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The EMD FP7

The EMD FP7 was essentially a variant of the F7, and its intent was for use in passenger service. Internally and visually, the FP7 was virtually identical to the F7 save for its longer length to accommodate a steam generator. Railroads found that F units, with their better tractive effort, performed much better than E units on routes with stiff grades. As such, they began to look for ways to use Fs in such a capacity although many found such difficult without the units having steam generators to power and heat the accompanying cars. EMD corrected this issue with the FP7 of the late 1940s, which was actually built during the same time as the F7. Perhaps surprisingly, for a variant model the FP7 sold quite well outshopping nearly 400 examples (including those constructed by General Motors Diesel of London, Ontario). Today, numerous FP7s remain preserved and in operation around the country, particularly for use in excursion service.

The EMD FP7 began production in the early summer of 1949 as a means for railroads to have a streamlined diesel locomotive to pull passenger trains over stiff grades, something that E series locomotives were not very well suited for given their A1A-A1A truck setup relative poor tractive effort. Railroads attempted to retrofit their F3s to carry steam generators but the engine compartment did not have sufficient room for both the generator and water supply needed. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe attempted to get around this by placing one in an A unit and the other in the accompanying B unit (which worked but always required the need for two units to power each train, thus increasing costs).

Realizing the problem, EMD cataloged the FP7, which was 54-feet in length, four feet longer than the standard 50-foot carbody of most other F models, enabling the engine compartment to hold both the needed water supply and steam generator. Save for the needed components to haul passenger trains, the FP7 was identical to the F7. It featured GM's 16-cylinder model 567B prime mover which could produce 1,500 horsepower and using GM's D27C traction motors could produce 40,000 pounds of continuous tractive effort (and a mighty 64,000 pounds starting, up to that time the most starting tractive effort of any F model). It did, however, use a slightly upgraded main generator, the model D12D and featured dynamic braking, a staple of F series models (multiple-unit control as also included).

Since the EMD FP7 already housed all of the components needed for passenger service there was little need to produce B units (although some railroads did purchase F7Bs for extra horsepower and tractive effort with their FP7s). Compared to the success of the FT, F3, and F7 the FP7's sales numbers appear very low as only 324 were ultimately produced by the time production ended on the model in late 1953. However, the FP7 solved a very important need for railroads operating passenger trains in mountainous terrain and many Class Is purchased the model. Overall, a little more than two dozen railroads bought the FP7 along with foreign lines including the Arabian American Oil Company, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, and Ferrocarril Sonora-Baja California.

For General Motors Diesel, it sold another 57 FP7s to the Canadian National and Ontario Northland Railway (the CN also bought 29 F7Bs to go with its order). Interestingly today, numerous EMD FP7s remain preserved, many of which are still in operation, particularly on tourist railroads (so in a way, many are still being used in their original capacity). Tourist railroads like the West Virginia Central, Stone Mountain Railroad, and Verde Canyon Railroad all use FP7s. Additionally, R.J. Corman uses a few for use on its dinner train and the Canadian Pacific Railway uses a fleet to power the luxurious Royal Canadian Pacific train. For technical data regarding the EMD FP7 please click here. Also, for information about EMD's F series please refer to the chart below.

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Electro-Motive Division F-Series Locomotives

Model Type	Units Built	Date Built	Horsepower
FT	555 A Units/541 B Units	1939-1945	1,350
F3	1,111 A Units/696 B Units	1945-1949	1,500
F7	2,366 A Units/1,483 B Units	1949-1953	1,500
FP7	324	1949-1953	1,500
F9	100 A Units/154 B Units	1954-1960	1,750
FP9	90	1954-1959	1,750
FL9	60	1956-1957	1,750-1,800
F40C	15	1974	3,200
F40PH	398	1976-1992	3,000-3,200
SDP40F	150	1973-1974	3,000
F45	86	1968-1971	3,600
FP45	14	1967-1968	3,600
F59PH	83	1988-1994	3,000
F59PHI	Still In Production	1994-Present	3,200
F69PH-AC	2	1989	3,000

For more information on the EMD F 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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