Diesel Era Magazine

01/08/2024

Be sure to follow UtahRails.net on Facebook. This excellent online resource is active again on Facebook providing updates to the site...

What’s new at UtahRails.net; Recent Updates and Changes

01/01/2024

Did you begin 2024 with a bit of railfanning? The sun was out in the Kansas City area for January 1, 2024 and Diesel Era's Managing Editor Tony Cook snapped this shot of CP 2213 and KCS 2850 working the west end of Knoche Yard. 2024 will be CPKC's first full year of operation.

12/24/2023

Christmas comes early for Steam Railroading Institute

Christmas came early! We are pleased to announce that Consumers Energy has generously donated a diesel-powered switcher to the Steam Railroading Institute.

The locomotive, an SW1200 end cab 112 ton switcher, was manufactured between 1955 and 1960 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors at its London, Ontario plant. Weighing about 224,000 pounds, the locomotive pulled about 66 coal cars, or roughly 16 million pounds, at the Dan E. Karn Generating Plant in Essexville, MI to help generate electricity for Consumers Energy customers.

More information: https://michigansteamtrain.com/consumers-energy-donates-vintage-locomotive/

12/20/2023

Built in June 1975 for Baltimore & Ohio, CSX GP40-2 6125 is still going strong. Hard to believe this design is almost 60 years old!

12/18/2023

Neat photo gallery from our sister publication Trains & Railroads of the Past

There is something special about the delivery of brand new motive power to a railroad. Enjoy this gallery of classic diesel deliveries!

11/22/2023

While the American Locomotive Company (Alco) ceased domestic production in 1969, many of their designs continue to enjoy productive careers to this day. These classic diesels have developed their own loyal fan following from coast to coast. Throttle up and enjoy this exciting collection of Alco articles from the pages of Railfan & Railroad..

While the American Locomotive Company (Alco) ceased domestic production in 1969, many of its designs continue to enjoy productive careers to this day. These classic diesels have developed their own loyal fan following from coast to coast. 100 pages, softcover.

11/20/2023

General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) 1966 line brought a wide range of new diesel locomotive models and included the arrival of the 645 prime mover (replacing the 567). Switcher offerings focused on two levels for customers with one version producing less horsepower from fewer cylinders, and the top option was a 12-cylinder, four-axle unit with more pulling power...

A detailed photo gallery of Denver & Rio Grande Western SW1000s 140-149, built by Electro-Motive Division between 1966 and 1968.

11/17/2023

Like many roads, MKT bought from a variety of suppliers in the early days of diesel; however, the road fixed on Electro-Motive Division (EMD) for new power (with a trio of U23Bs in 1973 being odd ducks on the roster for a decade) and repowered other makers’ locomotives with EMD prime movers. MKT’s F-unit collection included F3, F7, and FP7 with some early Fs rebuilt into F9m models in the late 1950s.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway's fleet of streamlined EMD F-units lasted into freight service through the 1970s and 1980s.

11/16/2023

4th QUARTER 2023: In this issue, we take a look at Rio Grande’s fleet of EMD SW1000s built between 1966 and 1968, a review of Rock Island GP40s rebuilt at Silvis Shops, and a look back at Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railways F-units in the 1970s and 1980s. All this and more in the 4th Quarter 2023 issue of Diesel Era!

11/13/2023

To celebrate 40 years of service, skilled craft workers at Metro-North’s North White Plains Shop applied a vinyl wrap to P23AC-DM No. 211. The wrap pays tribute to New York Central, the predecessor railroad that operated on the Hudson and Harlem lines out of Grand Central Terminal.

The Metro-North wrap pays tribute to New York Central, the predecessor railroad that operated on the Hudson and Harlem lines.

11/03/2023

How about some classic diesel era action from St. Louis? Be sure to check out the show streamed on October 31, 2023 from Second Section Podcast. Robert Frascella was Andy and Mike's guest and there's an amazing show full of St. Louis railroading memories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNtZmuH0TY4

10/20/2023

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. has painted former-Norfolk Southern SD40-2 locomotive to a classic as-delivered Norfolk & Western paint scheme. The move is the culmination of a collaboration between multiple contributors, and sets the stage for an exclusive photo charter to be held on January 27, 2024; an event that will highlight the Irvine Kentucky-based nonprofit’s growing collection of 1980s-era regionally relevant rail equipment...

Norfolk & Western EMD SD40-2 6162 has been restored to its as-built 1978 appearance by Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp.

09/01/2023

ROCK 302201 is a newly built Pullman-Standard 5,344-cubic-foot-capacity boxcar dressed in the white rendition of “Route Rock” livery. The boxcar, shown sandwiched between blue roster members, was at Tinsman, Ark., in January 1980. —Pete Smykla, Jr. photo, Kevin EuDaly collection

Some classic Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific boxcars from the 1970s, from the photo collection of Kevin EuDaly.

