Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (N de M)
Published: January 4, 2026
By: Adam Burns
For much of the twentieth century, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México—better known by its classic initials N de M, and later as FNM/Ferronales—was more than a transportation company. It was a physical expression of Mexican statecraft: a sprawling network meant to bind distant regions to the capital, channel exports to ports and border crossings, and project federal authority across mountains, deserts, and tropical lowlands. Its story runs through nearly every major political and economic shift Mexico experienced from the late Porfirian era to the neoliberal reforms of the 1990s.
A pair of handsome NdeM FP9s, led by #7022, have train #7 at Felipe Pescador, Mexico in June, 1964. Rick Burn photo.Origins: Railroads before “Nacionales”
Railroading arrived in Mexico during the nineteenth century through a long series of concessions and financing schemes—many driven by foreign capital, foreign engineering expertise, and the commercial priorities of export-oriented development. Mexican governments saw railroads as strategic infrastructure: lines were expected to connect the interior to ports, improve internal trade, and accelerate modernization. Early efforts were intermittent and vulnerable to political instability, but by the last decades of the century, rail construction became a centerpiece of national development policy.
That transformation is strongly associated with the long administration of Porfirio Díaz (the Porfiriato), which promoted industrial growth, mining expansion, and deeper integration with U.S. and global markets. Railroads—often built and operated by large companies with substantial foreign ownership—expanded rapidly, linking Mexico City with regional centers and opening direct corridors to the United States and the Gulf Coast.
Consolidation and the Birth of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
By the early 1900s, the rail map of Mexico included major systems that sometimes competed, sometimes overlapped, and often depended on complex financial arrangements. Mexican policymakers increasingly favored consolidation: a unified or coordinated network was seen as more efficient, easier to regulate, and better aligned with national priorities.
A key milestone came with the creation of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México in the early twentieth century, tied to a broader strategy to group and consolidate major lines. Mexican government sources commonly date the company’s creation to March 28, 1908, emphasizing the fusion of major rail enterprises and the effort to stabilize and rationalize the system.
In practice, the firm and its predecessor arrangements absorbed or coordinated important components of Mexico’s rail network, including lines reaching major border gateways and commercial hubs. One especially significant development was the strengthening of the trunk link between Mexico City and the U.S. frontier—vital both for trade and for passenger movement—helping establish the “national” character that the company’s name implied.
NdeM G16 #7311 at Escubedo, Mexico in September, 1965. Rick Burn photo.A Railroad in Revolution
If the Porfirian age celebrated the railroad as a symbol of modernity, the Mexican Revolution demonstrated how quickly the same infrastructure could become contested terrain. Railways became strategic assets: armies needed rolling stock and rails for mobility, supply, and control of territory. Lines were sabotaged, bridges destroyed, and equipment commandeered. Beyond the immediate damage, the revolutionary decade strained finances and complicated ownership and management.
Even so, the central reality remained: Mexico’s long distances and challenging geography made rail indispensable. The postrevolutionary state, eager to consolidate authority and stimulate growth, treated the rail network as a tool for national integration—not just commerce.
Nationalization: From Mixed Control to a State Railroad
The decisive shift toward a fully state-centered railroad came in the late 1930s under President Lázaro Cárdenas. Here the historical record often distinguishes between expropriation actions and the subsequent reorganization of operations and ownership.
Contemporary accounts note the expropriation of Mexican rail properties in June 1937, describing the transfer of rail assets into state hands.
Other sources frame the “National Railways of Mexico” as Mexico’s state-owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, reflecting how the reorganized, consolidated state railroad functioned institutionally from the following year.
Regardless of which date one emphasizes, the meaning is clear: by the late 1930s, Mexico had chosen a model in which the national rail system would be guided as public infrastructure—expected to serve broad economic and social goals, even when that conflicted with narrow profitability.
System Map (1952)
Mid-Century Operations: Freight, Passengers, and Nation-Building
In the decades after nationalization, N de M became the backbone of long-distance inland transport. Mexico’s rail corridors served multiple purposes:
- Freight movement of minerals, agricultural goods, and industrial output.
- Passenger services, including long-distance trains that connected Mexico City with regional capitals and border cities.
- Strategic connectivity, ensuring that remote regions were not isolated from national markets and administrative reach.
Passenger rail, in particular, played a major social role during the mid-twentieth century, when highways and aviation were less dominant than they would later become. At its peak, the N de M system was not only a utility but a cultural reference point—stations, named trains, and rail corridors woven into daily life.
The system also had to respond to global technological change. Across North America, railroads shifted from steam to diesel-electric power; Mexico followed that general trend, modernizing motive power and infrastructure where budgets allowed. But modernization competed with other demands: maintaining vast track mileage, serving routes with uneven traffic, and operating within public-sector constraints.
From a railfan perspective, the railroad operated numerous classic diesel models that could be found throughout the U.S. including Alco C420s, C628s, and even former Santa Fe PAs; Baldwin's unique "Centipede"; and numerous EMD models ranging from F2s to FP9s and SD45s. There were also unique builds for the railroad like th EMD G12 and G16.
NdeM F7A #6312 is ahead of a short train #64 near the coach yards in Mexico City in September, 1965. Rick Burn photo.The Late 20th Century Challenge: Competition, Costs, and the Search for Reform
By the 1970s and 1980s, many national rail systems around the world faced similar problems: rising costs, intense competition from highways and trucking, and capital backlogs. Mexico’s railways were no exception. Financial pressures and operational inefficiencies—made harder by the sheer scale of the network—pushed policymakers toward restructuring.
