EMD GP15

Last updated
EMD GP15 (-1/T/AC)
UnionPacificGP151.jpg
Union Pacific Yard (UPY) 742, a GP15-1 idles in Union Pacific's Global 1 intermodal yard in Chicago, IL.
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
ModelGP15-1
GP15T
GP15AC
Build dateJune 1976 March 1982 (-1)
October 1982 April 1983 (T)
November & December 1982 (AC)
Total produced310 (-1)
28 (T)
34 (AC)
Specifications
Configuration:
   AAR B-B
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve 120 ft (36.6 m)
Length:
  Over couplers54 ft 11 in (16.74 m)
Width10 ft 3+18 in (3.127 m) (over hand rail supports)
Height15 ft 2+12 in (4.636 m)
Loco weight246,000 lb (111,600 kg) (-1)
244,000 lb (110,677 kg) (T)
Fuel capacity2,400 imp gal (11,000 L; 2,900 US gal)
Lubricant cap.135 US gal (511 L; 112 imp gal)
Coolant cap.210 US gal (795 L; 175 imp gal)
Sandbox cap.56 cu ft (1.59 m3) (basic)
72 cu ft (2.04 m3) (special)
Prime mover EMD 12-645E (-1/AC)
EMD 8-645E3C (T)
RPM:
  RPM low idle235
  RPM idle300
  Maximum RPM904
Engine type V12 2-stroke diesel (-1/AC)
V8 2-stroke diesel (T)
Aspiration Roots blower (-1/AC)
Turbocharger (T)
Displacement7,740 cu in (126.8 L) (-1/AC)
Alternator AR10 (AC)
Generator AR10-D14 (-1/T)
Traction motors 4×D77 (-1/T)
  Continuous920 Amperes (with 62:15 gearing) (-1/T)
Cylinders 12 (-1/AC)
8 (T)
Cylinder size 9.1 in × 10 in (231 mm × 254 mm) (-1/AC)
Transmission diesel electric
Loco brake Straight air
Train brakes Westinghouse 26L air brake
Performance figures
Maximum speed53 mph (85 km/h) (with 65:12 gearing)
70 mph (110 km/h) (with 62:15 gearing)
76 mph (122 km/h) (with 61:16 gearing)
82 mph (132 km/h) (with 60:17 gearing)
Power output1,500  hp (1.12 MW)
Tractive effort 47,000 lbf (210 kN)
Career
Locale United States

The EMD GP15 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and April 1983. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher or light road switcher. There were 3 variants made: the GP15-1, the GP15T, and the GP15AC. The GP15-1 and GP15AC are powered by a 12-cylinder EMD 645E engine, which generates 1,500 hp (1,119 kW). The GP15T differs in that it uses a turbo charged 8-cylinder instead of the roots blown 12-cylinder to generate the same horsepower. The GP15AC differs from the others as it uses an AC alternator connected to the engine instead of a DC generator to drive the traction motors. The radiator section is similar to those found on the EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 "tunnel motors," leading some observers to incorrectly identify the units as such or as GP15Ts, and giving them the nickname "baby tunnel motors". [1] A number of GP15-1s remain in service today for yard work and light road duty.

Contents

History and variants

GP15-1

The GP15-1 was the most popular variant as it did not contain either of the newer technologies of the other two variants (turbocharging or AC control). EMD built a total of 310 units for American railroads in this variant between June 1976 and March 1982.

The Missouri Pacific Railroad purchased more units than the other three buyers combined. For spotting purposes, the MP models have a number of visually distinguishing features, though not all were applied consistently to the MP units:

Railroad [2] [3] QuantityNotes
Chicago and North Western Railway 25Most in service with Union Pacific Railroad
Conrail 100#1600–1699
all retired by CSX Transportation and sold to GMTX.
All retired by Norfolk Southern Railway and sold to LTEX.
Missouri Pacific Railroad 160Most in service with Union Pacific Railroad
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway 25#100–124 All have been retired by BNSF Railway. Some traded to GMTX for GP38-2's
Totals310

GP15T

Apalachicola Northern GP15T #722 Apalachicola Northern GP15T 722.jpg
Apalachicola Northern GP15T #722

EMD built 28 examples of a variant, the GP15T, between October 1982 and April 1983. It was a very close cousin to the GP15-1, but used a turbocharger in order to generate more power from a smaller engine. Power was provided by an 8-cylinder diesel engine that generated 1,500  hp (1.12 MW), the same as the GP15-1, but with four fewer cylinders. [1]

28 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads. The Chessie System received the majority of them as C&O 1500–1524 (25 units), [3] while the rest went to the Apalachicola Northern in Florida as AN 720–722 (3 units). [2]

Railroad [2] [3] QuantityNotes
Chessie System 251500-1524
Apalachicola Northern 3720-722
Totals28

GP15AC

Union Pacific GP15AC #722 UPY 722-EMD GP15AC (45880320755).jpg
Union Pacific GP15AC #722

The GP15AC is a variant built between November and December 1982. This model differs from the GP15-1 due to Missouri Pacific specifying new AR10 AC alternators instead of rebuilt D32 DC generators. The only external difference between the GP15AC and the GP15-1 is a straight side sill (shared with the EMD GP15T) not related to the transmission difference.

