for one example: the "New Series".

    "New Series" is a name GE used to describe not one, not two, but three different lines of locomotives built between 1976 and 1986. Worse still, sometimes GE's own numbering convention fails their equipment - see the above Conrail C30-7A having 3100 horsepower. In this post I hope to discuss all of the "New Series" by catalog and by model, to hopefully provide a differentiator between the three catalogs.

NEW SERIES - 1977

The admittedly undescriptive cover of a 1977 New Series operating manual.

 

    Despite being called the 1977 New Series, this line of locomotives was actually introduced in 1976. The 1977 New Series was a line of FRA clean cab complying replacements to the Universal line, including a handful of improvements to the ergonomics of the locomotive. Despite carbody changes and minor improvements across the board, these locomotives were largely identical to their Universal counterparts. Of note is that GE provided a direct replacement to every then-cataloged Universal in 1976.

4 AXLE

• B18-7 (UNBUILT) - Direct replacement for the U18B. The only model in the entire domestic series other than the U18B and U18BT (unbuilt) to include the FDL8.
• B23-7 - Direct replacement for the U23B. Used the FDL12.
  
• B28-7 (UNBUILT) - A new model for this line. Would have used the FDL12.
  
• B30-7 - Direct replacement for the U30B. Used the FDL16.
  
• B33-7 (UNBUILT) - Direct replacement for the U33B. Would have used the FDL16.
  
• B36-7 (UNBUILT)* - Direct replacement for the U36B. This is not the same locomotive as the B36-7 covered later on in this post. Would have used the FDL16.

*SSW's preproduction B36-7's technically count as original B36-7's as they are on the original 1977 revision 4 axle frame. I hesitate to call these New Series B36-7's largely due to their prototype status and otherwise functional identity as later B36-7's, however.

6 AXLE

• C23-7 (UNBUILT) - Direct replacement for the U23C. Would have used the FDL12.
  
• C28-7 (UNBUILT) - A new model for this line. Would have used the FDL12.
• C30-7 - Direct replacement for the U30C. Used the FDL16.
• C33-7 (UNBUILT) - Direct replacement for the U33C. Would have used the FDL16.
• C36-7 - Direct replacement for the U36C. This is not the same locomotive as the C36-7 covered later on in this post. Used the FDL16; only ordered by NdeM and Hamersley Iron.

    The 1977 New Series was very comprehensive in its catalog, however the lack of deviation from standard horsepower brackets (the only 1977 New Series' built were B23-7's, B30-7's, and C30-7's) is apparent. Most railroads were purchasing line haul drag power in the C30-7 or road freight power in the B23-7 and B30-7. Do note the B36-7 and C36-7 in this line; they are functionally different from the later built models covered in the next section of this article, and the B28-7 and C28-7, both offered as more fuel efficient V12 models of the B30-7 and C30-7. While neither would be built, they would be iterated on further in the next catalog iteration in 1980.

NEW SERIES 7 - 1980

The cover of a 1980 revision Series 7 manual. Note the added 7 to the New Series moniker.

    The next catalog upgrade from GE came in 1980 with the "New Series 7". GE shortened the 1977 New Series name down to only the decade digit, differentiating these locomotives as 1970's designs. Unlike the 1977 New Series, New Series 7 actually included new models with major upgrades and improvements. GE also trimmed away the catalog down to only the most popular models.

4 AXLE

• B23-7 - Carried over from the 1977 New Series catalog with no major changes. Used the FDL12.
  
• B30-7A - A new model for this series. Intended to replace the B30-7, however both were offered concurrently. Used the FDL12.
  
• B30-7 - Carried over from the 1977 New Series catalog with no major changes. Used the FDL16.
• B36-7 - A new model for this series. Used the FDL16.

6 AXLE

• C30-7A - A new model for this series. Intended to replace the C30-7, however both were offered concurrently. Used the FDL12.
• C30-7 - Carried over from the 1977 New Series catalog with no major changes. Used the FDL16.
• C36-7 - A new model for this series. Used the FDL16.

    GE's apparent laser focus with the New Series 7 into fuel efficiency and raw power seems apparent on paper, but is much more apparent in reality, as the horsepower numbers listed in these locomotives are very flexible depending on era. As an example, a C36-7 built in 1980 is most likely 3600 horsepower, however much later production units (such as Missouri Pacific's) are 3750. The 3000 horsepower V12 locomotives are descended from the unbuilt 2750 horsepower B28-7 and C28-7, and can be 3100 horsepower if ordered late enough.

    The new models in this catalog are unique in that they carry GE's GTA-24 alternator (with the exception of the C30-7A) and SENTRY creep control, allowing for greatly improved low speed performance. This is in stark contrast to the 1977 New Series' 3600 horsepower models, which would have used performance control and power reduction in place of advanced creep control.

NEW SERIES 8 - 1984

The cover of GE's Series 8 Handbook.

    The last catalog iteration to use the New Series moniker was the 1984 series, dubbed New Series 8. Very few people in enthusiast circles describe this series as such, however; the "Classic Dash 8" has stuck far better. Truthfully, Classic Dash 8 is a better descriptor, as these models are functionally proto-Dash 8's in technology and performance.

