The EMD F7 is a model of

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) and

General Motors Diesel General Motors Diesel was a railway diesel locomotive manufacturer located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro-Motive Diesel division of General Motors (EMD). In 1969 it was re-organiz ...

(GMD). Although originally promoted by EMD as a

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

-hauling unit, the F7 was also used in passenger service hauling such trains as the

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

's ''

Super Chief The ''Super Chief'' was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The streamliner claimed to be "The Train of the Stars" because of the various celebrities it carried between Chicago, Ill ...

, &

El Capitan El Capitan ( es, El Capitán; "the Captain" or "the Chief") is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granit ...

and

Ontario Northland The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for providing transportation services for passengers and goods in northern Ontario. It reports to ...

Northlander The ''Northlander'' was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada. The ''Northlander'' operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically consi ...

''.

History

The F7 was the fourth model in GM-EMD's successful line of F-unit locomotives, and by far the best-selling

cab unit In North American railroad terminology, a cab unit is a railroad " locomotive" with its own cab and controls. "Carbody unit" is a related term, which may be either a cabless booster unit controlled from a linked cab unit, or a cab unit that con ...

of all time. In fact, more F7s were built than all other F-units combined. The F7 succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit series, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois, plant or GMD's

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, facility. There was no F4, -5 or -6 model; "7" was chosen to match the contemporary twin-engine E7, and was also applied to the new GP7 road-switcher. The F7 differed from the F3 primarily in internal equipment—mostly electrical—and some external features. Its continuous

tractive effort As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force can either refer to the total traction a vehicle exerts on a surface, or the amount of the total traction that is parallel to the direction of motion. In railway engineering, the term t ...

rating was 20 percent higher, e.g. for an F7 with gearing, compared to for an F3 with the same gearing. A total of 2,393 cab-equipped lead

A unit A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

s and 1,463 cabless-booster or

B unit B, or b, is the second letter of the Latin-script alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''bee'' (pronounced ), plural ''bees''. It re ...

s were built. Many F7s remained in service for decades, as railroads found them economical to operate and maintain. However, the locomotive was not very popular with yard crews who operated them in switching service because they were difficult to mount and dismount, and it was also nearly impossible for the engineer to see hand signals from a ground crew without leaning way outside the window. As most of these engines were bought and operated before two-way radio became standard on most American railroads, this was a major point of contention. In later years, with the advent of the "road switchers" such as the

EMD GP7 The EMD GP7 is a four-axle ( B-B) diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October 1949 and May 1954.Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973) pp. 53 Power was provided by an EMD 567B ...

, F-units were primarily used in "through freight" and "

unit train A unit train, also called a block train or a trainload service, is a train in which all cars (wagons) carry the same commodity and are shipped from the same origin to the same destination, without being split up or stored en route. They are dist ...

" service where there was little or no switching to be done.

Engine and powertrain

The F7's

prime mover Prime mover may refer to: Philosophy *Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings Engineering * Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy ...

is a 16-cylinder 567B series

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

developing at 800 rpm. The 567B is a mechanically aspirated

two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of ...

design in a 45-degree

V engine A V engine, sometimes called a Vee engine, is a common configuration for internal combustion engines. It consists of two cylinder banks—usually with the same number of cylinders in each bank—connected to a common crankshaft. These cylinder ...

configuration, with displacement per cylinder, for a total of . A direct current generator that is mechanically coupled to the

flywheel A flywheel is a mechanical device which uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy; a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, as ...

end of the engine powers four

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, elevators or electric multiple unit. Traction motors are used in electrically powered rail vehicles ( electric multiple ...

s, with two motors mounted on each

Blomberg B The Blomberg B is a 2-axle bogie that was introduced by EMD in 1939 with the FT locomotive series; the original "B" version plus later "M" and "X" versions were quite successful and became standard equipment on a multitude of locomotive models ...

truck. EMD has built all of its major components since 1939. Starting in August 1953 EMD installed 567BC and 567C engines in a few F7s, see roster below.

