The EMC EA, E1, And E2

(Please note that the models featured here are not the EA, E1, or E2.)

The original EMC EA was built for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the mid-1930s. The "E" series was begun by the Electro-Motive Corporation and carried on, quite successfully, under General Motors, as a singular diesel locomotive which was not semi-permanently coupled to a trainset (such as the Zephyrs). The B&O ultimately came to own only a few of the then radical, streamlined diesel locomotives, which still had yet to be a proven replacement for steam. Other railroads that came to purchase these very early EMC passenger locomotives included the Union Pacific; the aforementioned Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. The units were a radical changed from what railroads and the general public were accustomed to. However, ultimately, they proved to be quite successful. The EAs remained in use on the B&O for many years before being retired and today, one remains preserved, B&O #51 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

It did not take long after the EA's debut for the industry to realize the success of these new locomotives (particularly coupled with the earlier streamlined trainsets, such as the Burlington Railroad’s Zephyr 9900). However, with the onset of World War II and diesel locomotive construction being restricted during wartime, there were not many Es purchased until after the war ended in 1945.

Essentially, the EMC EA utilized the mechanics of the builder's passenger boxcab diesel locomotive it had built a few years earlier in 1935. The basic difference was that the EA came packaged in a stunning, streamlined carbody with a shoveled nose that became a trademark of later models.

While the EA unit itself came equipped with 1,800 horsepower, EMC also manufactured a cabless "B" unit known as an EB, which doubled its total output to 3,600 horsepower. Overall the EA featured an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement (whereby the center axle of the three was unpowered) using four General Motors' model D7 traction motors. Coupled with a weight of 150 tons and overall length of 69-feet the EA could produce a continuous tractive effort of 31,000 pounds and top speed of nearly 120 mph.

In the end the B&O came to own six EAs and EBs, which were originally used to power its most prestigious passenger trains such as the Capitol Limited, National Limited, and Royal Blue.

The UP's model was known as the E2 and varied slightly from the EA and E1 in that its carbody styling featured a more pronounced and beveled front nose with no tapering or "slanted" appearance. The UP's E2 also differed in that they were somewhat built as matching A-B-B sets (although they were not semi-permanently coupled), in which the railroad came to own two such designs. Combined the A-B-B set could produce 5,400 horsepower, with each unit again able to produce 1,800 horsepower using two Winton 201-A prime movers (that could produce 900 horsepower each). The UP's two sets were dubbed SF (1, 2, and 3) and LA (1, 2, and 3) for the passenger trains they powered (the City of San Francisco and City of Los Angeles).

The EMC EA, E1, and E2 were the only such models in the series to use the Winton Engine Company's model 201-A as future designs beginning with the E3 employed General Motors' model 567 prime mover. Perhaps most importantly, these early passenger models developed by the Electro-Motive Corporation saw a significant change in how future locomotives were built with less of an emphasis on custom building (as was the case with steam) and more of a focus on constructing a single design on a large scale, thereby greatly reducing their cost. For technical data regarding the EMC EA, E1, and E2 please click here. Also, for information about EMD's E series please refer to the chart below.

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The Electro-Motive Corporation/Division E Series

For more information on the EMD E series 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 EMDs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

You might want to also consider the book EMD Locomotives from author Brian Solomon. Solomon's book highlights the history of EMD from its earliest beginnings in the 1920s, to its phenomenal successes in the mid-20th century, and finally its decline into second spot behind General Electric in the late 20th century and eventual sale by General Motors in 2005. The book features 176 pages of EMD history and is filled with excellent photography and illustrations. 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.

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