    It should be noted that, unlike the change between 1977 and 1980, the New Series 7 was still offered alongside the New Series 8. The last New Series 7's were built in 1986 (an order of C30-7's for NdeM), and although none were built beyond then, paper material suggests that they were still available as late as 1991.

4 AXLE

• B23-8 (UNBUILT) - A direct replacement for the B23-7. Would have used the FDL12.
• B32-8 - A direct replacement for the B30-7A. Used the FDL12.
• B39-8 - A direct replacement for the B36-7. Used the FDL16.

6 AXLE

• C32-8 - A direct replacement for the C30-7A. Used the FDL12.
• C39-8 - A direct replacement for the C36-7. Used the FDL16.

    The catalog has been streamlined even further here, trimming away the V16 3000 horsepower offerings and totally replacing them with V12 equivalents. This line of locomotives are also the first to include GE's GMG series alternators, which would continue to be built by GE well into the era of the Evolution line.

    In early 1987, GE introduced an iterative upgrade to the New Series 8 which massively overhauled the carbody and made minor changes to the locomotive's internal layout. Despite the massive changes between 1986 production Series 8's and 1987 production Series 8's, GE did not differentiate between them. Enthusiast circles have dubbed these models as "Enhanced", placing an E at the end of their names, however these are not official. Only two models of Series 8 ever received "Enhanced" variants: B39-8's built for lease service to BN and the last NS order of C39-8's.

DASH 8 - 1987

GE promotional photograph of Conrail 6050, the class unit of their Dash 8-40CW fleet. Conrail classified these units as C40-8W.

    GE introduced the Series 8's replacement later in 1987, with the first Dash 8's appearing on the market. Direct replacements for all models (minus the B23-8) were immediately available, with the V16 equipped models receiving a minor horsepower increase to 4000. GE also introduced a new naming convention with this catalog, dropping New Series and replacing it with Dash and the decade of introduction (GE was already in the planning stages for the Dash 9 at the time of the Dash 8's introduction).

• Dash 8-32B - A direct replacement for the B32-8. Used the FDL12.
• Dash 8-40B - A direct replacement for the B39-8. Used the FDL16.
• Dash 8-32C (UNBUILT) - A direct replacement for the C32-8. Would have used the FDL12.
• Dash 8-40C - A direct replacement for the C39-8. Used the FDL16.

Widecab variants came later on, with the first widecab 6 axle appearing in 1989 for UP and the first widecab 4 axle appearing in 1990 for ATSF.

• Dash 8-40BW - A widecab alternative to the Dash 8-40B.
• Dash 8-40CW - A widecab alternative to the Dash 8-40C. 

Other special order models under the Dash 8 umbrella include:

• Dash 8-32BWH - HEP equipped V12 powered 3200 horsepower widecab passenger locomotive. Special order for Amtrak.
• Dash 8-40BP - The Genesis! Specifically the 4000 horsepower model. Also known as P40DC, GENESIS Type 1, and AMD-103. Special order for Amtrak.
• Dash 8-42BP - The second generation Genesis. Also known as the P42DC and GENESIS Type II.
• Dash 8-32BP-DM - Third rail capable AC traction motor equipped V12 powered 3200 horsepower Genesis. Also known as the P32AC-DM. Purchased by Amtrak and Metro-North.
• Dash 8-40CM - Full width cowl carbody Dofasco high adhesion truck equipped Dash 8-40C. Made for the Canadian market; purchased by BC Rail and Canadian National. 

I originally omitted the P42DC from this list as I had not seen it referred to with a Dash 8 moniker. I have since been proven wrong; it is referred to as a Dash 8-42BP in parts manuals.

Much later in the life of the Dash 8, GE offered horsepower upgrades to 4135 horsepower instead of 4000, birthing the following models. The upgrade could also be done to previous Dash 8's.

• Dash 8-41CW - Factory optional 4135 horsepower upgrade for the Dash 8-40CW. Purchased by ATSF and UP.
• Dash 8-44CW - 4390 horsepower upgrade for the Dash 8-40CW. CSX exclusive. 

Beyond the Dash 8, GE's naming convention becomes muddy, and I hope to cover it in a future post. For now, though, enjoy this descriptive catalog of GE's diesel locomotives built between 1976 and 1993.

CREATURES FROM ERIE: THE STORY OF GE DEMONSTRATORS 606 AND 607

   Today's blog post is a very very long one. While this story is mostly about two locomotives, to understand what became of both, I had to explain what GE was experimenting with around almost every turn over twenty years. I hope it makes at least some sense...!

    In 1980, GE debuted their revised B36-7 and C36-7 and introduced the B30-7A and C30-7A, which carried SENTRY wheel slip control and various minor upgrades to the carbody GE wanted to release. While the revised Series 7 (as the 1976 "New Series" had come to be known) were competitive with EMD's contemporary 50 Series, GE had bigger plans to revise their carbody with various improvements gathered through customer commentary as well as some iterative upgrades to GE's electrical gear and the FDL. These upgrades resulted in the construction of two very unique diesel locomotives: the 4 axle B36-8 606 and 6 axle C36-8 607 came out of Erie in mid-1982 and early-1983 respectively.

