EMC E5

EMC E5
CB&Q EMC E5 No. 9911A Silver Pilot at the Illinois Railway Museum
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderElectro-Motive Corporation (EMC)
ModelE5
Build dateFebruary 1940 – June 1941
Total produced11 A units, 5 B units
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARA1A-A1A
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Wheel diameter36 in (0.914 m)
Wheelbase:​
 • Truck14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Length71 ft 1 in (21.67 m)
Width10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Height15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
Loco weightA unit: 315,000 lb (142,882 kg)
B unit: 290,000 lb (131,542 kg)
Prime moverEMD 12-567, 2 off
Engine typeV12 Two-stroke diesel
Cylinders12 × 2
Loco brakeD22L
Performance figures
Maximum speed116 mph (187 km/h)
Power output2,000 hp (1,491 kW)
Tractive effort:
​
 • Starting56,500 lbf (25,628 kgf)
 • Continuous31,000 lbf (14,061 kgf) @11 mph (18 km/h)
Career
OperatorsChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and subsidiaries
DispositionOne unit preserved in operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum

The EMC E5 is a 2,000-horsepower (1,500 kW), A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive manufactured by Electro-Motive Corporation, and its corporate successor, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of La Grange, Illinois. It was produced exclusively for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (“The Burlington Route”), and its subsidiaries between 1940 and 1941.

The E5 was distinguished from the otherwise very similar E3, E4 and E6 by being clad in polished stainless steel to match the Burlington's Zephyr trains. It also featured unique small grill-like ornamentation on both sides of the upper headlight. Like the other pre-war models in the E-series, the E5 had a sloping “slant nose” design and was equipped with two headlights—a regular stationary headlight above a gyrating Mars signal light. The E5 was the sixth model in the EMD E-unit series.

Engine and powertrain

The E5 was powered by twin 12-cylinder prime movers, developing a total of 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) at 800 rpm. Designed specifically for railroad locomotives, the mechanically aspirated, two-stroke, 45-degree V-type engine, with an 8+1⁄2 in (216 mm) bore by 10 in (254 mm) stroke, giving 567 cubic inches (9,290 cm3; 9.29 L) displacement per cylinder. This engine design remained in production until 1966.

The E5 was originally intended to look very different with the cab section looking very similar to the streamlined diesel passenger trains that the CB&Q was famous for.

The original design for the E5, note the cab shape. This design was created on October 23, 1939.

Power for the locomotive's traction was provided by two direct-current generators, one for each prime mover. This generators powered four traction motors, two on each truck, in an A1A-A1A arrangement. This truck design was used across all E units, as well as on the MP 7100 AA6, CB&Q 9908, and CRI&P AB6 power cars. Since 1939, EMC/EMD has manufactured all of its major components.[1][2]

Original owners

Railroad Cab-equipped
A units		 Cabless booster
B units		 Road numbers
A units		 Road numbers
B units		 Notes
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 9 3 9910A–9912A,
9909, 9913,
9914A,B, 9915A,B		 9910B–9912B 9911A preserved in operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum[3]
Colorado and Southern Railway 1 1 9950A 9950B
Fort Worth and Denver Railway 1 1 9980A 9980B
Total 11 5

Locomotive details

Name Cab or Booster #(as built) EMD order no. EMD serial no. Build date History
Silver Bullet (cab) 9909 E 278-A 970 Mar 1940 to C&S 9953 in Dec 1955;
Silver Speed (cab) 9910A E 278-A 967 Feb 1940 to C&S 9951A in Aug 1955; retired Oct 1967 and traded in to EMD on an SD40.
Silver Power (booster) 9910B E 279-B 971 Feb 1940 to C&S 9951B in Aug 1955; retired Oct 1967 and traded in to EMD on an SD40.
Silver Pilot (cab) 9911A E 278-A 968 Feb 1940 to FW&D 9982A in Aug 1955; to C&S 9952A in Oct 1955; retired in Mar 1968 and traded in to EMD on an SD40. Purchased by Illinois Railway Museum in 1969.
Silver Mate (booster) 9911B E 279-B 972 Feb 1940 to FW&D 9982B in Aug 1955; to C&S 9952B in Oct 1955; retired in Mar 1968 and traded in to EMD on an SD40.
Silver Meteor (cab) 9912A E 278-A 969 Mar 1940 retired Mar 1965 and traded in.
Silver Comet (booster) 9912B E 279-B 973 Mar 1940 retired Mar 1965 and traded in.
Silver Wings (cab) 9913 E 331-A 1133 Oct 1940 to C&S 9954 in Apr 1957;
Silver Arrow (cab) 9914A E 377-A 1301 Jun 1941 to C&S 9955 in Sep 1961;
Silver Swift (cab) 9914B E 377-A 1302 Jun 1941 wrecked at Nodaway, Missouri in Aug 1960; retired and scrapped.
Silver Carrier (cab) 9915A E 377-A 1303 Jun 1941 wrecked at Biglow, Missouri in Apr 1963; retired and scrapped.
Silver Clipper (cab) 9915B E 377-A 1304 Jun 1941 retired Mar 1965 and traded in.
Silver Racer (cab) 9950A (C&S) E 278-A 1035 Mar 1940
Silver Steed (booster) 9950B (C&S) E 279-B 1037 Mar 1940
Silver Chief (cab) 9980A (FW&D) E 278-A 1036 Mar 1940
Silver Warrior (booster) 9980B (FW&D) E 279-B 1038 Mar 1940

Surviving example

Only one E5 unit of the original 16 built survives today. The last surviving EMD E5 diesel, CB&Q No. 9911A Silver Pilot, is owned and operated by the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. The locomotive was last used on the Fort Worth and Denver Railway (a CB&Q subsidiary) for the Texas Zephyr. It is now paired with one of the Burlington's Nebraska Zephyrs, a 5 car, articulated, stainless steel passenger train from 1936.

This equipment has been featured in several film productions, including the 1992 movie A League of Their Own and the 2006 movie Flags of Our Fathers. E5 9911A Silver Pilot was used with 4 stainless steel passenger cars relettered to resemble the Zephyr trainset. 9911 is equipped with dual horns, which is a WABCO E2 and a Leslie Controls RS2M.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Pinkepank 1973, pp. 13, 26, 106, 121–122.
  2. ^ Ross 2003, pp. 273-274.[full citation needed]
  3. ^ "Chicago Burlington & Quincy 9911A".

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to EMD E5 locomotives.