A major turning point came in 1987, when the Mexican government merged N de M with other regional rail operators into a broader parastatal framework widely associated with the name Ferronales (often abbreviated FNM). The goal was to streamline management and coordinate operations across the country’s rail regions.
This consolidation, however, did not eliminate fundamental challenges. Freight rail still mattered enormously, but the business required investment and commercial flexibility. Passenger services, often politically popular, were increasingly difficult to sustain at scale.
Privatization: The Concession Era of the 1990s
Mexico’s broader economic reforms in the 1990s—market liberalization, privatization of state enterprises, and new investment strategies—reached the railways in a dramatic way. In 1995, Mexico pursued a legal and structural path enabling the privatization of the national railroad system via long-term concessions. Under this approach, the infrastructure and operating rights were reorganized and auctioned or granted as concessions, typically around 50 years, to private operators responsible for running and maintaining the network segments they controlled.
In simplified form, the state moved from being the direct operator to being the grantor and regulator of concessions. Major freight corridors were grouped into principal systems, and investors could compete for them. The shift aligned Mexico with broader global trends in rail reform—especially where governments sought investment, productivity gains, and relief from operational subsidies.
One of the most consequential social outcomes of this era was the end of most traditional intercity passenger rail. As restructuring accelerated, FNM suspended passenger rail service in 1997, marking the close of an era for long-distance passenger travel under the national railroad brand.
Over the following years, the principal freight corridors were operated by new or restructured companies, including major systems such as Ferromex, Ferrosur, and others, along with important terminal arrangements in the Mexico City region.
Dissolution and Liquidation: The End of FNM as an Operator
Even after concessions shifted operations away from the old parastatal, the legal and administrative end of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México took time. Mexican government documentation and oversight reports describe the formal liquidation framework and the publication of “Bases” to carry it out in 2001.
Summaries of the company’s timeline note that FNM was officially extinguished in 2001, while continuing to exist legally as a state entity under liquidation (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México en Liquidación) for purposes that included asset disposition, legal matters, and related obligations.
This distinction matters: railroads leave behind more than locomotives and track. They leave rights-of-way, environmental responsibilities, pension obligations, real estate holdings, and complex legal histories. Liquidation can be a long administrative afterlife—especially for a system that once spanned a nation.
A pair of striking NdeM FP9s, led by #7022, have train #8 at Chihuahua, Mexico in June, 1964. Rick Burn photo.Legacy: What NdeM Still Means
Today, the railroad lives on in several ways.
First, in geography. Many of the principal freight corridors shaped by N de M remain the same strategic pathways used by modern concessionaires—routes linking industrial regions to ports, and connecting Mexico to the U.S. border for intermodal and bulk freight traffic.
Second, in preservation and memory. Surviving locomotives, passenger cars, and station architecture serve as touchstones for a period when rail travel helped define national mobility. Preserved equipment and museums—such as collections that include former N de M locomotives—keep the material culture of the system visible to the public.
Third, in the continuing debate over public infrastructure. N de M’s life cycle—rapid expansion under modernization policy, consolidation and nationalization under a state-building agenda, then privatization under market reform—mirrors a broader argument about what essential infrastructure should be and who should run it. Freight rail in Mexico remains economically vital. But the disappearance of most traditional passenger rail after 1997 still stands as a major watershed in how Mexicans move across their country.
Rick Burn photographed NdeM FPA-2 #6528 north of Escobedo, Mexico in September 1965 while aboard train #7.Conclusion: A Railroad as a Mirror of Modern Mexico
The history of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México is, in many respects, the history of modern Mexico told through steel rails. It begins with nineteenth-century ambitions to connect a vast and varied country. It accelerates under Porfirian industrial modernization and foreign investment. It is tested and battered during revolution.
It becomes an arm of the postrevolutionary state through expropriation and nationalization in the late 1930s. It struggles with the late twentieth century’s economic and technological pressures. And it ends—at least as an operator—through the concession-based privatizations of the 1990s, followed by formal dissolution and liquidation in 2001.
Yet N de M is not simply a defunct company name. It remains a framework for understanding how Mexico tried—again and again—to solve a central problem of nationhood: how to bind together distant regions, expand opportunity, and move people and goods efficiently across a difficult landscape. For most of the twentieth century, the answer ran on rails stamped N de M.
Diesel Roster (Pre-1987)
Alco
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA4 | 16 & 17 | 16 & 17 | 76535, 76537 | 10/1948–11/1948 |
Ex-D&H 16 & 17 < nee ATSF PA1 59L & 60L.
Disposition: #16 to Smithsonian Institute (Portland, Oregon) to Museum of American Railroad for restoration; #17 to Nat'l Railroad Museum of Mexico as FNM DH17. |
| PA4 | 18 | 18 | 76541 | 12/1948 |
Ex-D&H 18 < nee ATSF PA1 62L.
Disposition: #18 to Smithsonian Institute / Doyle McCormack; restored as “Nickel Plate 190”; to Delaware-Lackawanna. |
| PA4 | 19 | 19 | 75318 | 5/1947 |
Ex-D&H 19 < ATSF 66L < nee ATSF PA1 54B.