606 is teamed up with a dynamometer car and is
performing tests on what is likely the BN.
Photo from the collection of Paul Amos

    Clad in a brand new GE designed blue and white paint scheme, 606 and 607 were physically very different from GE's catalog at that point, equipped with hard edged carbodies and a much bigger short hood. GE also, for the first time since 1966, revised their cab design to provide more headroom while inside. Both units were equipped with electrically blown dynamic brakes, more expansive radiator cores, and an improved central air intake.They were identical mechanically and electrically, both boasting new 7FDL16J engines and 3750 horsepower (as were B36-7's and C36-7's built at that time) through GE's GMG187 alternator. (Some parts sources have referred to the GMG187 as the GTA187, however I have yet to nail down exact part numbers.) 

Photo credit Willie Brown

    SENTRY wheelslip control (GE's answer to EMD's Super Series wheel creep) had become standard with the second generation Series 7, and the demonstrator duo carried it as well. Both units were sent out to various owners of previous Series 7 locomotives with the intent of generating new orders for what GE was dubbing New Series 8. 606 was sent to various 4 axle GE owners, such as the Burlington Northern, for trial and testing. GE's Gemini dynamometer car followed 606 on most of its quests outside the test track at Erie. A demonstration trip on the newly formed Seaboard System (later CSX) led SBD to, ironically, buy a large order of B36-7's in 1985. 607 was sent off to newly formed Norfolk Southern, whose predecessor N&W had been the biggest stateside customer of the C36-7 up to that point, with a new order of C36-7's already in production at Erie.

606 on the BN in Washington. GE was never quite able to nail down why BN bought so many
B30-7A's, and despite the efforts of 606 (and the three B32-8's delivered to BN in full
BN spec/paint a year later) , GE would have to lease B39-8's to BN to even get them
to operate any new GE product.

    606 and 607 returned to Erie to be upgraded with 3900 horsepower, being relabeled as B39-8 and C39-8 respectively. GE produced more Series 8's to go with them, making units in full railroad spec as demonstrators for specific roads. GE built three B39-8's in ATSF paint for the road to trial, made two C39-8's for NS to test, and produced a trio of V12 equipped B32-8's for BN. All eight units were sent off to their respective roads, with the intent being that the customer would purchase them at the end of the trial (GE had done this before with the U28B). Conrail, at the same time, came to GE with a 10 unit order for C30-7A's, which GE offered to replace with an equal number of new C32-8's. Conrail accepted the offer, making them the first Series 8 customer.

Don't be fooled by the paint; every locomotive in this consist is owned by GE. While they were in full
Cascade Green and carried full BN spec, GE owned 5497, 5498, and 5499 (and, of course, dynamometer car 100).

    The railroad spec units had varying degrees of success. Both BN and ATSF declined their demonstrators; ATSF's next GE purchase would be Dash 8-40B's in 1988 and BN would go on to lease a large number of B39-8's from GE owned LMX. NS, however, was sufficiently impressed enough with the Series 8 to buy both demonstrators and load up Erie with orders for more. NS would end up with the lions share of Series 8's produced, with 139 C39-8's. Conrail was not impressed with the reliability of the C32-8's, however they later purchased a single 22 unit order of C39-8's which were much more successful.

NS 8550 was one of two units made on GE's dime for demonstration on the NS. It was
identical in specification to the rest of NS' C39-8's aside from its control setup: it was
short hood forward. All other NS C39-8's were long hood forward.
Photo credit JL Scott

    606 and 607 spent a few years as warranty test units, going out in place of downed Series 7 units around the US, before coming home to Erie to be brought under the knife again. While most railroads were thoroughly impressed by the performance of the Series 8, they were very unhappy with the operating comfort. Complaints arose from mechanics and crews alike about their cramped cabs and tight hood clearances, and commented on how hard it was to get to various systems inside the carbody. GE elected to fix these issues, and bring new improvements to the Series 8 in a large upgrade. GE chose 606 to be the catalyst for these new improvements, and 606 emerged from Erie in 1986 as 808, clad in a brand new carbody with moved and improved subsystems and a much more spacious cab. 607, unlike 606, did not receive nearly as much of an upgrade, being made into a standard C39-8 and getting sent back to warranty coverage service.

The freshly rechristened 808 appeared at Galesburg Railroad
Days in 1986. While the carbody looks very familiar to the
future Dash 8, the cab is completely unique
to this one locomotive. Photo credit Alan Gaines

    The newly rebuilt 808 was sent out as a demonstrator again, being shown to various roads as the premier choice for fast freight power. While still classed as a B39-8, 808 differed greatly from all the other Series 8 locomotives produced up to that point, both physically and mechanically; GE was planning another uprating to bring the Series 8 to 4000 horsepower and was planning accordingly. One complaint on NS was that their C39-8 demonstrators were short hood forward, so to keep the possible customers interested 808 was equipped with dual control stands to allow the unit to be operated from either direction (one of the last locomotives in North America to be built with dual control stands). 808 demonstrated on the NYSW, generating an order for the Series 8's replacement Dash 8-40B. It returned to warranty service, where it spent more time on other roads. 

