Railroad History

Passenger and Commuter Rail

Railroading Today

Rolling Stock

Infrastructure and Terms

Museums and Tourism

Miscellaneous

About The Site

[?] Subscribe To This Site

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Diesel Roster

The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac diesel roster was almost entirely made up of EMD products, save for a small fleet of Alco S2 switchers. For a complete/all-time Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving RF&P 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 RF&P colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of RF&P heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of RF&P heritage that are not in RF&P colors).

The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad was not a large system, connecting only Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, a distance of roughly 113 miles. However, its strategic location allowed it to connect with virtually every major northeastern and southeastern railroad, which made the RF&P very successful.

In 1991, after nearly 160 years of continuous service the RF&P was purchased by CSX Transportation that year and merged into its system (it should be noted that throughout most of the RF&P’s existence it was owned by six of the large eastern carriers and was never an independent operation, although it did carry its own corporate identity and management team). The original RF&P main line continues to serve as an important artery under CSX today.

American Locomotive Company (Alco)

· Alco S2 #65: Preserved by the Westmoreland Heritage Railroad as PRR #5656.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

· EMD E8A #1002: Preserved by the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society as RF&P #1002.

· EMD GP7 #101: Preserved by the Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society as RF&P #101.

Also, it should be noted that some former RF&P 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.

While this list will continually be updated it certainly does not completely cover every surviving unit, which was on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 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 reading about the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad you might want to consider the book The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad's Passenger Service, 1935-1975 from author William Griffin, Jr. His book gives a superb general history of the RF&P's passenger traffic the railroad ferried for its owners.

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 richmond fredericksburg and potomac diesel roster page