Disposition: #19 to Nat'l Railroad Museum of Mexico as FNM DH19. |
| C420 | 201 & 204 | 201 & 204 | 84723, 84726 | 12/1963–1/1964 | Scrapped; hi-nose; ex-Vermont Northern 201 & 204 < D&H 201 & 204 < nee LIRR 201 & 204. |
| C420 | 217 | 217 | 84788 | 5/1964 | Scrapped; hi-nose; ex-D&H 217 < nee LIRR 217. |
| C420 | 220 | 220 | 84791 | 5/1964 | Hi-nose; ex-D&H 220 < nee LIRR 220; to museum in Mérida, Mexico. |
| C628 | 601–609 | 601–609 | 3373-01–3373-09 | 3/1964–5/1964 | Ex-D&H 601–609. |
| C628 | 610–618 | 610–618 | 3407-01–3407-09 | 5/1965 | Ex-D&H 609–618. |
| S1 | 5000–5004 | -- | 71664–71668 | 9/1944 | -- |
| S6 | 5300 | -- | 81716 | 1/1956 | -- |
| S2 | 5500–5509 | -- | 72739–72748 | 8/1944 | -- |
| S2 | 5510–5519 | -- | 77450–77459 | 4/1950 | -- |
| S2 | 5520–5522 | 5522 | 78017–78019 | 6/1950 | -- |
| S4 | 5523–5530 | -- | 78616–78623 | 7/1951–8/1951 | -- |
| RS1 | 5600 (2nd) | -- | 78042 | 5/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5601 (2nd) & 5602 (2nd) | 5602 (2nd) | 78088, 78089 | 5/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5603 (2nd)–5605 (2nd) | -- | 78092–78094 | 5/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5606 & 5607 | -- | 77847, 77073 | 2/1950–3/1950 | Bought by ASARCo, but lettered NdeM. |
| RS1 | 5608 & 5609 | -- | 77989, 77990 | 4/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5610–5618 | -- | 78033–78041 | 4/1950–5/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5619 (2nd)–5621 (2nd) | -- | 76430–76432 | 4/1954 (uncertain) | -- |
| RS1 | (5620 & 5621) | -- | 78088, 78089 | 5/1950 | Re-#’d 5601 (2nd) & 5602 (2nd). |
| RS1 | 5622–5624 | -- | 78092–78094 | 5/1950 | -- |
| RS1 | 5622 (2nd)–5624 (2nd) | 5623 (2nd) | 81347–81349 | 10/1956 | -- |
| RS1 | 5625–5631 | 5628–5630 | 82011–82017 | 10/1956–11/1956 | -- |
| RS1 | 5632–5638 | 5634 & 5638 | 82019–82025 | 12/1956–1/1957 | -- |
| RS1 | 5639–5643 | 5639, 5640, 5642 | 82343–82347 | 1/1957–2/1957 | -- |
| RS1 | 5644–5650 | 5647 | 82348–82354 | 7/1957–8/1957 | -- |
| RS1 | 5651 | -- | 82357 | 3/1958 | -- |
| RS1 | 5652–5656 | 5654 & 5656 | 82923–82927 | 12/1958 | -- |
| RS1 | 5657–5662 | 5661 | 83619–83624 | 12/1959–1/1960 | -- |
| RS1 | 5663 | 5663 | 83680 | 3/1960 | -- |
| RSD1 | 5700–5705 | -- | 74671–74676 | 1/1946; 4/1946–5/1946 | Ex-NdeM 5600 (1st)–5605 (1st). |
| RSD35 | 5900–5904 | 5902 | 84489–84493 | 5/1963–6/1963 | A DL535. |
| RSD5 | 6900 | -- | 80884 | 11/1955 | -- |
| RSD5 | 6901 | -- | 80885 | 11/1955 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7400 & 7401 | 7401 | 82919, 82920 | 8/1958 | Hi-nose; w/ steam generator. |
| RSD12 | 7402–7408 | 7402–7407 | 83548–83554 | 12/1959–3/1960 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7409–7418 | 7410–7412, 7414, 7416–7418 | 83626–83635 | 3/1960–6/1960 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7419–7423 | 7420–7423 | 83851–83855 | 3/1961 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7424–7428 | 7424, 7425, 7427 | 83806–83810 | 4/1961 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7429–7440 | 7429, 7430, 7432, 7433, 7435–7440 | 83956–83967 | 4/1961 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7441–7457 | 7441–7455, 7457 | 84083–84099 | 8/1962 | -- |
| RSD12 | 7458–7472 | 7459, 7460, 7462–7472 | 84278–84292 | 8/1962–9/1962 | -- |
| RS3 | 6700–6703 | -- | 80124–80127 | 7/1952 | -- |
| RS3 | 6704–6706 | -- | 81894–81896 | 4/1956 | -- |
| C424 | 8100–8106 | -- | 3372-01–3372-07 | 3/1964 | Diverted to Wabash (as B901–B907) instead of delivery to NdeM. |
| C424 | 8100 (2nd)–8106 (2nd) | 8100, 8104, 8106 | 3380-01–3380-07 | 6/1964 | -- |
| C424 | 8107–8129 | 8107–8111, 8113, 8114, 8116–8122, 8126–8128 | 3372-08–3372-30 | 6/1964 | -- |
| C424 | 8130–8133 | 8130–8132 | 3382-09–3382-12 | 10/1965 | -- |
| C424 | 8134–8144 | 8135–8140, 8143, 8144 | 3428-01–3428-11 | 10/1965–11/1965 | -- |
| FPA2 | 6500 & 6501 | -- | 78724, 78275 | 11/1950 | -- |
| FPA2 | 6502A–6506A | -- | 78996–79000 | 8/1951 | #6503A rebuilt with a French engine (not successful). |
| FA2 | 6507A–6516A | -- | 78986–78995 | 7/1951–8/1951 | -- |
| FA2 | 6517A–6520A | -- | 79283–79286 | 9/1951 | -- |
| FA2 | 6519A (2nd) | -- | 80824 | 12/1953 | -- |
| FA2 | 6521A & 6522A | -- | 79742, 79743 | 3/1952 | -- |
| FPA2 | 6523A–6527A | -- | 80009, 80020–80023 | 9/1953–10/1953 | -- |
| FPA2 | 6528A–6532A | -- | 79175–79179 | 12/1953–2/1954 | -- |
| FPA2 | 6533A | -- | 79196 | 2/1954 | -- |
| FA2 | 6534A | -- | 80897 | 4/1954 | -- |
| FB2 | 6507B–6516B | -- | 79023–79032 | 7/1951–8/1951 | -- |
| FB2 | 6517B–6520B | -- | 79327–79330 | 9/1951 | -- |
| FB2 | 6519B (2nd) | -- | 80910 | 12/1953 | -- |