A C39-8, C36-7, and GE 808 lead a train on the Norfolk Southern. 808 is likely
providing warranty coverage for a B30-7A in this photo. Photo credit Sam Beck

    In 1987, the changes 808 brought to the Series 8 were introduced to GE's catalog, and the Dash 8 was properly introduced. The B39-8 and C39-8 were replaced by the upgraded and uprated Dash 8-40B and Dash 8-40C respectively, both of which did significantly better in sales; the Series 8 was discontinued. From here, things get very strange.

By now, 607 has become a standard C39-8. Here it is
in warranty coverage service on the NS.
Photo credit Paul Amos

    607 bummed around the United States as an otherwise normal C39-8 in warranty coverage service until 1988, when GE purchased MLW from Bombardier and got the rights to Dofasco's high adhesion 3 axle truck. GE intended to make inroads in the Canadian market, and were interested in trade in capability with older MLW products. 607 was rebuilt to ride on the truck for a brief period of time (while still being in warranty coverage service), gathering data for GE about the performance of the truck on a road locomotive. (Remember this, it will be important later!) It was made obsolete as a demonstrator when GE arranged to take one unit out of a completed UP Dash 8-40C order (they arbitrarily took UP 9185, with the unit becoming GE 001) and 607 was set aside at Erie. The data gathered by 607 while it carried the Dofasco trucks directly led GE to produce the Dash 8-40CM, formally introducing General Electric road locomotives to the Canadian market.

    The FRA had been discussing the introduction of improved cab construction safety guidelines, and wanted the manufacturers to introduce a new, much safer cab for their road locomotives. EMD looked to their Canadian produced GMDD cab design to produce what would become the SD60M. GE turned to MLW and their safety cabs, preparing their own improved design to introduce to the market. To produce a new safety cab demonstrator, GE returned to their now Dash 8 demonstrator 808 and sent it under the knife again in 1988, emerging as GE 809 with a completely unique "widecab" and 4000 horsepower. At the same time, one of Conrail's C32-8's (6612) was wrecked and its cab was destroyed; GE sent the cab of 808 to Conrail's Juniata shops to repair the unit with. 6612 carried the prototype GE improved standard cab until it was scrapped in the 2000's.

809 is shown here, newly rebuilt, doing crew evaluation on the Union Pacific.
Most of 809's demonstration was to get commentary on the widecab; what GE
learned from 809's demonstration time led them to create the widecab that the
rest of their catalog carried to this day.
Photo credit Bill Wilcox

    809 continued its tour de force around the US demonstrating the benefits of the safety cab to various railroads and their crews. While 4 axle diesel locomotives were all but dead as road power (barring ATSF's one off orders of the Dash 8-40BW), 809 generated orders for GE's improved Dash 8-40CW safety cab locomotive and demonstrated the benefits of the widecab over the standard "spartan" cab. It was set aside as a demonstrator in 1994 with the introduction of the Dash 9 and discontinuation of the Dash 8.

809 leads a train of Dash 8-40C's on the UP. These runs directly led to UP ordering
the first GE widecabs with the Dash 8-40CW.
Photo credit Tom Ellis

The last 4 axle product of Erie, PA rumbles past Sugar Creek,
MO with a TOFC train. Photo credit Flickr user Sneebly

    GE still had more in store for the duo. Further upgrades for the Dash 8 line included higher horsepower with a minor increase to 4135 horsepower being offered as an optional extra on Dash 8 orders after 1991, with ATSF, UP, and CNW all taking orders. GE continued to hammer away at the FDL and GMG while producing more and more Dash 8's of various type; GE produced their last 4 axle road diesel locomotive to this day with ATSF Dash 8-40BW 582.

    While the Dash 8 was selling well, and customers were very pleased with their performance, EMD appeared out of the woodwork in 1992 with a very threatening proposition: a joint venture with Siemens had brought about the SD60MAC, an AC traction motor equipped locomotive which brought highly increased tractive effort and longer motor life compared to a similar DC motor. Meeting the demand, GE once again turned to their MLW stockpile, procuring information about AC traction gathered from Canadian Pacific 4744, the lone M640, after it was rebuilt with Brown-Boveri AC traction gear. Laboratories at Erie began to piece together what would become the GEB13 AC traction motor, high adhesion truck, and radial truck (with the trucks being derived from the Dofasco high adhesion truck and its specifications, which GE had data on thanks to 607!).

Three of the four SD60MAC demonstrators
hustle a Soo Line freight through Iowa.
Photo credit Mike Danneman

 

    607, by now very out of date and almost fully replaced by GE's Super 7 in warranty coverage service, had mostly been gathering dust at Erie after GE had completed their testing of the Dofasco high adhesion truck. At the same time, the Department of Energy had been working with GE to produce experimental coal burning internal combustion engine technology, which used pulverized coal and petroleum to produce a slurry capable of being burned roughly similar to diesel fuel. 