08/30/2023

When Electro-Motive Division (EMD) introduced its Dash-2 line, they included the SD45-2 as part of the product catalog offerings. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (ATSF) invested heavily in EMD’s original SD45 line, acquiring 125 regular-body units and 49 cowl-body (40 F45s and nine FP45s) from 1966 to 1970...

EMD's SD45-2 was the answer to Santa Fe's need for a new six-axle diesel to power their high-priority freight and intermodal trains.

08/28/2023

The Third Quarter 2022 issue of Diesel Era provided a little history about the creation of Econo-Rail Corporation and how it evolved into today’s Trans-Global Solutions, Inc. It provided a history of their locomotive purchases over a 40-year period, the evolution of their paint schemes, and shared nearly sixty images of their diverse and colorful locomotive roster over the years...

In Part 2, we continue our review of Econo-Rail Corporation and how it evolved into today’s Trans-Global Solutions, Inc.

08/25/2023

Rock Island motive power acquisitions in the early 1970s included two six-axle diesel locomotive additions. From General Electric came 18 U30C units (4582–4599); and Electro-Motive Division (EMD) delivered 10 SD40-2s. Both show fourth quarter 1973 build dates. The set of 10 “Dash 2” EMDs is the focus of this presentation and they return in the following article showing their second act with Illinois Central Gulf...

In late 1973, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad received 10 SD40-2 diesels from Electro-Motive Division.

08/23/2023

“Struggle” could be the word most apt to describe the situation North America’s locomotive builders are facing. On top of railroads implementing PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading) and stalling on further large investment in Tier 4 locomotives, the economic downturn, and supply chain issues of the COVID pandemic didn’t help...

The scope of this article’s coverage is North American diesel locomotive production — both new builds and modernization programs.

08/22/2023

3rd QUARTER 2023: In this issue, we examine Rock Island’s SD40-2s delivered in the early 1970s, and follows that group into the 1980s and second owner Illinois Central Gulf. Sean Graham-White reviews domestic diesel locomotive production in 2022. All this and more in the 3rd Quarter 2023 issue of Diesel Era!

08/21/2023

While Amtrak began its journey with F40PH diesels nearly a decade ahead of VIA Rail Canada, both passenger carriers would use this four-axle GP40-2 variant as a vital motive power option during the 1980s and through the end of the 20th century, plus well into the 21st century in VIA’s case. VIA’s fleet consisted of 59 units (6400–6458) delivered from November 1986 through April 1989 by Canadian subsidiary General Motors Diesel (GMD)...

VIA Rail's fleet of 59 GMD F40PH-2Ds were delivered by General Motors Diesel between November 1986 and April 1989.

08/21/2023

Big six-axle power acquired by Genesee Valley Transportation Co., Inc.

Genesee Valley Transportation announces the purchase of 4 M-636 locomotives from the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. Of the locomotives purchased, 3 are ready to run and one will be used as a parts unit. Upon inspection the locomotives will be moved to the Delaware-Lackawanna railroad in northeast Pennsylvania where they will be used to support the continued growth of carloadings on the railroad.

Photo by Alec Durfee

Lackawanna & Western Railroad Historical Society
https://www.facebook.com/groups/114039822013075
New York and Pennsylvania RR

08/18/2023

Burlington Northern (BN) began buying General Electric’s (GE) six-axle U30C diesel locomotives in 1972. By this date, GE had been building this 3,000-hp U-boat since 1967 and it had gone through several production phase changes (see page 50). By 1972 and BN’s interest in the model, the Phase III U30C was in production. This was the version that GE made the most copies of during the U30C’s run, which concluded in fall 1976...

Burlington Northern began buying General Electric’s six-axle U30C diesel locomotives in 1972, adding 180 units to the fleet.

08/16/2023

General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division produced more than 4,000 SD40-2 diesel locomotives from the model’s introduction in early 1972 until the last unit was built in 1984. Considered by many to be among the finest EMD models ever offered, many SD40-2s are still going strong in 2023. One of the SD40-2 variant models built by EMD was the high-hood option, with 138 built between December 1972 and June 1979, for Norfolk & Western (N&W) and Southern Railway...

Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway were the only customers for EMD's high-hood variant of the SD40-2, but N&W only placed one order for eleven units in 1972.

08/14/2023

Minnesota Commercial (MNNR) is a short line that began its current operations with the lease of Minnesota Transfer Railroad in February 1987. MNNR serves the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., area with lines branching out in several directions. The road’s roster has been and continues to be an interesting mix of diesel locomotives from a variety of builders and railroads. Across these pages are views from the late 1980s to contemporary era...

Minnesota Commercial is a short line that began its current operations with the lease of Minnesota Transfer Railroad in February 1987.

08/14/2023

Everyone is asking about the yellow nose on MTA Metro-North Railroad's latest heritage tribute to Conrail... Read the details in this story from our sister publication Railfan & Railroad Magazine!

Metro-North has released the second of five planned heritage units to celebrate the commuter agency's 40th anniversary.