| FB2 | 6521B & 6522B | -- | 79766, 80009 | 3/1952 | -- |
| FB2 | 6523B–6527B | -- | 80905–80909 | 9/1953–12/1953 | -- |
| FB2 | 6528B–6533B | -- | 79206–79211 | 12/1953–2/1954 | -- |
| FB2 | 6534B | -- | 81166 | 4/1953 | -- |
MLW/Alco
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C424 | -- | 3200 | 84837 | 12/1964 | Built by Alco; ex-CN 3200. |
| C424 | -- | 3203–3205 | M3443-02–M3443-04 | 3/1966 | Ex-CN 3203–3205. |
| C424 | -- | 3207, 3215 & 3219 | M3444-02, M3444-10, M3444-14 | 5/1966–8/1966 | Ex-CN 3207, 3215 & 3219. |
| C424 | -- | 3222 & 3226 | M3477-01, M3477-05 | 1/1967–2/1967 | Ex-CN 3222 & 3226. |
| C424 | -- | 3234 | M3478-06 | 5/1967 | Ex-CN 3234. |
General Electric
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U30C | 701–706 | -- | 36232–36237 | 2/1967–3/1967 | Ex-D&H 701–706. |
| U30C | 707–712 | -- | 36493–36498 | 12/1967 | Ex-D&H 707–712. |
| U30C | 930–933 & 935 | -- | 36650–36653, 36655 | 1/1968–2/1968 | Ex-C&NW 930–933 & 935. |
| GE-7on | 5100–5102 | -- | 30010–30012 | 5/1948 | #5102 ex-Compania Terminal de Vera Cruz 52; repowered w/ Alco 251. |
| UD18B | 8000 & 8001 | -- | 32474, 32475 | 6/1956 | Hi-nose; ex-GE Demonstrators 1800 & 1801. |
| UD18B | 8002–8009 | -- | 32477, 32485 | 11/1956 | Hi-nose. |
| U36C | 9300–9318 | 9300–9318 | 40240–40256 | 1/1975–2/1975 | -- |
| C36-7 | 9317–9326 | 9317–9326 | 42269–42278 | 3/1979 | -- |
| C36-7 | 9327–9341 | 9327–9341 | 42636–42650 | 3/1980–5/1980 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6700 (2nd) | 6700 (2nd) | 42208 | 12/1978 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6701–6706 (2nd) | 6701 (2nd)–6706 (2nd) | 42651–42656 | 11/1979 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6707–6729 | 6707–6729 | 42657–42679 | 11/1979 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6730–6759 | 6730–6736, 6738–6759 | 42740–42769 | 12/1979 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6760–6784 | 6760–6762, 6764–6778, 6780–6784 | 42814–42838 | 1/1980 | -- |
| C30-7 | 6785–6799 | 6785–6799 | 43038–43052 | 7/1980 | -- |
| U36C / U36CG | 8900–8937 | 8900–8905, 8907–8917, 8919, 8920, 8922–8929, 8931–8934, 8937 | 39350–39387 | 7/1973–11/1973 | U36Cs. |
| U36C / U36CG | 8938–8957 | 8938–8943, 8945, 8946, 8948, 8951, 8952, 8954–8957 | 39797–39416 | 4/1974–5/1974 | U36CGs. |
| U36C / U36CG | 8958–8996 | 8958–8970, 8972–8978, 8980–8992, 8995, 8997 | 39768–39796 | 1/1974–3/1974 | U36Cs. |
| U18B | 9000–9019 | 9000–9005, 9007–9012, 9014–9017, 9019 | 39641–39660 | 7/1974–10/1974 | -- |
| U18B | 9020–9044 | 9020–9025, 59044 | 39661–39685 | 7/1974–10/1974 | -- |
| U23B | 9100–9121 | 9100–9102, 9114–9117, 9119–9121 | 40326–40347 | 3/1975–5/1975 | -- |
| U23B | 9122–9129 | 9122–9129 | 40348–40355 | 5/1975–6/1975 | -- |
| B23-7 | 9130–9139 | 9130–9133, 9135–9139 | 42626–42635 | 12/1979–1/1980 | -- |
| B23-7 | 9140–9145 | 9140–9145 | 43328–43359 | 8/1980–9/1980 | -- |
| B23-7 | 9146–9177 | 9146–9160, 9161, 9162, 9164, 9167–9169 | 43328–43359 | 11/1980–1/1981 | -- |
| B23-7 | 9178–9180 | 9178–9180 | 43291–43293 | 6/1981 | -- |
| B23-7 | 10001–10013 | 10001–10013 | 43382–43394 | 10/1980–2/1981 | -- |
| B23-7 | 10014–10046 | 10014–10032, 10034–10044, 10046 | 43500–43532 | 2/1981–12/1981 | -- |
| B23-7 | 10047–10052 | 10047–10052 | 43580–43585 | 12/1981–1/1982 | -- |
| B23-7 | 12000–12006 | 12000–12003, 12005, 12006 | 43294–43299 | 2/1982–3/1982 | -- |
| B23-7 | 12007–12011 | 12007–12011 | 43395–43399 | 4/1982–5/1982 | -- |
EMD
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD45 | 801 | 801 | 32642 | 6/1966 | D&H 801 < nee EMD Demos 4354. |
| SD45 | 802 & 803 | 802 & 803 | 31694, 31695 | 1/1966 | D&H 802 & 803 < nee EMD Demos 4352 & 4353. |
| GA8 | 5400–5409 | 5401, 5403, 5405, 5409 | 29080–29089 | 9/1964–11/1964 | Narrow gauge (3-ft). |
| GA8 | 5410–5416 | 5410, 5412, 5416 | 32278–32284 | 6/1967 | Narrow gauge (3-ft). |
| GA8 | 5417 & 5418 | 5417 & 5418 | 32298, 32570 | 6/1955; 5/1956 | Narrow gauge (3-ft); ex-Coahuila & Zacatecas 801 & 802. |
| G12 | 5801–5805 | 5800, 5802–5805 | 21159–21164 | 12/1955–1/1956 | -- |
| G12 | 5806–5825 | 5806, 5808–5814, 5816–5818, 5821, 5823 | 22605–22624 | 10/1956–11/1956 | -- |
| G12 | 5826–5832 | 5826–5828, 5830, 5832 | 22884–22890 | 10/1956–12/1956 | -- |
| G12 | 5833–5840 | 5833, 5834, 5837 | 24722–24729 | 8/1958 | -- |
| G12 | 5841–5854 | 5842–5844, 5846–5848, 5851–5854 | 25918–25931 | 6/1960 | -- |
| G12 | 5855–5864 | 5855–5858, 5861, 5863, 5864 | 26716–26725 | 9/1961 | -- |
| G12 | 5865–5878 | 5866–5878 | 27842–27855 | 9/1961 | -- |
| G12 | 5879 | 5879 | 28343 | 3/1963 | -- |