GECX 609 waits at the NS interchange near Erie to be sent for testing on Norfolk Southern.
Photo credit Kevin Burkholder

    Norfolk Southern, a major customer of both coal in the South and GE's road locomotives, partnered with GE and the DOE to bring the coal slurry tech to the railroads, with the intent of eventually making a coal burning diesel locomotive. The project came to fruition in 1994 when 607 was rebuilt into GE 609, dubbed the C39-8CF. The unit did demonstration on the DOT's Pueblo test track and GE's Erie testing trackage, burning pulverized coal and making rated horsepower. Unfortunately for the partnership, the coal slurry, with its consistency roughly equivalent to liquid sandpaper, led to extreme premature injector wear with the unit requiring extremely frequent injector replacement; NS backed out of the partnership after a few months. 609 lay unused at Erie for a year in storage once again, the "coal fueled diesel" experiment being deemed a failure.

609, the Coal Fueled Diesel, on the test track at Erie. Despite it's  many internal changes,
it was externally very similar to a normal C39-8. Note the air intake and dynamics,
which have been upgraded to those on the Dash 8.
...Hey, that's a Super 7 back there!

    With more customer feedback and technological improvements on the way, GE prepared another catalog upgrade, and built a demonstrator AC traction locomotive numbered 4400 (renumbered from 2000). The upgrades produced for what was now dubbed the AC4400CW (a stark departure from GE's naming convention of the last generation) were brought to DC traction as well, and GE created the Dash 9-44CW. Deeming a demonstrator unnecessary (GE by this point did most of their demonstration with already completed units from other railroads), the first Dash 9-44CW rolled out of Erie in a brand new paint scheme as a publicity event (the unit, 8601, was actually the first unit in a CNW order and was immediately thereafter repainted into CNW).

 

GECX 4400 at rest at Erie. This unit occasionally comes out for testing, and was
exceptionally common during testing of Evolution AC units.
Note the trucks; GE was planning to use the Dofasco hi-ad truck, but chose
to make their own with some improvements.
Photo credit Garth McMains

899 is shown here attached to an ES44 doing
altitude tests in Colorado.
The sticker on the nose of 899 states
that this unit is a "C44-9", a class
unique entirely to 899.
Photo credit Kevin Morgan

    Orders for the brand new Dash 9-44CW's and AC4400CW's began to flood in beginning in 1994. Orders by the hundreds from newly merged and power hungry railroads across the United States (and Canada) filled Erie's shop floor to the gills. GE elected to do further testing of the Dash 9 (and, by proxy, the AC4400CW) and its associated technology by building a "laboratory control group unit" which would function roughly identically to a Dash 9. Unable to make the space to produce an entire Dash 9-44CW that would see very infrequent use, GE pulled 609 out of storage and sent it back under the knife once more. The unit emerged with a full Dash 9 hood, an uprating to 4400 horsepower, and another renumbering to 899. The unit was mostly confined to Erie, doing bench testing alongside the AC4400CW and later AC6000CW, however it occasionally ventured outside the plant to be used for high altitude testing or rare bursts of short term warranty coverage.

899, now a strange chimera of a Series 8 and a Dash 9, rests in Montreal. Note that the entire
hood has been replaced with a Dash 9 hood, however the cab and nose remain from its
time as a C39-8.
Photo credit Eric Aucoin

    GE finally stopped rebuilding the duo after the mid-1990's. 899 continued to be used as a benchmark against the AC line throughout the 1990's, and was used again as a benchmark to compare the performance of the new Evolution line introduced in 2004. 809, meanwhile, saw static testing at Erie and was used occasionally for load testing, however it was most useful after it had its rear coupler replaced with buffer and chain connections in 2009 to accommodate testing new PowerHaul locomotives for export at Erie. Both units were non-operational starting in 2016, and today only 809 moves regularly around Erie for moving and road testing PowerHauls. 899 rests in the spare equipment pile at Erie, joined by Dash 8's, Dash 9's, SD40-2's, and other GE demonstrators in long term storage out of the way, occasionally appearing as a buffer car during tests.

809 rests with 832 (the Dash 8-32B demonstrator) and 001
(the Dash 8-40C demonstrator) at the temporary storage
area of Erie. Seen in the background are the AC6000CW
demonstrators at the final assembly building.
Photo credit Paul Duda

    It's hard to believe that, when they rolled out of Erie, 606 and 607 would live the lives they did. 606 was a pioneer for GE in technology and safety gear while 607 was present for the service tests of GE's most successful locomotive designs of all time. Both units are survivors in their own right; 899 is one of two Series 8 6 axles left in the United States (the other, Pennsylvania Northeastern 8212, is the only true C39-8 left in North America) while 809 is intrinsically unique by nature of its cab and multiple rebuilds. Their fascinating tale is so intricately weaved into everything General Electric was doing with their catalog throughout their existence that I hope both of them are preserved in museums for future generations to marvel at their uniquity and importance in producing the most influential locomotives of the modern era. And, despite their age, obsolescence, and non-functional status, they both still somehow find a way to see new technology being developed at their birthplace.

THE TUNNEL MOTOR - and EMD's Extended Fight with Thermodynamics

 

    Southern Pacific had a unique problem in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While most other roads had success operating EMD's latest line of road locomotives (at the time, the 645 line), SP was running into trouble on its mountain routes. EMD's SD45 (of which SP had over 300) were overheating in tunnels and snow sheds at an alarming rate. Even stranger still, GE's new U33C was not having any issues at all with overheating and was operating perfectly fine through the road's many bores and sheds. What was going on here? SP embarked on a quest to find out, and so began the saga of the "tunnel motor", or EMD's never ending quest to meet SP's demanding operating conditions.