34 examples of this locomotive model were built in total: 30 for Missouri Pacific Railroad, and four for Venezuela's IFE. [2]

Railroad [2] [3] QuantityNotes
Missouri Pacific Railroad 30
State Railways Institution 4
Totals34

Rebuilds

Union Pacific has rebuilt 22 of their GP15-1's into GP15N's at their Jenk's shop. These units received a microprocessor control system to increase adhesion, control options, and extend the life of the locomotive. [4]

Preservation

In 2021, CSX donated GP15T #1507 (built 1982 as C&O #1507) to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. [5] It is the first GP15 class locomotive to be preserved.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD E-unit</span> American diesel-passenger locomotive

EMD E-units were a line of passenger train streamliner diesel locomotives built by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and its predecessor the Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC). Final assembly for all E-units was in La Grange, Illinois. Production ran from May 1937, to December, 1963. The name E-units refers to the model numbers given to each successive type, which all began with E. The E originally stood for eighteen hundred horsepower, the power of the earliest model, but the letter was kept for later models of higher power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD F-unit</span> Line of diesel-electric locomotives

EMD F-units are a line of diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois, and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario. They were sold to railroads throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, and a few were exported to Saudi Arabia. The term F-unit refers to the model numbers given to each successive type, all of which began with the letter F. The F originally meant "fourteen", as in 1,400 horsepower (1,000 kW), not "freight". Longer EMD E-units for passenger service had twin 900-horsepower (670 kW) diesel engines. The E meant "eighteen" as in 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW). Similarly, for early model EMD switchers, S meant "six hundred" and N meant "nine hundred horsepower".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD F7</span> Model of 1500 hp North American cab diesel locomotive

The EMD F7 is a model of 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW) diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) and General Motors Diesel (GMD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD MP15DC</span>

The EMD MP15, sometimes referenced as MP15DC, is a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) diesel–electric road switcher locomotive model produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between 1974 and 1980. It was equipped with a V12 12-645E engine sporting a Roots blower. The length was either 47 ft 8 in (14.53 m) or 48 ft 8 in (14.83 m) depending on the build date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SW900</span> Model of 900 hp American diesel switcher

The EMD SW900 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel (GMD) between December 1953 and March 1969. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 8-cylinder engine that generated 900 horsepower (670 kW). Built concurrently with the SW1200, the eight-cylinder units had a single exhaust stack. The last two SW900s built by GMD for British Columbia Hydro were built with 8 cylinder 645E engines rated at 1,000 horsepower (750 kW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SW1200</span> Model of 1200 hp American diesel switcher

An EMD SW1200 is a four-axle diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966. Power is provided by an EMD 567C 12-cylinder engine, which generates 1,200 horsepower (890 kW). Additional SW1200 production was completed by General Motors Diesel in Ontario, Canada, between September 1955 and June 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP28</span>

An EMD GP28 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between March 1964 and November 1965. Power was provided by an EMD 16-567D1 16-cylinder engine which generated 1,800 horsepower (1.34 MW). This locomotive was basically a naturally aspirated version of the EMD GP35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP39</span>

The EMD GP39 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1969 and July 1970. The GP39 was a derivative of the GP38 equipped with a turbocharged EMD 645E3 12-cylinder engine which generated 2,300 hp (1.72 MW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP20</span>

An EMD GP20 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between November 1959 and April 1962. Power was provided by an EMD 16-567D2 16-cylinder turbocharged engine which generated 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW). EMD was initially hesitant to turbocharge their 567-series diesel engine, but was spurred on to do so following successful tests made by Union Pacific in the form of UP's experimental Omaha GP20 units. 260 examples of EMD's production locomotive model were built for American railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD38</span>