| G12 | 5880–5889 | 5880–5889 | 29070–29079 | 6/1964–9/1964 | The 5800s were originally A-1-A trucked; center axle later removed. |
| GP7 | 6600 | 6600 | 16114 | 3/1952 | -- |
| GP7 | 6601 | 6601 | 16115 | 3/1952 | -- |
| F2A | 6200A–6206A | -- | 3528–3534 | 6/1960 | -- |
| F2A | 6207A–6213A | 6208A | 3690–3696 | 8/1946–10/1946 | All F2As & Bs rebuilt by EMD as 1350-hp F7A & F7B. |
| F2B | 6200B–6206B | -- | 3535–3541 | 8/1946–10/1946 | All F2As & Bs rebuilt by EMD as 1350-hp F7A & F7B. |
| F2B | 6207B–6213B | -- | 3697–3703 | 10/1946 | All F2As & Bs rebuilt by EMD as 1350-hp F7A & F7B. |
| FP7 | 6300–6308 | -- | 10888–10896 | 12/1949 | -- |
| FP7 | 6309 | -- | 11011 | 1/1950 | Built as NdeM 6319; re-#’d to 6309. |
| FP9 | 7010–7019 | 7010–7019 | 22530–22539 | 8/1956–10/1956 | -- |
| FP9 | 7020–7034 | 7020–7034 | 22651–22665 | 10/1956–11/1956 | Source had “2651-22665”; normalized as 22651–22665. |
| GP9 | 7100 | 7100 | 22906 | 10/1956 | Delivered as 6602; then re-#’d to 7100. |
| GP9 | 7101 (2nd) & 7102 (2nd) | 7101 (2nd) & 7102 (2nd) | 25444, 25445 | 6/1959 | -- |
| GP9 | 7103–7107 | 7103–7107 | 24702–24708 | 8/1958 | #7101 & #7102 wrecked; rebuilt as 7101 (2nd) & 7102 (2nd). |
| G16 | 7300–7312 | 7300, 7303, 7304, 7306, 7308–7312 | 24709–24721 | 8/1958–9/1958 | -- |
| G16 | 7313–7322 | 7313–7318, 7320–7322 | 25932–25941 | 7/1960 | -- |
| G16 | 7323 | -- | 26017 | 8/1960 | -- |
| GP18 | 7501–7517 | 7504, 7507, 7511, 7517 | 26726–26743 | 6/1961–8/1961 | -- |
| GP18 | 7518 & 7519 | 7518 | 26670, 26671 | 8/1961 | -- |
| GP35 | 8200–8214 | 8200–8204, 8206–8213 | 29040–29054 | 8/1964–12/1964 | -- |
| GP35 | 8215–8229 | 8215–8229 | 29055–29069 | 8/1964–12/1964 | Hi-nose; w/ steam generator. |
| GP35 | 8230–8254 | 8230–8244, 8246, 8248, 8250–8254 | 30713–30737 | 10/1965 | Some GP35s converted by FNM to GP38Ms. |
| GP40 | 8400–8409 | 8400–8405, 8407–8409 | 32253–32262 | 6/1967 | -- |
| SD40 | 8500–8502 | 8500–8502 | 33895–33897 | 6/1968 | -- |
| SD40 | 8503, 8505, 8508–8511, 8513–8521 | 8503–8521 | 33385–33403 | 5/1968–6/1968 | -- |
| SDP40 | 8522–8531 | 8522–8531 | 33371–33380 | 5/1968 | -- |
| SDP40 | 8532–8535 | 8532–8535 | 36156–36159 | 5/1970 | -- |
| SD40 | 8536–8575 | 8536–8544, 8546–8575 | 38893–38932 | 11/1971–12/1971 | -- |
| SD40 | 8576–8585 | 8576–8585 | A2603–A2612 | 2/1972 | Built in Canada by GMDD. |
| SD40-2 | 8700–8703 | 8700–8703 | 712426–712429 | 9/1972 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8704–8709 | 8704–8709 | 712430–712435 | 9/1972 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8710–8715 | 8710–8715 | 712607–712612 | 12/1972 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8716–8755 | 8716–8722, 8724–8742, 8744–8755 | 712852–712891 | 11/1973–12/1973 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8756–8767 | 8756–8761, 8763–8767 | 756108-1–756108-12 | 12/1975 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8768–8777 | 8768–8777 | 798047-1–798047-10 | 2/1980 | -- |
| SD40-2 | 8778–8796, 8798 | 8778–8798 | 798077-1–798077-21 | 8/1980–9/1980 | Built in Canada. |
| SW1504 | 8800–8829 | 8800–8829 | 712667-71296 | 5/1973 | Serial appears truncated in source (“712667-71296”). Preserved as-is. |
| SW1504 | 8830–8859 | 8830–8859 | 712697–712726 | 5/1973 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9200–9219 | 9200, 9202–9219 | 75633-1–75633-20 | 6/1975 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9220–9299 | 9220–9225, 9227–9241, 9243–9282, 9284–9299 | 756076-1–756076-80 | 10/1975–12/1975 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9400 | 9400 | 756076-81 | 12/1975 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9401–9404 | 9401–9405 | 756056-1–756056-4 | 10/1975 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9405–9414 | 9405–9410, 9412–9414 | 788030-1–788030-10 | 3/1979 | -- |
| MP15AC | 9801–9825 | 9801–9825 | 818040-1818040-25 | 6/1983 - 7/1983 | -- |
| GP38-2 | 9901–9909 | 9901–9909 | 818041-1–818041-10 | 6/1983–7/1983 | -- |
Baldwin Locomotive Works
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR64-2000 | 6000 & 6001 | -- | 70320, 70321 | 12/1944; 3/1945 | Scrapped; ex-Baldwin Demonstrators 2000 & 2001; both had two VO-1000 engines. |
| DR64-2000 | 6100 | -- | 72671 | 8/1946 | B-unit. |
| DR 12-8-1500/2 | 6400 | -- | 72672 | 4/1947 | Originally delivered w/ steam generator; later converted to freight; all scrapped. |
| DR 12-8-1500/2 | 6401–6407 | -- | 72673–72679 | 1/1948–5/1948 | Originally delivered w/ steam generator; later converted to freight; all scrapped. |
| DR 12-8-1500/2 | 6408–6413 | -- | 72680–72685 | 6/1948–7/1948 | Originally delivered w/ steam generator; later converted to freight; all scrapped. |
