Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Diesel Roster (All-Time)

Published: October 14, 2026

The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac owned 107 diesel locomotives. Twenty-two were Alco S2s. One was an Electro-Motive SW1. Everything else was Electro-Motive, from the E8s and F7s of 1949 to seven GP40-2s in 1972. Even-numbered units led north. Odd-numbered units led south. The company story, from the charter of February 25, 1834, to the CSX agreement of October 10, 1991, is the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac page. Steam built since 1900 is the steam roster.

Switchers arrived before and during the Second World War. Road diesels waited until 1949. Freight was dieselized first. Most of the steam was gone by 1952, and the last 4-8-4 revenue runs were on December 17, 1954. The 22 S2s and the 47 new road units of 1949–1953, 69 locomotives, were the fleet that replaced steam. The all-time 107 adds the SW1, one secondhand F3A, and the later hoods. Renumbers are the same locomotives, not extra ones. Yard slugs rebuilt from S2s are not counted again.

An A-B-B-A set of Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac F7s led by No. 1110 at North Acca Yard in Richmond on the evening of September 3, 1960

F7s led by No. 1110 at North Acca Yard, Richmond, on the evening of September 3, 1960. American-Rails.com collection. No. 1110 is serial 10169, order 6016A, February 1950.

On this page: At a glance · Switchers · Hood units · Cab units

At a glance

Item	Detail
Railroad	Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac. Mark RFP. Company history
Fleet in these tables	107 locomotives
Alco	22 S2s, 1942–1948. The only Alco diesels
Switchers, Electro-Motive	1 SW1, 5 SW1200s, 9 SW1500s
Hoods	4 GP7s, 8 GP35s, 7 GP40s, 7 GP40-2s
Cabs	15 E8A, 5 E8B, 10 F7A, 1 secondhand F3A, 10 F7B, 3 FP7
Replaced steam	69 locomotives: the 22 S2s and 47 new road units of 1949–1953
Facing	Even numbers led north. Odd numbers led south

Switchers

The S2 is Alco’s 1,000-horsepower switcher. The railroad’s 22 were numbered 1 and 51–71. No. 1, serial 69874, was built in March 1944 and came from the Richmond Terminal. That number was used again, years later, by SW1500 No. 1. Nos. 51 and 52, March 1942, are the oldest of the group. Nos. 56 and 57 are not a consecutive pair of construction numbers: 72834 and 72850. Nos. 62, 70, and 71, inside the 1948 block 76162–76171, were rebuilt as yard slugs A, B, and C and stayed in the Washington terminal.

SW1 No. 50 is serial 909, built in January 1940 as Richmond Terminal 50. It left the roster in 1956 and later ran as Atlantic Coast Line 1901. The five SW1200s and nine SW1500s are the later yard fleet. Nos. 84 and 85 carry lower serials, and an earlier month, than Nos. 81–83. SW1500 No. 91, serial 32156, is the frame after GP40 No. 127.

Model	Numbers	Qty	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
S2	1	1	69874	—	March 1944	Ex-Richmond Terminal 1. The number was reused by SW1500 No. 1
S2	51–52	2	69660–69661	—	March 1942
S2	53–54	2	70255–70256	—	August 1943	54 later Atlantic Coast Line 44
S2	55	1	69873	—	March 1944
S2	56–57	2	72834, 72850	—	September 1944	Later Atlantic Coast Line 45 and 46
S2	58	1	74493	—	July 1946
S2	59	1	74663	20037	August 1946
S2	60–61	2	74787–74788	—	August 1946
S2	62–71	10	76162–76171	20190	August–September 1948	62, 70, and 71 rebuilt as yard slugs A, B, and C
SW1	50	1	909	—	January 1940	Ex-Richmond Terminal 50. Off the roster in 1956. Later Atlantic Coast Line 1901
SW1200	81–83	3	30513–30515	7812	August 1965	Later CSX 1300–1302
SW1200	84–85	2	30511–30512	7811	July 1965	84 later CSX 1303. Built before 81–83
SW1500	1–4	4	33283–33286	4520	October 1967	No. 1 reuses the first S2’s number
SW1500	5–8	4	33287–33290	4521	October 1967
SW1500	91	1	32156	7913	October 1966	Next serial after GP40 127

Hood units

Four GP7s were the first hoods. No. 101, serial 13511, order 6197, and Nos. 103 and 104, serials 18264 and 18265, order 6418, were built with steam generators. No. 102, serial 12605, order 5066, was the December 1950 freight unit. No. 104 later became the second No. 101, the same serial 18265, so the GP7 count stays at four. Bob Kaplan and Deane Mellander record that rebuilt 101 as donated to the Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and leased back.

Eight GP35s, order 7810, serials 30503–30510, were delivered in August 1965 as 111–118 and renumbered 131–138 in 1969. The quantity is eight. GP35 No. 131 on the company page, southbound at Doswell on September 22, 1971, is the former 111. Seven GP40s came on two orders. Nos. 121–125 are order 7911, November 1966. Nos. 126 and 127 are order 7948, March and April 1967. Seven GP40-2s, order 72702, serials 72702-1 through 72702-7, closed the buying in September 1972 and went to CSX as 6393–6399.