The EMD SD38 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between May 1967 and October 1971. It had an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine generating 2,000 horsepower (1.5 MW), compared to the turbocharged EMD 645E3 V-16 engine that produced 3000 horsepower. Aside from the 3-axle trucks and a longer frame to accommodate them, the SD38 was identical to the GP38; the SD38 had the same frame as the SD39, SD40 and SD45. 52 were built for American railroads, one was built for a Canadian railroad, four were exported to a mining firm in Jamaica and seven were exported to a mining firm in Venezuela. The SD38 was succeeded by a Dash 2 version called the EMD SD38-2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD38-2</span> North American class of diesel-electric locomotive

The EMD SD38-2 is a model of six-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) from 1972 to 1979. EMD built 90 of these medium road-switchers, which were used in both yard and mainline roles. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the SD38-2 was an upgraded SD38 with modular electronic control systems, HT-C trucks, and many other detail improvements. The locomotive's power was provided by an EMD 16-645E 16-cylinder engine, which could generate 2,000 horsepower. These units were constructed with either 3,200 or 4,000 US gal fuel tanks and were available with or without dynamic brakes. It shared the same 64-foot-8-inch (19.71 m) frame as the SD40-2 and SD45-2, which gives it a length over couplers of 68 feet 10 inches (20.98 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD45X</span> Experimental diesel-electric locomotive

An EMD SD45X is a 6-axle experimental diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1970 and February 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3A 20-cylinder engine which generated 4,200 horsepower (3,130 kW). 7 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads. 6 of these units would end up in service with Southern Pacific Railroad. One was rebuilt in 1980 by Morrison-Knudsen into an SD45Xm with a long hood from a scrapped DD35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SDL39</span>

The EMD SDL39 is a model of 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between March 1969 and November 1972. Power was provided by the EMD 645E3 12-cylinder engine as used in the EMD GP39 which generated 2,300 horsepower. The unit was built on a short 55-foot-2-inch (16.81 m) frame with C-C export trucks, barely tipping the scales at 250,000 pounds (110,000 kg) and managing a light-footed axle-loading of just 20.8 short tons per axle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD MP15AC</span>

The EMD MP15AC is a 1,500 hp (1,120 kW) diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between August 1975 and August 1984. A variant of the EMD MP15DC with an AC/DC transmission, 246 examples were built, including 25 for export to Mexico, and four built in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD MP15T</span>

The EMD MP15T is a model of diesel-electric switcher locomotives built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between October 1984 and November 1987. Instead of a non-turbocharged 12-cylinder EMD 645 engine it uses a turbocharged 8-cylinder engine. The external appearance of the engine remains similar to other MP15 models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP40X</span>

An EMD GP40X is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1977 and June 1978. Power for this unit was provided by a turbocharged 16-cylinder 16-645F3B engine which could produce 3,500 horsepower (2,610 kW). 23 examples of this locomotive were built for North American railroads. This unit was a pre-production version meant to test technologies later incorporated into EMD's 50-series locomotives GP50 and SD50.

The MK5000C is a 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) North American diesel-electric locomotive developed by MK Rail. At the time of its introduction in 1994, the MK5000C was the most powerful single prime mover diesel-electric locomotive ever made, a title it would hold for only for one year until GE Transportation released its competing 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) AC6000CW model in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD 567</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The EMD 567 is a line of large medium-speed diesel engines built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. This engine, which succeeded Winton's 201A, was used in EMD's locomotives from 1938 until its replacement in 1966 by the EMD 645. It has a bore of 8+12 in (216 mm), a stroke of 10 in (254 mm) and a displacement of 567 cu in (9.29 L) per cylinder. Like the Winton 201A, the EMD 645 and the EMD 710, the EMD 567 is a two-stroke engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP49</span>

The EMD GP49 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Power was provided by an EMD 645F3B 12-cylinder engine which generated 2,800 horsepower (2.09 MW). The GP49 was marketed as one of four models in the 50 series introduced in 1979. The 50 series includes GP/SD49 and GP/SD50. Both the GP and SD50 were relatively popular with a total of 278 GP50s and 427 SD50s built. The SD49 was advertised but never built and a total of nine GP49s were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Dash 7 Series</span>

The Dash 7 Series is a line of diesel-electric freight locomotives built by GE Transportation. It replaced the Universal Series in the mid-1970s, and was superseded by the Dash 8 Series in the mid-1980s.

References

  1. 1 2 Foster, Gerald L. (1996). A field guide to trains of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 30. ISBN   0-395-70112-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sarberenyi, Robert. "GP15-1, GP15AC, and GP15T Roster". TrainWeb. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Scott, Robert (1 December 2022). "GP15-1 locomotives: EMD workhorses". Trains . Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  4. Craig, R. "Union Pacific Motive Power". The Diesel Shop. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  5. "CSXT 1507". B&O RR Museum Archives. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-15.

Further reading