| AS616 | 6800–6809 | 6809 | 75981–75990 | 3/1954–4/1954 | 6809 re-powered w/ EMD engine. |
| AS616 | 6810–6819 | 6814 | 75991–76000 | 4/1954–5/1954 | 6814 re-powered w/ EMD engine. |
NdeM Shop Builds
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLP-6 | 7108 | 7108 | -- | (unknown)/1965 | Built by NdeM with parts from F-units and a GP7. |
Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW)
| Model Type | NdeM Number | FNM Number | Serial Number | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M630 | 8600–8809 | 8600, 8601, 8605–8609 | M6064-01–M6064-10 | 6/1972–8/1972 | -- |
| M630 | 8610–8619 | 8610–8612, 8613, 8617–8619 | M6064-11–M6064-20 | 6/1972–8/1972 | -- |
| M424W | 9501–9555 | 9501–9555 | 6114-10–6114-65 | 7/1980–5/1981 | Built with North American cab. |
Timetables (August, 1952)
Recent Articles
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Algoma Central Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters
Oct 17, 26 10:49 PM
Algoma Central Railway, Sault Ste. Marie to Hearst. Wisconsin Central on February 1, 1995. Fifty-nine steam locomotives and forty-two diesels. -
Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad: Map, History, Rosters
Oct 17, 26 05:49 PM
Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad, Mogadore to Delphos. The rails never reached Canton or Youngstown. Norfolk & Western control on October 16, 1964. Twenty-six diesels and the historical society's… -
Georgia Railroad: Map, History, Logo, Rosters
Oct 17, 26 12:59 PM
Georgia Railroad, the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, Augusta to Atlanta, with the Athens branch and the Macon Road. Mark GA. The railroad properties were sold on November 4, 1982. -
West Point Route (Railroad): Map, History, Logo
Oct 16, 26 11:26 PM
The West Point Route was a trademarked name comprising the Atlanta & West Point and Western Railway of Alabama, which were controlled by the Georgia Railroad. -
Virginian Railway Diesel Roster (All-Time)
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All-time diesel roster of the Virginian Railway. 40 Fairbanks-Morse H16-44s, 25 H24-66 Train Masters, and one GE 44-tonner. Serials included. -
Virginian Railway Steam Roster (Post 1900)
Oct 16, 26 10:55 PM
Virginian Railway steam locomotives built since 1900. Mikados, 2-8-8-2s, the Triplex, class AE 2-10-10-2s, and the 1945 2-6-6-6s. -
Virginian Railway: Map, Rosters, History, Electrification
Oct 16, 26 10:51 PM
Virginian Railway, Deepwater to Norfolk. Combined in 1907 and completed in 1909. Electrified from Roanoke to Elmore. Absorbed by the Norfolk & Western on December 1, 1959. -
Baldwin "Centipede" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Photos
Oct 16, 26 03:58 PM
Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 Centipede—2-D+D-2, two 608SC engines, 3,000 hp. SAL 4500 from the 1943 test bed. 54 on the serial list, 52 sold. PRR BP60 then BH50. None preserved. -
Louisville & Nashville Class M-1 2-8-4s: The Big Emmas
Oct 16, 26 03:52 PM
Louisville & Nashville class M-1, 42 Big Emma 2-8-4s. Baldwin in 1942 and 1944, Lima in 1949. Coal trains from Neon to DeCoursey. No locomotive survives. -
Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway: Map, History, Rosters
Oct 16, 26 03:21 PM
Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway, Chattanooga to Gadsden. The May 1929 card is 91.7 miles. Southern stock control closed on a January 1, 1971 schedule. Five diesels and Prince's steam list. -
Railroad Museums In The USA (2026): State Guides & Collections
Oct 16, 26 02:29 PM
U.S. railroad museums—what they are vs tourist railroads, preservation history (R&LHS, NRHS, IRM, Steamtown), state guides, and destination collections. Confirm hours on each museum’s site. -
Wyoming Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 16, 26 02:26 PM
Wyoming railroad museums—the Cheyenne Depot, Burlington 5633 at Douglas, Big Boy 4004, and the Laramie depot. Confirm hours and which locomotive is on the property. -
West Virginia Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 16, 26 12:52 PM
West Virginia railroad museums—Cass Scenic’s geared steam, the Hinton C&O collection, and the Martinsburg B&O roundhouse. Confirm hours and which locomotive is assigned. -
Washington Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 16, 26 12:46 PM
Washington railroad museums—Snoqualmie, Elbe, Chehalis, Reardan, and the Northern Pacific depot at Toppenish. Confirm hours and which locomotive is assigned. -
Vermont Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 16, 26 12:42 PM
