Monongahela Railway Diesel Roster: All-Time

Published: September 22, 2026

The Monongahela dieselized late, and it dieselized with Baldwin. The first S-12 went to work on November 25, 1952. Twenty-seven of them, 400–426, had replaced steam by May 26, 1954. When those switchers were too small for the mine runs, the railroad bought the last New York Central sharknose RF-16s still in existence, in 1967. Five GP38s arrived new in 1969. Nine secondhand Pittsburgh & Lake Erie GP7s filled in during the mid-1970s. The last new numbers, 2300–2310, were GE Super 7s rebuilt from Western Pacific U23Bs in 1989 and 1990.

The tables are every diesel-electric the Monongahela numbered, one row per builder batch, with serial and order in their own columns.

Monongahela Railway RF-16 1205, former New York Central 3805, at Brownsville Pennsylvania on September 21 1971

RF-16 #1205 at Brownsville on September 21, 1971. Dan Cupper photo. Baldwin 75361, December 1951, built as New York Central 3805. It worked coal trains here and later became one of the two sharks preserved, stored on the Escanaba & Lake Superior.

On this page: At a glance · S-12s · Sharks · GP7s and GP38s · Super 7s · All-time roster

At a glance

Item	Detail
Railroad	Monongahela Railway. Mark MGA
First diesel	S-12 400, in service November 25, 1952. Baldwin 75797
Last steam	May 26, 1954
Fleet	27 S-12s. 7 RF-16A and 2 RF-16B. 9 GP7s, three of them wrecked in 1975. 5 GP38s. 11 Super 7s
Last purchase	Super 7s 2300–2310, rebuilt September 1989–March 1990
Survivors	RF-16s 1205 and 1216, stored out of service on the Escanaba & Lake Superior
Steam roster	All-time steam roster

S-12s

Baldwin’s S-12 was a 1,200-horsepower end-cab, specification DS-4-4-1200, and the Monongahela bought the model from the first month of its dieselization through the last summer Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton was still delivering switchers to a common carrier. Numbers 400–406 came in November 1952. The rest followed in four more batches through July 1954, twenty-seven units, 400–426. They were the only new diesels of the steam-replacement program. Number 410 was scrapped by the railroad in 1966. Most of the others went to scrap dealers in 1969, 1970, or August 1974, when the GP38s and the secondhand GP7s had taken the road jobs and the sharks were finished. A few had a second life: 407 reached the Gettysburg Railroad and then Nucor; 415, 422, and 425 went to mining railroads; 425 later ran on SMS Rail as 305.

Sharks

In 1967 General Electric had the last Baldwin RF-16s in the country, traded in by the New York Central. The Monongahela bought seven cab units and two boosters, still numbered in the New York Central’s 1966 series. They were coal-drag engines out of Brownsville, the only sharknoses still earning a living after the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore & Ohio had parked theirs.

Brownsville engine terminal, September 1971. The two RF-16s later bought by the Delaware & Hudson, an S-12, and GP38 #2000. Photographer unknown.

By 1972 only 1205 and 1216 were still operable. The Monongahela traded the sharks to a scrap dealer. In 1974 the Delaware & Hudson took 1205 and 1216 in exchange for scrap steel, repainted them blue and gold, and ran them in freight and on excursions until 1978. They are stored, out of service, on the Escanaba & Lake Superior. They are the last RF-16s.

Monongahela Railway RF-16 1216 inside the Brownsville Pennsylvania shops on September 21 1971

RF-16 #1216 in the Brownsville shops on September 21, 1971. Dan Cupper photo. Baldwin 75372, January 1952, built as New York Central 3816. Sold to the Delaware & Hudson in 1974.

GP7s and GP38s

Five GP38s, 2000–2004, were the first new Electro-Motive units, order 7182, serials 35074–35078, built in June 1969. Number 2002 wore Bicentennial paint. After the Conrail merger the five went to the Chicago Central & Pacific. Number 2004 later carried Illinois Central 9704.

The GP7s were Pittsburgh & Lake Erie engines, bought in 1974 and replaced, after a wreck, in 1975–1976. Numbers 1500–1505 arrived in 1974. In February 1975, 1501, 1503, and 1505 were in a wreck and were scrapped. The railroad filled the holes with 1506, 1508, and 1510 rather than reusing the wrecked numbers. There was no 1507 or 1509 on the Monongahela.

