The Erie Railroad diesel roster was a mix of most Alco and GM products with General Electric and Baldwin locomotives also making up part of the roster. And, like its sister road, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie did not feature a large diesel roster before its 1960 merger. For a complete/all-time Erie diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving Erie 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 Erie colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of Erie heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of Erie heritage that are not in Erie colors).
The Erie Railroad is sometimes forgotten as a classic fallen flag because of its disappearance over a decade before most other lines began to fall. Until its merger in 1960 with the Lackawanna (to form the Erie Lackawanna) the Erie was another mid-sized Class I in the East Coast-Midwest market stretching from New York/Jersey City to Chicago.
Throughout its existence the Erie Railroad was troubled with bankruptcies and organizations but it was able, through the 1950s, to find a degree of success in a market extremely saturated with many other, and larger carries (such as the New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad and Baltimore & Ohio just to name a few).
American Locomotive Company (Alco)
· Alco S1 #310: Preserved by the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum as Erie #310.
· Alco S1 #315: Preserved on display in Galena, Kansas as Erie Lackawanna #315.
Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
· EMD SW9 #436: Preserved by the United Railroad Historical Museum as Erie #436.
· EMD E8A #833: Preserved by the Juniata Terminal Company as Conrail #4022.
Also, it should be noted that some former Lackawanna 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 Erie Railroad 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 the book The American Diesel Locomotive from author Brian Solomon. The book studies everything from classic to newer diesel locomotive models. In the entire book is a great resource and you shouldn’t be disappointed with it, not to mention that it is loaded with photos (many in color)! If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".
