Railroad History

Passenger and Commuter Rail

Railroading Today

Rolling Stock

Infrastructure and Terms

Museums and Tourism

Miscellaneous

About The Site

[?] Subscribe To This Site

Atlantic Coast Line Diesel Roster

The Atlantic Coast Line diesel roster was mostly made up of EMDs although it also include GEs, Alcos, and a few Baldwins. For a complete/all-time Atlantic Coast Line diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving ACL diesel locomotives will be categorized by original numbers the railroad assigned its units and where they are today, whether in operation, cosmetically restored, or in some state of preservation at railroad museums and tourist railroads. Also, just as something to keep in mind if you are not aware, while some locomotives may be painted/preserved in ACL colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of ACL heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of ACL heritage that are not in ACL colors).

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, also known as the ACL or Coast Line, was synonymous with the South and served points from Richmond, Virginia to Florida and east to Birmingham, Alabama. The railroad was also very profitable being that it served direct north-south routes from Florida to Richmond. It also held one of the most unique paint schemes of any Class I of both its day, having a beautiful purple and silver livery with yellow trim.

Remembered in the likes of the Southern Railway in later years the ACL was highly respected throughout most of its existence and like the Southern was blessed with excellent management and never faced any serious bankruptcy (and only entered receivership once during the Depression years of the early 1930s) threat up until its merger with the Seaboard Air Line in the late 1960s to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

· EMD SW9 #685: Preserved at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum as Seaboard Coast Line #167.

· EMD E3A #501: Preserved at the North Carolina Transportation Museum as ACL #501.

Also, it should be noted that some former Atlantic Coast Line switcher and road units continue to remain in some state of operation and in active revenue service with Class Is, Regionals, shortlines, or leasing companies. To learn more about the disposition of these locomotives please click here to visit The Diesel Shop.

While this list will continually be updated it certainly does not completely cover every surviving unit, which was on the Atlantic Coast Line diesel roster. So, if you know of any other survivors out there, whether they are parked and gleaming in a museum or sitting out in the weeds along a forgotten siding please let me know so we can keep this list growing, and you will be given full credit for your help.

For more information on the all types of classic diesel locomotives consider Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives which looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic FMs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

footer for atlantic coast line diesel roster page