Monongahela GP7s 1502, 1500, and 1504 at the Brownsville Pennsylvania engine terminal on September 20 1980

GP7s #1502, #1500, and #1504 at Brownsville on September 20, 1980. Doug Kroll photo. All three are former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Geeps. The 1500 was P&LE 5733.

Super 7s

The Super 7 was a General Electric rebuild of a Universal-series locomotive, with Dash 8 electronics and, on these units, EMD Blomberg trucks. The Monongahela was the only U.S. railroad that bought a set. Paul Reistrup, the railroad’s president, gave the model its name. Numbers 2300–2310 were rebuilt between September 1989 and March 1990 from Western Pacific U23Bs of May and June 1972. Conrail renumbered them 2030–2040. In the 1999 split they were divided between CSX and Norfolk Southern.

All-time roster

Owned and numbered Monongahela diesel-electrics. One row per builder batch. Baldwin specification DS-4-4-1200 is the S-12 order. The GP38 order is EMD’s. RF-16s, GP7s, and Super 7s have no separate order code in the lists used here, so that column is a dash and the works number is the serial. Super 7 “built” dates are the original U23B dates. The rebuild month is in the notes.

Baldwin S-12

Numbers	Model	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
400–406	S-12	Baldwin	75797–75803	DS-4-4-1200	11/1952	400 in service November 25, 1952. 405 to Luntz, July 1969. 400–404 and 406 to Naparano, August 1974
407–408	S-12	Baldwin	75838–75839	DS-4-4-1200	5/1953	407 later Blairsville & Indiana 407, Gettysburg 407, Nucor 03. 408 to Luntz, 7/1969
409–410	S-12	Baldwin	75840–75841	DS-4-4-1200	6/1953	409 to Luntz, 7/1969. 410 scrapped by the Monongahela, 1966
411–418	S-12	Baldwin	75842–75849	DS-4-4-1200	7/1953	415 to Erie Mining 404, later 7244. 411, 416, and 417 to Naparano, August 1974. 412, 413, and 418 to Luntz, July 1969. 414 to Luntz, September 1970
419–422	S-12	Baldwin	76010–76013	DS-4-4-1200	3/1954	419 to Balkan Mining 1. 422 to Balkan Mining 2, then Erie Mining 7248. 420 and 421 to Luntz, 7/1969
423–425	S-12	Baldwin	76014–76016	DS-4-4-1200	6/1954	425 to Erie Mining 405, later 7245, then SMS Rail 305. 424 to Naparano, 8/1974. 423 to Luntz, 7/1969
426	S-12	Baldwin	76017	DS-4-4-1200	7/1954	To Luntz, 9/1970. Last S-12

Baldwin RF-16

Numbers	Model	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
1205	RF-16A	Baldwin	75361	—	12/1951	Nee New York Central 3805, renumbered 1205 in 1966. To MGA 1967. To D&H 1205 in 1974. Stored on the Escanaba & Lake Superior
1207	RF-16A	Baldwin	75363	—	12/1951	Nee NYC 3807. To Luntz, 7–8/1969
1209	RF-16A	Baldwin	75365	—	12/1951	Nee NYC 3809. To Luntz, 7–8/1969
1210	RF-16A	Baldwin	75366	—	12/1951	Nee NYC 3810. Photographed on the Monongahela. Scrapped
1211	RF-16A	Baldwin	75367	—	12/1951	Nee NYC 3811. On the property; some accounts give it little work
1213	RF-16A	Baldwin	75369	—	1/1952	Nee NYC 3813. To Luntz, 7–8/1969
1216	RF-16A	Baldwin	75372	—	1/1952	Nee NYC 3816. To D&H 1216 in 1974. Stored on the Escanaba & Lake Superior
3708	RF-16B	Baldwin	75407	—	1/1952	B-unit. Ex-NYC 3708. To Luntz, 9/1970
3709	RF-16B	Baldwin	75408	—	2/1952	B-unit. Ex-NYC 3709. Gratz lists it as never operated. Omitted from the Extra 2200 South compilation

