FM Erie-Builts

(Please note that the models featured here are not Erie-Builts.)

The FM Erie-Built was the manufacturer's first cab units it ever constructed. They were meant for use in passenger service and to compete primarily with the Electro-Motive Division's successful E series and the American Locomotive Company's beautiful PA model. When released right after World War II, FM worked incredibly hard to market a passenger model that could effectively compete with the industry leaders unlike Baldwin's designs that were less than successful. Interestingly, the company never really gave the locomotive a name that they worked so hard to develop, as it was simply to referred to the location in which it was built. Fairbanks Morse did make several initial sales with the Erie-Built, which was actually a quite elegant design, but overall the model sold poorly as railroads simply did not like the complexity of the opposed-piston and prime mover. In the end, the model was not an effective competitor to EMD's E series or even Alco's PA.

FM Erie-Builts began production just after World War II had ended in December, 1945. They featured a carbody somewhat similar to Alco's PA model in that it sported a long, graceful nose ahead of the cab with a sweeping, streamlined body. Overall, the design was very classy and elegant. The Erie-Builts featured an A1A-A1A truck setup (meaning the two outside axles were powered while the inside was not) and produced a hearty 2,000 horsepower using the builder's 2-cycle 38D8 1/8 opposed-piston prime mover (FM became legendary for the power its engines could produce at that time). With a tractive effort of 55,000 pounds starting and 27,500 pounds continuous the locomotive was slightly less powerful than EMD's E7 being cataloged at the same time. Erie-Builts also came fully equipped with dynamic braking.

Surprisingly, FM Erie-Builts sold relatively well (by Fairbanks Morse standards anyway) with 111 units outshopped by the time the builder had ceased construction in April, 1949. In all, seven Class I railroads purchased the Erie-Built including the Santa Fe, Chicago & North Western, Milwaukee Road, Kansas City Southern, Pennsylvania, and Union Pacific (the PRR owned the most, 48 total). The Canadian roads never did bite on the design and as such no orders were taken through subsidiary Canadian Locomotive Works.

It should be noted that while Fairbanks Morse locomotive, in general, sold poorly it is not necessarily because their models were unreliable, as was usually the case with Alco (early on anyway) and particularly Baldwin. Reliability with FM's diesel locomotives has often been questioned but I believe the issue was mostly due to the fact that FM's opposed-piston prime mover was difficult to maintain and far different from the standard designs being offered by the other builders. For instance, in regards to the Train Master, it has been noted by John Kirkland in his book The Diesel Builders Volume 1 that the locomotives performed admirably for more than 20 years on the Southern Pacific due to a maintenance team that understood the model, despite taking a daily beating in freight service.

Today, no FM Erie-Builts are known to survive. However, a piece of this unique model lives on in Doyle McCormack's restored Alco PA #190. The unit's trucks (designed by General Steel Castings) were salvaged for the restoration as they came from a scrapped Erie-Built, which had been converted for use by the Canadian Pacific in rail trains to lay continuous welded rail (CWR). Also, for a total production roster of FM Erie-Builts please click here. Lastly, for more information about the FM Erie-Builts and all of the builder's cab models please refer to the chart below.

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Fairbanks Morse Cab Units

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.

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