EMD SW8

The EMD SW8 is a diesel switcher locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between September 1950 and February 1954. Power is supplied by an EMD 567B 8-cylinder engine, for a total of 800 hp (600 kW). A total of 309 of this model were built for United States railroads and 65 for Canadian railroads. Starting in October 1953 a number of SW8s were built with either the 567BC or 567C engine.

EMD SW8
EMD SW8 retired from the USAF Titan missile program.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
Builder
ModelSW8, TR6
Build dateSeptember 1950 – February 1954
Total produced
  • EMD SW8: 309
  • GMD SW8: 65
  • EMD TR6A: 12
  • EMD TR6B: 12
Specifications
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length44 ft 5 in (13.54 m)
Width9 ft 11.6 in (3.038 m)
Height14 ft 6.2 in (4.425 m)
Loco weight230,000 lb (104,326 kg)
Prime moverEMD 8-567B
Engine typeTwo-stroke diesel
AspirationRoots-type supercharger
Cylinders8
Performance figures
Maximum speed65 mph (105 km/h)
Power output800 hp (600 kW)
Tractive effort:
​
 • Starting57,000 lbf (254 kN) at 25%
 • Continuous36,000 lbf (160 kN) at 11 mph (18 km/h)
Career
Locale

US Army SW8s

The United States Army ordered 41 SW8s, numbered 2000–2040, for service in Korea during the Korean War. These were shipped in the spring of 1951.

After the Korean War, many US Army-owned SW8s were turned over to the South Korean government while others were retained by the Army and assigned to various Army posts, depots and ammunition plants. Most were retired around 1990 and replaced in service by rebuilt geeps, such as GP10s from VMV in Paducah, KY, and other rebuilders.

Of all of the locomotives turned over to the Korean National Railroad, only one, KNR #2001, believed to be ex-USAX #2011, still exists. As of May 2011 it was stored in the back of a locomotive shed in the Korea Railroad Busan Rolling Stock Workshop, 125 Sincheon-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, Korea 614–765. Diesel Locomotive Team Leader Kim Hyun-Sik stated KORAIL is in talks with the city of Pusan to put the locomotive on display in the city as a part of Korea's heritage, as it is the oldest diesel locomotive in the country.

Two examples of these locomotives, ex-USAX #2019 and #2022, are preserved at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Alabama. After serving in Korea, #2019 was sent back to the manufacturer for reconditioning in 1953. #2022 was rebuilt in 1955. Both served in military bases in the United States until the early 1990s, finishing their careers at Fort Campbell, Ky. The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum acquired them in 1995.[1]

Other models

In addition, 12 TR6 cow-calf paired sets were produced.

In May 1953, a single example of the SW8 was built with a hydraulic transmission as model DH2. This locomotive was displayed at a trade show in 1955, but no sales of the DH2 followed. The locomotive was rebuilt with a standard electrical transmission, and served EMD as plant switcher #105 until 1968.

The first TR6A, Southern Pacific 4600, later numbered 1100, is preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California.

Original buyers
EMD SW8 used at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for Titan missile

Locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA
RailroadQuantityRoad numbersNotes
Electro-Motive Division (plant)1105Built as model DH-2
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator)1800to Illinois Terminal Railroad 725
1801to Georgia Northern Railway 801
1500to Cuyahoga Valley Railway 855
Aliquippa and Southern Railroad3800–802Built with 567BC engines
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad1050–59
Bamberger Railroad2601–602
Boston and Maine Railroad8800–807
Canton Railroad440–4342-43 were built with 567C engines
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway ("Crandic")391–93Built with 567BC engines
Chicago and North Western Railway1801
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ("Omaha Road")4126–129
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad28811–838836-838 were built with 567BC engines. 838 was acquired by Pfizer Incorporated in 1989 and then donated to the Danbury Railway Museum in 2002.[2]
Chicago, West Pullman and Southern Railroad542–46
Cincinnati Union Terminal830–37
Colorado and Wyoming Railway12201–212
Columbia Iron and Steel11
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad11501–511
De Queen and Eastern Railroad1D-3
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad2900-901
Donora Southern Raileoad10802–811
Great Northern Railway398–99, 10198–99 to Burlington Northern. 101 was rebuilt from an NW1
Lake Terminal Railroad4821–824
Lakeside and Marblehead Railroad213–14
Lehigh Valley Railroad29128-129, 250–276256-273 built with dynamic brakes.
Louisiana and North West Railroad240–41
Ludington and Northern Railroad116
Merchants Despatch Transportation115
Monessen Southwestern Railway222, 26
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal31–3Built with 567BC engines
New York Central Railroad269602–9627To Penn Central then Conrail 8602–8627, 8618 is preserved on the Strasburg Railroad
New York Central Railroad (Chicago River and Indiana Railroad)29600–9601To Penn Central then Conrail 8600-8601
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate Road")8107–114
North Louisiana and Gulf Railroad237–38Built with 567BC engines
Pittsburgh Coke and Chemical Company14
Poplar Ridge Coal1801
Reserve Mining Company21200–1201
Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific Railway1200
South Shore Railway112to Illinois Central Railroad 802
Southern Pacific Company204604–4623All built with dynamic brakes; 4622-4623 built with 567BC engines
Southern Pacific (Texas and New Orleans Railroad)512–16
Steelton and Highspire Railroad126
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company6750–754, 770
Texas and Pacific Railway8811–818
Tremont and Gulf Railway275, 77to Illinois Central Railroad 800 and 801
Unity Railways153
United States Army412000–2040All 41 served in the Korean War, including the 2019 and 2022 now at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.[1] 2002 is on display at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri.[3]
United States Steel1109
Wabash Railroad9120–121, 125–126, 128-132
Wheeling Steel21152–1153
Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad2801–802to Rock Island 839–840
Woodward Iron Company260–61
Total309

Locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada
RailroadQuantityRoad numbersNotes
Algoma Central Railway2140–141
Algoma Steel150
Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway1356
Canadian National Railways348500–8533
Canadian Pacific Railway106700–6709
Dominion Foundries and Steel Company ("Dofasco")211–12
Dominion Iron and Steel211–12
Essex Terminal Railway2102, 104Essex Terminal 104 last SW8 built 2/54
Steel Company of Canada771–77
Wabash Railroad4122–124, 127Bought for use in Canada
Total65

TR6
RailroadQuantity A unitsQuantity B unitsRoad numbers A unitsRoad numbers B unitsNotes
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator)1116001600Bto Southern Pacific 4600 (A), 4700 (B)
Oliver Iron Mining Company881207A–1213A, 1216A1207B–1213B, 1216B
Southern Pacific Company334601–46034701–4703
Total1212

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government.

  1. "From Korea to Alabama: Train engines still pulling duty". US Army 314th Public Affairs Operations Center. June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  2. EMD SW-8 (1953) Pfizer 1 (Danbury Railway Museum)
  3. "Railway Equipment". The National Museum of Transportation. National Transport Museum Association. 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  • Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.
  • EMD Product Reference Data Card dated January 1, 1959 has the 567BC and 567C engine data used in the as-built roster.
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