EMD GP7 and GP38

Numbers	Model	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
1500	GP7	EMD	17979	—	4/1953	Ex-P&LE 1504, nee 5733. Bought 7/1974. Later North Central Texas, then Cimarron River Valley
1501	GP7	EMD	17977	—	4/1953	Ex-P&LE 1506, nee 5731. Wrecked 2/1975 and scrapped
1502	GP7	EMD	16351	—	6/1952	Ex-P&LE 1513, nee 5724. Later leased, including a turn as Rock Island 1502
1503	GP7	EMD	16347	—	6/1952	Ex-P&LE 1517, nee 5720. Wrecked with 1501, 2/1975, and scrapped
1504	GP7	EMD	16343	—	5/1952	Ex-P&LE 1520, nee 5716. Later leased; wrecked and scrapped as Rock Island 1504
1505	GP7	EMD	16340	—	5/1952	Ex-P&LE 1523, nee 5713. Wrecked with 1501, 2/1975, and scrapped
1506	GP7	EMD	14582	—	9/1951	Ex-P&LE 1524, nee 5685. Replacement for a wrecked 1974 unit. Later North Central Texas and Cimarron River Valley
1508	GP7	EMD	14578	—	9/1951	Ex-P&LE 1528, nee 5681. Same replacement group
1510	GP7	EMD	14573	—	9/1951	Ex-P&LE 1533, nee 5676. Same replacement group
2000–2003	GP38	EMD	35075–35078	7182	6/1969	2002 wore Bicentennial paint. All four to Chicago Central & Pacific
2004	GP38	EMD	35074	7182	6/1969	Lowest serial in the order. To Chicago Central & Pacific 2004, then Illinois Central 9704

GE Super 7

Numbers	Model	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
2300	Super 7-23B	GE	38400	—	6/1972	Ex-Western Pacific U23B 2254. Rebuilt 9/1989. Conrail 2030, then CSX 3193
2301	Super 7-23B	GE	38401	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2255. Rebuilt 10/1989. Conrail 2031, then Norfolk Southern 4093
2302	Super 7-23B	GE	38398	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2252. Rebuilt 11/1989. Conrail 2032, then CSX 3194
2303	Super 7-23B	GE	38404	—	5/1972	Ex-WP 2258. Rebuilt 11/1989. Conrail 2033, then NS 4094
2304	Super 7-23B	GE	38399	—	5/1972	Ex-WP 2253. Rebuilt 12/1989. Conrail 2034, then NS 4095
2305	Super 7-23B	GE	38410	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2264. Rebuilt 12/1989. Conrail 2035, then NS 4096
2306	Super 7-23B	GE	38397	—	5/1972	Ex-WP 2251. Rebuilt 3/1990. Conrail 2036, then CSX 3195
2307	Super 7-23B	GE	38408	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2262. Rebuilt 2/1990. Conrail 2037, then NS 4097
2308	Super 7-23B	GE	38406	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2260. Rebuilt 2/1990. Conrail 2038, then NS 4098
2309	Super 7-23B	GE	38407	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2261. Rebuilt 3/1990. Conrail 2039, then CSX 3196
2310	Super 7-23B	GE	38411	—	6/1972	Ex-WP 2265. Rebuilt 3/1990. Conrail 2040, then NS 4099

Sources

The Diesel Shop, Monongahela Railway all-time roster, John Komanesky, revised September 14, 2015. References Extra 2200 South, May 1974 and April–June 1986, with additions from Luke Rice. S-12 construction numbers, GP38 serials, Super 7 rebuilds, and the five RF-16A plus one RF-16B that list prints in full.
Baldwin S-12 production list, same compiler, for the DS-4-4-1200 batches and the June 1953 date on 409–410.
EMD GP38 order 7182, trainweb.us/emdloco/gp38.htm, serials 35074–35078, Monongahela 2000–2004.
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie GP7 roster, trainweb.org/towrail/mga-ple/GP7.html, for former numbers and the serials of 1500 and 1501.
New York Central RF-16 builder list for 1210, 1211, and booster 3709, which the Extra 2200 South compilation does not print. Gratz and Arbogast for 3709 never having operated.

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