    First, an extremely simplified discussion of thermodynamics and how EMD radiators perform compared to GE radiators. Pictured here will be an SD45 and U33C, however the following description applies to almost all of EMD's GP/SD line and GE's Universal line with a few notable exceptions (covered later on in this post). 

    EMD's SD45 draws cool radiator air from around the shuttered intakes at the rear of the unit. When extra cooling is necessary, the radiator automatically regulates itself using the radiator shutters and fans. In the case of the SD45, two banks of three radiator cores with two separate sets of shutters and three distinct fans are present. One fan activates, then one set of shutters, then one fan, then the other shutters, then the third fan, when necessary. When little cooling is necessary, the two rear fans are used as an air intake while the shutters remain closed. At maximum notch, full load, the engine can sustain itself with all three fans running and both shutters open.

    GE's U33C has one central fan and six radiator cores. Air is drawn from vents on the side of the hood, below the radiator, and drawn upward over the cores. Mounted directly at the top of the cabinet, the radiator fan pushes air over the cores upward. Using a fluid valve to regulate water flow, the radiator allows more or less water through depending on necessary cooling. At maximum notch, full load, the engine sustains itself with the fluid valve completely open and the fan at max speed. This eliminates the need for shutters as well as requires only one engine driven fan (compared to EMD's three electric fans.) 

    One last notable bit of engine tech is the exhaust. On both the SD45 and U33C, a single exhaust stack expels engine exhaust directly upwards. On the SD45's 20-645E3, this stack is positioned on the generator end of the engine (closer to the cab), while on the U33C's 7FDL16E the stack is on the auxiliary end (adjacent to the radiator).

Relative heat diagrams for the U33C and SD45 in an enclosed space.
Notice how the U33C's intake is much lower, and gathers cooler air.

 

    The trouble begins under load in tunnels. Operating in open air, both the U33C and SD45 work as intended; both units expel hot air upward and intake cold air from the engine air intakes without issue. However, when inside a tunnel, it was found that SD45s were inhaling hot air as a combination of engine exhaust and hot radiator air due to the close proximity of the radiator intake and fans to the radiator exhaust. This problem was not extended to the Universals, as their lowered cool air intake was able to intake colder, lower air than the hot rising exhaust from the engine and the already spent hot radiator air.

    SP was a firm believer in improving a product as much as possible, and went to EMD with their findings. In response, EMD developed the "Tunnel Cooling Modification" which reoriented the radiator to be more akin to GE's design, placing the cores at the very top of the hood and placing the fans underneath them blowing upward. Depending on installation, a different configuration was used; on the SD45T-2, three fans are present, on the SD40T-2, only two are necessary. On EMD's tunnel cooling modification, in place of the fluid valve regulator present on the Universal, shutters placed above the cores were used, opening as cooling was necessary. 

Builders photo of SSW 9163

Exposed radiator cores behind
open shutters; a solid photo
of how the Tunnel Motor style
radiator was oriented.

    EMD would eventually make changes to their radiators to make them perform better in enclosed spaces. Effective after 1975, baffles between the separate fans and requiring the shutters to open immediately upon fan activation (rather than drawing air through the other fans, which would be significantly hotter than the air around the shutters) were made standard on the Dash 2 line and all future models with the same radiator design, continuing to the present. Tunnel cooling modifications were offered on the 50 Series of the 1980's, however no purchasers optioned it (SP was not interested in the 50 Series and DRGW's one order of SD50's was a duplicate of a Seaboard order).

    The "tunnel motor" radiator seemed to be more than satisfactory to SP, as they purchased 247 SD45T-2's and 239 SD40T-2's from 1972 to 1980, with DRGW also purchasing a handful of SD40T-2's during the mid-1970's (Rio Grande had similar troubles with their EMD products in similar circumstances). Eventually, after merger with DRGW, SP owned all built tunnel motors, operating them with distinction well into the 2000's on UP. Some were exported to South America, others were sold into secondhand service, and a select few were donated to museums (at least one SD45T-2 and two SD40T-2's).

An MP15DC. The radiator intake is clearly
noted at the front face of the hood.
Craig Garver photo

    While SP was dealing with their troubles in tunnels, EMD encountered a similar issue with their smaller power and overheating; however, unlike the road switchers, the switcher and light road switcher units had a completely different radiator design. Originally introduced in the late 1930's on their S and N line switchers, EMD's switcher radiator draws air from the front and exhausts upwards, across the cores.

 

    This presented a similar issue to the road switchers, but in a different context: when two switchers were run front-to-front (usually SW1500's or MP15DC's), the radiators could not draw enough cold air to keep the engine cooled, leading to overheating. This was most exacerbated on roads using them in road service (namely P&LE, among others) where units would overheat each other facing towards themselves. As it turned out, the tunnel cooling modification was called upon here, where a downsized version of what was present on the SD's was used in place of the standard forward facing radiator fan. Found satisfactory, the tunnel cooling style radiator was made standard on the switcher line. The MP15AC was the first switcher to employ this cooling setup in 1975, and all further locomotives of this caliber made by EMD (such as the GP15 and MP15T) would carry the "tunnel cooling" style radiator standard.