Vermont railroad museums—the Shelburne Museum’s 1890 station, Central Vermont No. 220, and the private car Grand Isle. Confirm hours on the site. -
Tennessee Central Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters, History
Oct 16, 26 11:32 AM
Tennessee Central Railway, Harriman to Hopkinsville. Reorganized January 26, 1922. Last day August 31, 1968. Thirty-one diesels and the railroad's steam roster. -
Southern Railway Steam Roster (Post 1900)
Oct 16, 26 09:40 AM
Southern Railway steam locomotives built since 1900. Ps-4 Pacifics, Ts Mountains, USRA Santa Fes, and the subsidiary grids for the CNO&TP, Alabama Great Southern, and New Orleans and Northeastern. -
Southern Railway (USA): Map, Locomotives, Logo, History
Oct 16, 26 09:28 AM
The Southern Railway, formed July 1, 1894 from the Richmond and Danville and the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. Washington. Norfolk Southern Railway on December 31, 1990. -
Seaboard Coast Line Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 15, 26 04:21 PM
All-time diesel roster of the Seaboard Coast Line. Inherited Coast Line and Seaboard locomotives, then 623 new locomotives in the printed orders, plus 28 acquired from other railroads. -
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad: Map, History, Photos
Oct 15, 26 04:17 PM
The Seaboard Coast Line, formed July 1, 1967 from the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line. Jacksonville. Family Lines, then the Seaboard System on December 29, 1982. -
South Carolina Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 15, 26 02:54 PM
South Carolina railroad museums—Winnsboro’s Rockton & Rion line, Spartanburg’s Hub City depot, Greenwood’s Baldwin No. 19, and the Best Friend replica. Confirm hours on each site. -
South Dakota Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 15, 26 10:55 AM
South Dakota railroad museums—the Hill City museum beside the 1880 Train, and Prairie Village at Madison. Confirm hours, and confirm whether Hill City is still open. -
Seaboard Air Line Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 15, 26 10:46 AM
All-time diesel roster of the Seaboard Air Line. 734 locomotives: E4s in 1938, Centipedes, Alco road switchers, and GP40s through February 1967. Serials included. -
Seaboard Air Line Steam Roster (Post 1900)
Oct 15, 26 10:39 AM
Seaboard Air Line steam locomotives built since 1900. Mikados, Russian Decapods, 2-10-2s, and the 2-6-6-4s sold to the Baltimore and Ohio in 1947. Drury's class grid. -
Seaboard Air Line Railroad: Map, Rosters, History
Oct 15, 26 10:34 AM
The Seaboard Air Line, chartered in the Portsmouth and Roanoke of 1832 and formed July 1, 1900. Inland route to Florida. Merged into the Seaboard Coast Line on July 1, 1967. -
Utah Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 15, 26 12:04 AM
Utah railroad museums—Ogden Union Station, Golden Spike at Promontory, the Helper mining museum, and the Heber Valley Railroad. Confirm hours on each site. -
Escanaba & Lake Superior Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 14, 26 10:44 PM
All-time diesel roster of the Escanaba & Lake Superior. 30 locomotives: Baldwin switchers and RS-12s, two RF16s, three GP38s, three SD40-2s, and the Reserve Mining units. Serials and order numbers. -
Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad: In Service Since 1898
Oct 14, 26 09:04 PM
Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad, chartered November 17, 1898, and still operating from Wells, Michigan. Logging line to Channing, the Milwaukee Road lines, and the diesel roster. -
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 14, 26 08:49 PM
All-time diesel roster of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac. 107 locomotives: 22 Alco S2s, one SW1, and an Electro-Motive road fleet from E8s to GP40-2s. Serials and order numbers. -
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Steam Roster (Since 1900)
Oct 14, 26 08:46 PM
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac steam locomotives built since 1900. Pacifics, Mountains, Berkshire-type 2-8-4s, and the named 4-8-4s. Last revenue run December 17, 1954. -
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad: Map, Rosters, Logo
Oct 14, 26 08:36 PM
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac, chartered February 25, 1834. A 113-mile Richmond–Washington bridge line. Named 4-8-4s, Potomac Yard, and the CSX sale of October 10, 1991. -
North Dakota Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 08:29 PM
