EMD GP38
Model of 706 North American diesel-electric locomotive
This article is about the locomotive. For the family of glycoproteins, see
Glycoprotein .
EMD GP38 Performance figures Power output 2,000 hp (1.49 MW)
Career Locale North America
The EMD GP38 [ 1] is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. The locomotive's prime mover was an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine that generated 2,000 horsepower (1.49 MW). The company built 706 GP38s for North American railroads.[ 2]
In 1972, EMD began making an updated model, the GP38-2 , as part of its Dash-2 line.[ 3]
Original orders
Railroad[ 4]
Quantity
Numbers
Notes
Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad
1
400
Altos Hornos de México
4
130-131, 135-136
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
61
3500-3560
Rebuilt to GP38us and renumbered to 2300-2360, To BNSF
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
70
3800-3849, 4800-4819
To CSX 2000–2049, 2100-2119
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
8
81-88
Burlington Northern Railroad
6
2072-2077
Ordered as SP&S 200-205, To BNSF
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
60
3850-3899, 4820-4829
To CSX 2050–2099, 2120-2129
Clinchfield Railroad
10
2000-2009
To Seaboard System then CSX 2180-2189
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad
7
200-206
To GTW 6200-6206
Erie Mining Company
2
700-701
Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste
2
512-513
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
20
701-720
To Illinois Central Gulf then Illinois Central Railroad 9520-9539
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
20
4000-4019
To Seaboard System 6221–6240, then renumbered to 2130–2149, then to CSX
Maine Central Railroad
13
251-263
252 & 254 To B&M after Guilford merger. 252 & 255 now at Conway Scenic.
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
4
300-304
To Union Pacific
Missouri Pacific Railroad
6
572-577
Monongahela Railway
5
2000-2004
To Conrail
Southern Railway
7
2001-2007
To Norfolk Southern Railway renumbered 2871-2878
Penn Central Transportation Company
265
7675-7939
Biggest order of GP38s, to Conrail same numbers, and then to Norfolk Southern 2880 and 2885-2957 and CSX Transportation 1950–1998, Rest to various short lines.
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
15
2000-2014
Built with dual control stands and an extended cab face. To Conrail 7660–7674, and then Norfolk Southern 2943-2957
Phelps Dodge Corporation
8
47-54
Southern Railway
107
2716-2822
Built with high hoods. To NS with original numbers
Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway
1
80
To Southern then NS 2879
Texas Mexican Railway
4
857-860
Totals
706
Rebuilds
A number of GP38s have been rebuilt into the equivalent of a GP38-2.
Conversely, a number of higher horsepower 40 Series locomotives have been rebuilt into the equivalent of a GP38-2 (GP38AC), by the removal of the turbocharger and the substitution of twin Roots blowers .
In 2007, Norfolk Southern rebuilt #2911 which is an ex Penn Central GP38 into an experimental zero-emissions Battery-Electric locomotive known as the Altoona Works BP4 . The new locomotive was renumbered as NS #999.[ 5] It has since been sold to Rail Propulsions Systems, where it was upgraded for eventual use in the Los Angeles Basin region. [ 6] [ 7]
Preservation
Conway Scenic Railroad 252, built as Maine Central (MEC) 252, is preserved and operates on excursions on the former MEC Notch Route.[ 8]
Conway Scenic Railroad 255, built as Maine Central 255, was acquired in October 2021 and serves alongside 252.[ 8]
Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway 80, is preserved in operational condition at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum .[ 9] [ 10]
West Chester Railroad 7706, built as Penn Central 7706, is preserved and operates on tourist trains on the former PRR line.[ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
Chessie System 3802, built as Baltimore & Ohio 3802, is preserved and operates at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.[ 14]
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines 2000, is preserved on the Cape May Seashore Lines in Tuckahoe, New Jersey.[ 15] [ 16]
See also
References
^ Bachand, Jean-Denis. "EMD GP38" . The Diesel Shop . Retrieved 18 July 2021 .
^ Foster, Gerald L. (1996). A field guide to trains of North America . Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 34. ISBN 0-395-70112-0 .
^ McDonnell, Greg (2002). Field guide to modern diesel locomotives . Waukesha, Wisc.: Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 108–109. ISBN 0-89024-607-6 . OCLC 50411517 .
^ Sarberenyi, Robert. "GP38 Roster" . www.trainweb.org . Retrieved 3 August 2021 .
^ "Norfolk Southern 2014 Sustainability Report - Environmental Performance | A Battery-Powered Alternative" . nssustainability.com . Retrieved 2021-08-03 .
^ Corselli, Andrew (2 June 2020). "Agent 999: RPS Restores Zero-Emission Locomotive" . Railway Age . Archived from the original on 14 October 2023.
^ Cupper, Dan (November 12, 2019). "NS to dispose of executive F units, other roster oddities" . Trains . Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2019 .
^ a b Franz, Justin (2021-10-19). "Conway Scenic Acquires Second Maine Central GP38" . Railfan & Railroad Magazine . Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-12 .
^ Cotey, Angela (2016-05-09). "Museum unveils Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia-painted GP38 NEWSWIRE" . Trains . Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-12 .
^ "History of TAG Railway 80 Locomotive" . Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum . Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-12 .
^ Speicher, Jake (19 December 2012). "Exelon Power Donates Locomotive to West Chester Railroad" . Patch . Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024 .
^ Laepple, Wayne (10 December 2012). "West Chester Railroad receives GP38 donation" . Trains . Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2024 .
^ "Equipment Roster" . West Chester Railroad . Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2024 .
^ "B&O #3802" . B&O Railroad Museum . Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024 .
^ "Cape May Seashore Lines acquires predecessor diesel" . Trains . 2023-09-20. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-12 .
^ "The Return of Engine 2000!" . Seashore Lines . Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-12 .
External links
Media related to EMD GP38 locomotives at Wikimedia Commons
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