Model	Numbers	Qty	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
GP7	101	1	13511	6197	December 1950	Steam generator. First use of the number
GP7	102	1	12605	5066	December 1950	The Potomac Yard photograph, with 103
GP7	103–104	2	18264–18265	6418	June 1953	Steam generators. 104 later became the second 101, serial 18265, and was donated to the Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS
GP35	111–118	8	30503–30510	7810	August 1965	Renumbered 131–138 in 1969. 131, former 111, is the Doswell photograph
GP40	121–125	5	32149–32153	7911	November 1966	122 and 124 are the Potomac Yard and Alexandria photographs
GP40	126–127	2	32154–32155	7948	March–April 1967	127 is serial 32155, the frame before SW1500 91
GP40-2	141–147	7	72702-1–72702-7	72702	September 1972	To CSX 6393–6399

Cab units

Passenger cabs began with E8A Nos. 1001–1005 in November 1949, order 2011A, and the five E8B boosters, Nos. 1051–1055, in December, order 2011B. Six more A units, order 2050A, were split between February and August 1952. The last four, order 6471A, came in September and October 1953. Several of the A units went to Amtrak: 1001 became Amtrak 213, 1005–1008 became 214–217, and 1010–1015 became 218–223. No. 1002 went to the Roanoke chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Boosters 1052 and 1053 became Atlantic Coast Line 765 and 766, then Seaboard Coast Line 670B and 671B.

Freight cabs were F7s. Order 6012A is Nos. 1101–1108, November 1949, and order 6012B is the matching boosters 1151–1158. Order 6016A is Nos. 1109 and 1110, February 1950, the leader in the photograph above, and order 6016B is boosters 1159 and 1160. F3A No. 1111 is outside that numbering. It was built in November 1948 as Aberdeen & Rockfish 201, serial 7811, and it came to the railroad in October 1952. The Alexandria photograph of November 6, 1963, on the company page, shows it with F7 grilles. Three FP7s, Nos. 1201–1203, order 6171A, serials 12908–12910, arrived in November 1950 for the passenger-equipped freight work. Nos. 1201 and 1203 are the Bryan Park photograph of September 27, 1969.

The cab units left as the hoods arrived. The E8As that remained in 1971 moved to Amtrak with the passenger trains.

Model	Numbers	Qty	Serial	Order	Built	Notes
E8A	1001–1005	5	9528–9532	2011A	November 1949	1001 later Amtrak 213. 1002 to the Roanoke chapter, NRHS. 1005 later Amtrak 214
E8A	1006–1009	4	15711–15714	2050A	February 1952	1006–1008 later Amtrak 215–217
E8A	1010–1011	2	15715–15716	2050A	August 1952	Later Amtrak 218–219
E8A	1012–1015	4	18266–18269	6471A	September–October 1953	Later Amtrak 220–223. 1014 is the Fredericksburg “Silver Star.” 1015 is the Ashland football special
E8B	1051–1055	5	9533–9537	2011B	December 1949	1052–1053 later Atlantic Coast Line 765–766, then Seaboard Coast Line 670B–671B
F7A	1101–1108	8	10152–10159	6012A	November 1949
F7A	1109–1110	2	10168–10169	6016A	February 1950	1110 leads the North Acca Yard set
F3A	1111	1	7811	—	November 1948	Built as Aberdeen & Rockfish 201. To the RF&P in October 1952. Alexandria, November 6, 1963, with F7 grilles
F7B	1151–1158	8	10160–10167	6012B	November 1949
F7B	1159–1160	2	10170–10171	6016B	February 1950
FP7	1201–1203	3	12908–12910	6171A	November 1950	1201 and 1203 are the Bryan Park photograph

The quantity column totals 107: 37 switchers in the first table, 26 hood units, and 44 cab units.

Sources

The Diesel Shop, Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac motive power, revised October 9, 2016, information from R. Craig. Road numbers, builder dates, and serials in the tables above, including S2 serials 69660–69661, 70255–70256, 69873, 69874, 72834 and 72850, 74493, 74663, 74787–74788, and 76162–76171. SW1 50, serial 909, January 1940, ex-Richmond Terminal 50. GP35s 111–118 and 131–138, the same serials 30503–30510. GP7 101 (2nd), serial 18265, former 104. FP7s 1201–1203, serials 12908–12910, November 1950. E8A Amtrak numbers used above, and E8B 1052–1053 to Atlantic Coast Line 765–766 and then Seaboard Coast Line 670B–671B. GP40-2s to CSX 6393–6399. Merger date October 10, 1991. Sources named there: Extra 2200 South, issues 18 (September–October 1969) and 80 (May 1984); Diesel Era, October 1999; additional notes by Martin Baumann, Marty Bernard, Chuck Till, and Bob Van Derveer.
The Diesel Shop, Aberdeen & Rockfish roster, revised March 5, 2025, roster by P. Denny Custer. F3A 201, serial 7811, November 1948, sold to the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac in October 1952 as 1111.
Electro-Motive order list for the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac, archived at TrainWeb, page marked updated July 27, 2006. Order numbers in the tables, and the build months for the GP40s: order 7911 in November 1966 and order 7948 in March–April 1967. FP7 order printed there as 6171A.
FP7 production roster on this site. Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac 1201–1203, serials 12908–12910, order 6171, November 1950. Alco S2 page on this site, for the model’s 1,000 horsepower.
Bob Kaplan and Deane Mellander, Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad: Linking North and South, as posted on the North East Rails diesel roster. SW1 50 retired in 1956. GP35s 111–118 renumbered 131–138 in 1969. GP7 104 rebuilt as the second 101, donated to the Old Dominion Chapter of the NRHS, and leased back.
Railroad Picture Archives. S2 serials that match the blocks above, including 51 as 69660, built March 1942, and 59 as 74663, order 20037. Yard slugs A, B, and C as former S2s 62, 70, and 71, serials 76162, 76170, and 76171, order 20190. GP40 123 noted as new in November 1966. SW1200 orders 7812 and 7811, and SW1500 orders 4520, 4521, and 7913.

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