North Dakota railroad museums—Mandan’s state museum, the Railroad Museum of Minot, and Bonanzaville’s Northern Pacific 684. Confirm hours on each site. -
Oklahoma Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 08:02 PM
Oklahoma railroad museums—the Oklahoma Railway Museum, Enid’s Frisco 1519, Waynoka’s Harvey House, and El Reno’s Rock Island depot. Confirm hours on each site. -
Oneida & Western Railroad: Map, History, Timetable
Oct 14, 26 06:47 PM
Oneida & Western Railroad, a Tennessee short line from Oneida to Jamestown. Chartered in 1912, opened to East Jamestown in 1921, and to Jamestown on December 10, 1930. Last revenue train March 4, 1954… -
Oneida and Western Railroad (Shamrock Coal Company)
Oct 14, 26 03:20 PM
Shamrock Coal's mint-green coal trains, 1979–1987. Eight EMD SD40-2s, OWTX 9950–9957, order 786246. Two 72-car gondola sets. Louisville & Nashville, then CSX. Sold to BC Rail. -
Rhode Island Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 03:03 PM
Rhode Island railroad museums—the Friends’ museum in the 1875 Kingston depot, on the old New York, Providence and Boston. Confirm what is on view. -
Original Norfolk Southern Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 14, 26 12:40 PM
All-time diesel roster of the original Norfolk Southern Railway. 59 locomotives: Baldwin switchers and AS-416s, three GE 70-tonners, 17 GP18s, and seven GP38s. Serials and order numbers. -
Original Norfolk Southern Railway: Map, Rosters, History
Oct 14, 26 10:09 AM
The original Norfolk Southern Railway, chartered in 1870 as the Elizabeth City & Norfolk. Norfolk to Charlotte. Merged into the Southern Railway on January 1, 1974. Baldwin diesels and the GP18s and G… -
Nebraska Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 10:00 AM
Nebraska railroad museums—the Durham Museum, Kenefick Park, Cody Park, and the Golden Spike Tower over Bailey Yard. Confirm hours on each site. -
Nevada Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 09:51 AM
Nevada railroad museums—Carson City, Boulder City, the Nevada Northern at East Ely, and the Virginia City depot. Confirm hours on each site. -
Montana Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 14, 26 12:17 AM
Montana railroad museums—the Livingston depot, Fort Missoula’s Willamette, the Harlowton Milwaukee depot, and the Whitefish station. Confirm hours on each site. -
"Jawn Henry" Locomotive: Specs, Diagram, Photos
Oct 14, 26 12:03 AM
Norfolk & Western No. 2300, class TE-1, the steam turbine-electric Jawn Henry. Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton, Westinghouse, and Babcock & Wilcox, May 1954. Specifications, the road tests, and the Dece… -
Atlantic and Danville Railway: Serving Southern VA
Oct 13, 26 04:32 PM
Atlantic and Danville Railway, chartered in 1882, incorporated September 1883. Three-foot line to Claremont, then Norfolk to Danville. Southern lease from September 1, 1899, to July 1, 1949. Alco RS2s… -
Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railroad: Map, Roster, History
Oct 13, 26 04:26 PM
Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway, chartered October 2, 1962, and operating from November 1, 1962. Norfolk to Danville, 210.8 miles. Two Alco RS36s and four RS11s. Merged into the N&W on December… -
Norfolk & Western Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Oct 12, 26 11:59 PM
Norfolk & Western diesel roster, all-time. 1,464 locomotives built new for the railroad, from the 1955 GP9s and RS-3s through the C36-7s, plus the merger fleets. -
Norfolk & Western Steam Roster (Post 1900)
Oct 12, 26 11:52 PM
Norfolk & Western steam since 1898. The Roanoke grid: 1,266 locomotives, the J, the A, and the Y, and the last road steam on May 7, 1960. -
Norfolk & Western Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters, History
Oct 12, 26 11:45 PM
The Norfolk & Western, from the City Point Railroad of 1838 to Norfolk Southern. Pocahontas coal, Roanoke steam, and the 1964 expansion. -
Louisiana Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 12, 26 11:24 PM
Louisiana railroad museums—the DeQuincy depot, the Long Leaf sawmill, Jackson’s model railroad, and Southern Pacific 745. Confirm hours on each site. -
Michigan Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 12, 26 11:14 PM
Michigan railroad museums—Pere Marquette 1225 at Owosso, Durand Union Station, The Henry Ford, and the Mount Clemens depot. Confirm hours on each site. -
Mississippi Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide
Oct 12, 26 10:52 PM
Mississippi railroad museums—McComb’s rebuilt Illinois Central depot and Illinois Central 2542, and the Casey Jones museum at Water Valley. Confirm hours on each site.