An MP15AC. The radiator has been completely
reoriented, however the rest of the unit is
largely the same on the outside.
Craig Garver photo

    GE never changed their radiator setup in any dramatic way, simply iterating upon it and upgrading it with improved components and customer preferred options. Replacing the shaft driven fan with an electrically blown fan, moving the radiator cores upward in the body, and generally simplifying construction were among the many improvements GE made to their radiator design, up until today's Evolution line locomotives. Ironically, despite the roads findings, the Universals were disliked after the mid 70's recession and were operated minimally by an ailing Southern Pacific. While the U33C's of the 1970's were retired early, EMD's SD45T-2's and SD40T-2's had long and legendary service careers on SP, DRGW, and UP, so it's important to remember the key role GE had in the creation of an icon of western railroading in the late 70's and 80's.

GE'S SUPER 7

A group of MGA's Super 7-23B's huddle together at Brownsville, PA in between jobs
John Benner photo

 

     By the 1980's, GE had firmly entrenched themselves as a viable and solid locomotive builder, and had an impressive catalog to go with it. Having built massive fleets of road units across nearly 30 years by that time, it was no surprise that GE's reputation for solid road power and good parts supply was unparalleled and would pave the way for their eventual defeat of EMD as the dominant force in the North American locomotive market. However, one market they had not been nearly as successful in was the lower horsepower market. Ironically, despite first producing small switchers for industrial customers and light duty work, modern GE had trouble convincing customers to buy their smaller products (since the Universal line GE had been offering a locomotive in the 1800-2300 HP lineup, well into the 80s, however the only ones ever built were the U18B, U23B, and B23-7 almost entirely for Class I railroads). Their most common low horsepower locomotives, the U23B and B23-7, were both purchased by operators with very specific horsepower bracket needs (such as ATSF, SOU, and PC/CR).

WP U23B #2251 would become GECX 2001.
It was one of a handful of Super 7's rebuilt by M-K Boise.
Vic Reyna photo, Craig Garver collection

    At the same time, many Class I railroads had stockpiles of very old, very worn out locomotives, and studies performed by EMD and GE found that there was a possible market for rebuilding old locomotives as a cheaper alternative to buying new power. For EMD, who had a significantly larger catalog of old equipment to rebuild, they took several GP9's and produced the BL20-2, a 4 axle, 2000 horsepower frame up rebuild of the previous locomotive with a new carbody and modern engine/generator upgrades. The first BL20-2 rolled out in August 1992, and two more followed the next month. While EMD had the advantage of most roads already owning their older equipment, GE's old locomotives were almost exclusively sitting in scrap piles at their Erie, PA plant, as their lifespan was significantly shorter than a comparable EMD locomotive of the era. 

Little Rock, Arkansas was the final resting place
for many GE products purchased by WP and UP.
Murray Lewis photo

 

    Studying their most popular models across the Universal and Dash 7, GE took a handful of traded in Universals on the property (a few U23B's from Western Pacific plus a U33C from Southern and a few 6 axle U's from Milwaukee Road), stripped them down to the frame, rebuilt and retooled the engine-generator sets, all new wiring and SENTRY wheelslip control, and gave them new Dash 8 equivalent carbodies. Having studied ATSF's SF30C of 1986, GE moved various subsystems inside the hood to make the Universals more equivalent in layout and tech to a comparable Series 7. The U23B's kept their 2250 HP rating, while the miscellaneous 6 axles were unified under 3000 HP, with the units emerging from rebuild dubbed "Super 7" for their equivalence to a Series 7 with new Dash 8 technology.

GECX #3000 rests at CNW's Proviso Yard on September 18th, 1995.
GE often sent their 6 axle Super 7's out on lease and warranty coverage service to customers.
Sam Carlson photo

 

    The Erie plant was at record capacity, so to make space for more Dash 8 orders being fulfilled at the time (GE was about to roll out the widecab for the very first time with the Dash 8-40CW and wanted as much production capacity as possible), GE purchased the former Montreal Locomotive Works factory to help alleviate congestion at Erie. GE also contracted some production to Morrison Knudsen of Boise, who produced several of the 4 axle Super 7 demonstrators. GE did not end up producing nearly as many Super 7's as intended, with the majority of 6 axle production being completed in Mexico by FNM shop crews using GE supplied kits. MLW was shortly thereafter closed, with the signing of NAFTA on the horizon being an important factor.

Before the delivery of 52, RS 51, 50, and a GE
coverage unit (2002) lead a W/B.
Bill Kalkman photo

    The first Super 7's were sent out in 1989 to demonstrate across North America. GE offered the 6 axles as warranty coverage on the side as well as demonstrators while the 4 axles went barnstorming across America to every class 2 railroad that was willing to test them. Major 4 axle demonstrators included Indiana Railway, Iowa Interstate, Missouri Pacific, Chicago Central, Roberval and Saguenay, and Monongahela, with the latter two generating orders of 2+1 (RS had two orders) and 10 (MGA's were on lease from GE) respectively. 