Identification

There are no easily identifiable differences between late F3 production and early F7 production; the major differences were all internal electrical system changes. However, no F7 had the "chicken wire" grilles seen on most F3s, and no F3s had later F7 changes described below under ''Phases''. The F9 is distinguishable from the late F7 by having five, rather than four, carbody center louver groups covering the carbody filters. The additional one is placed ahead of the first porthole, where F7s have no openings. The F9's greater power output, of course, cannot be seen from the outside. There were also two main classes of F7s: passenger and freight. Most passenger units had upper and lower headlights, but there were exceptions. Many freight units had the upper

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

or Pyle brand warning light as well. And some passenger units only had a single upper headlight, i.e. the Pennsylvania. Many units eventually had the upper lights or the door light removed/plated over and the Mars/Pyle light removed. These early warning lights had a motor and linkages that often required maintenance in the shops.

Original buyers

Locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA

{, class="wikitable" ! Railroad !! Quantity

s !! Quantity

s !! Road numbers
A units !! Road numbers
B units !! Notes , - ,

Electro-Motive Division Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. The company is owned by Caterpillar through its sub ...

(demonstrators) , , style="text-align:center;" , 7 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 801–802,1950A,B,5040,459A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , 801–802 to Great Northern 272A,B, 1950A,B to Louisville & Nashville 857–858 5040 to Union Pacific 1483 459A,D to Union Pacific 1481–1482 , - ,

(test unit) , , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" , - , , style="text-align:center;" , 930A , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , 930 to B&M 4268A , - , Electro-Motive Division (demonstrators) , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 459B,C,7002–7003,9052–9053 , , to Union Pacific 1496B,C (B units) 7002–7003 FP7-F7B-F7B demonstrators; to Soo Line (Wisconsin Central) 2500B–2501B 9052–9053 FP7-F7B-F7B demonstrators; to Soo Line 500B–501B , - ,

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 77 , , style="text-align:center;" , 12 , , style="text-align:center;" , 317, 348–423 , , style="text-align:center;" , 392B–403B , , FT 317 wrecked, November 1950; rebuilt as F7 317:2, May 1951. Wrecked again in a head-on collision with F7 417, October 1956; both rebuilt as F9 317:3 and 417:2, May 1957. {{center, , - ,

( C&WC) , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 900-905 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , , - , Alaska Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 5 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1500–1508 (even) , , style="text-align:center;" , 1501–1507 (odd) , , 1506–1508 were built with 567BC engines , - ,

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 215 , , style="text-align:center;" , 247 , , style="text-align:center;" , 37,C–47,C, 202,C–280,C, 300–316, 306–314 (second), 336–344 , , style="text-align:center;" , 37A,B–47A,B, 48A, 202A,B–280A,B, 300A,B–316A,B, 306A,B–314A,B (second), 336A,B–340A,B, 341A–344A , , 37–47 passenger, 202-280 freight, 300-344 dual service (passenger and freight), 48A rebuilt by EMD from Santa Fe F3B 32A (1st), used by EMD as a demo for several years. 269LABC-280LABC were built with 567BC engines. , - ,

Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad is a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. The railroad's main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio, to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Pen ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 28 , , style="text-align:center;" , 26 , , style="text-align:center;" , 701A–728A , , style="text-align:center;" , 701B–726B , , , - , Boston and Maine Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 3 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4265A–4267A , , style="text-align:center;" , 4265B–4268B , , style="text-align:center;" , EMD Test Unit 930 to B&M 4268A, B&M 4266A and 4268A are now owned by 470 Railroad Club and leased to the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, NH, both are in operation but 4268 was rebuilt from a donor unit NHN GP9r 1757. The 4265A is in Gorham, NH owned by the Gorham Historical society and is in poor condition with no current plans for restoration. , - , Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 157 , , style="text-align:center;" , 100 , , style="text-align:center;" , 180,A–192,A (even), 231–237 (odd), 239,A–297,A (odd), 361,A–365,A (odd), 367–374, 929,A–973,A (odd), 975, 977,A–993,A (odd) , , style="text-align:center;" , 180X,AX–192A,AX (even), 153X–171Z (odd), 231X–237X (odd), 249X–297X (odd), 361X, 363X,AX, 365X,AX, 367X,AX–374X,AX (odd & even), 929X–961X (odd), 977X–993X (odd) , , , - , Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , 3 , , style="text-align:center;" , 163A–166A, 167A,C–169A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , 167B–169B , , , - ,

