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 Motors’ Electro-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 type Diesel-electric Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Model F3 Build date July 1945 – February 1949 Total produced 1,111 A units, 696 B units
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Trucks Blomberg B Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 23° (250.79 ft or 76.44 m radius) Wheelbase 39 ft (11.89 m) Length 50 ft 8 in (15.44 m) Width 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) Height 15 ft (4.57 m) Loco weight 234,000 lb (106,000 kg) Fuel capacity 1,200 US gal (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal) Prime mover EMD 567B RPM range 275-800 Engine type Two-stroke V16 diesel Aspiration Roots-type supercharger Displacement 9,072 cu in (148.66 L) Generator EMD D-12 Traction motors (4) EMD D-17-B or D-27-B Cylinders 16 Cylinder size 8 ^1⁄2 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm)
Performance figures Maximum speed 103 mph (166 km/h) Power output 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) Tractive effort 55,000 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

Railroad	Quantity 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
Totals	1111	695

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.

In popular culture

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.

External links

Media related to EMD F3 locomotives at Wikimedia Commons