The 6 axle demonstrators spent time on the CNW, UP, BN, ATSF, and FNM, only generating orders from FNM. FNM would come to own the frightening majority of Super 7's built, using their extensive fleet of U30C's, ex-SP and ex-D&H U33C's, U36C's, U36CG's, C30-7's, and even a handful of C36-7's as rebuild cores. FNM would eventually run out of cores and buy a solitary order of Super 7-30C's in 1994 without cores, with GE responding with a microprocessor equipped, Dash 8 carbody and frame, 3000 horsepower "Super 7" built in 1994. 

GECX 5000 on the BN. Where the air cleaner would be on an M630 has
been replaced with dynamic brake equipment, and the air cleaner has
been moved below it.
Flickr user RRARTIST1 photo

 

Renumbered, but not repainted,
DL 3000 is resplendent in GE
paint. This unit was essentially
unchanged from BCOL.

Flickr user GCL 392 photo

    At the same time as FNM began purchasing rebuild kits en masse, GE purchased two M630's from BC Rail with the intent of developing a Super 7 equivalent for ALCO/MLW products. BCOL #705 and #706 arrived at Erie, with 705 being the first to go under the knife. While the M630 was electrically very similar to the Universal line, its frame, trucks, and layout were completely different, and instead of developing a Dash 8 carbody for the unit, GE simply reused the MLW built body with a general rebuild and rewire. GE also replaced the air filter cabinet with a new, modern air filter with GE's electrically blown dynamics present in other Super 7's and Dash 8's. Emerging as GECX #5000, the lone M630 Super 7 was sent off to demonstrate on FNM. For reasons unknown, the unit never made it to Mexico, and lay stored in Texas for a period of time until it was returned to Erie. GE sent it out a handful of times as a leaser, and gave 706 a minor rebuild and used it for testing, but both units would be orphaned for their entire time at Erie. Both units were sold to Delaware Lackawanna in the mid-2000's, with 5000 becoming 3007 (and garnering the nickname "The Brain" for its uniquity) and 706 becoming 3000.

    By 1993, the Dash 9 was introduced and the Dash 8 was quietly deprecated. While Super 7's would continue to be rebuilt by shops in Mexico with kits from GE, and FNM had one final order of microprocessor equipped units on the horizon, the Super 7 program was completed, with a final customer list of RS, MGA and FNM (later Ferromex). What became of them after the programs completion was varied depending on owner:

Bill Kalkman photo

• Roberval and Saguenay gave their Super 7's a long prolific life, from 1990 until 2023, when they were all three replaced by a handful of ex-CSX SD70ACe's and leased GP38-2's. The trio were scrapped in 2019.
  

 

 

• Monongahela's leased units went on to Conrail in 1993 after the merger of the former into the latter, where they operated virtually unchanged on the now former MGA route. The 1999 dissolution of Conrail into Conrail Shared Assets had the Super 7's split between CSX and NS, where CSX shoehorned them into service alongside equivalent B23-7's while NS did away with theirs very quickly. Two of them went to the Arkansas and Oklahoma Railroad, where they operate to this day, five went to Ohio Central, and the rest went to Providence and Worcester. OHCR's five units and PW's three were on the EPA "kill list" of non-complying G&W equipment to be destroyed following the January 2023 settlement of a lawsuit, with all eight intending to be torched within the following years. As of March 2024, Ohio Central's are still present and running on the property while PW's are stored serviceable.

A broadside shot of PW 2215.
After being purchased by G&W, PW's three units moved around
to various other roads, with 2215 here going to Connecticut Southern.
David Blazejewski photo

 

• FNM's massive fleet continued to operate well into the 2010's and 2020's, with the vast majority of the fleet soldiering on in road train service in Mexico. After privatization, the fleet went to various owners, including TFM and Ferromex, however they continue to be active road power across the country. 

FXE 3735 is still in its original rebuild paint in July 2023!
Note the Super 7 text on the hood, a staple of original Super 7 paint.
Carlos Moran photo

 

    EMD did not fare any better than GE with the rebuild-lease market. The BL20-2 demonstrator trio failed to generate any orders at all, with the three units being sent into leasing service by a joint GATX-EMD partnership, where they remain today. Meanwhile, while Universals are all but dead in secondhand and thirdhand ownership, early EMD products continue to motor along the Class 3's and industrial owners of North America. 

Ohio Central 4092 and 4093 roll along the Muskingum River
outside Zanesville, Ohio.
Scooter Hovanec photo

 

    It is easy to look at the Super 7 and deem it a failure due to the very small number built for North America, but it is worth noting that GE was not preoccupied with their construction at all. Outside of the demonstrators, the units were entirely contract built, and GE passively generated mileage for their own units by leasing and warranty coverage. While EMD only built 3 BL20-2's, GE built 16 Super 7-23B's for two customers and themselves, plus selling hundreds of kits to FNM to rebuild their own fleet of 6 axle GE's. At the same time as the Super 7's passively made themselves, GE had the time to upgrade Erie, develop new locomotives in the Dash 9 and AC4400CW, and bring their products to a wider market across North America. Ultimately, compared to unrebuilt Universals and given their lengthy service life, it's hard to say GE "failed" with the Super 7.