Chicago Great Western Railway The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesot ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 20 , , style="text-align:center;" , 153–156 , , style="text-align:center;" , 104B, 105D–112D, 113B,D–116B,D, 116E,F,G , , , - ,

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 72 , , style="text-align:center;" , 22 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4067A,C–4102A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , 4067B–4084B, 4091B–4094B , , , - , Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ("Omaha Road") , , style="text-align:center;" , 12 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 6500A,C–6505A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , 6501A was rebuilt to EMD F9A test unit 462 , - ,

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 31 , , style="text-align:center;" , 17 , , style="text-align:center;" , 100–127, 675–677 , , style="text-align:center;" , 100B–109B, 120B–123B, 675B–677B , , 675–677 passenger , - , Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 94 , , style="text-align:center;" , 54 , , style="text-align:center;" , 7000–7093 , , style="text-align:center;" , 7515–7546, 8500–8506 , , 8500s passenger (with FP7) , - ,

Clinchfield Railroad The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segmen ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 15 , , style="text-align:center;" , 11 , , style="text-align:center;" , 806–820 , , style="text-align:center;" , 853–863 , , In addition, F3As 800-805 and F3Bs 850-852 were rebuilt by EMD as F7s. , - ,

Colorado and Southern Railway The Colorado and Southern Railway was an American Class I railroad in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burli ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 700A,D–702A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , 700B,C–702B,C , , , - , Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 9 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 611A,C, 631A,C, 632A–636A , , style="text-align:center;" , 611B, 632B–636B , , , - ,

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from D ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 43 , , style="text-align:center;" , 40 , , style="text-align:center;" , 5481, 5551/4, 5571/4–5761/4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 5552/3, 5572/3–5742/3, 5752, 5762 , , , - ,

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Er ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 711A,D–713A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , 711B,C–713B,C , , 713 ABBA set was originally numbered 807A-D , - ,

Fort Worth and Denver City Railway The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road", was a Class I railroad, class I Rail transport in the United States, American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influ ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 750A,D–752A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , 750B,C–752B,C , , , - ,

Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio was a Class I railroad in the central United States whose primary routes extended from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Chicago, Illinois. From its two ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , 811B, 812A,B, 813A , , style="text-align:center;" , B65–B74 , , , - , Great Northern Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 63 , , style="text-align:center;" , 49 , , style="text-align:center;" , 268A–270A, 271A,B, 273A,B–275A,B, 280A–281A, 307A,C–309A,C, 311A,C–317A,C, 350A, 360A, 364A,C–365A,C, 444A,D–456A,D (even), 460A,D, 462A,D–468A,D (even) , , style="text-align:center;" , 268B–270B, 280B–281B, 307B–309B, 311B–317B, 350B, 360B, 364B–365B, 444B,C–456B,C (even), 458C, 460B,C, 462B,C–468B,C (even), 500B–504B , , 350–365, 500s passenger , - ,

Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway The Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (KO&G) was formed on July 31, 1919 from the assets of the bankrupt Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway. The KO&G largely consisted of a single line from Baxter Springs, Kansas, to Denison, Texas, prior to ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" , 751–754 , , style="text-align:center;" , 755B–756B , , , - ,

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 11 , , style="text-align:center;" , 14 , , style="text-align:center;" , 59D (twice), 70A,C–71A,C, 72A,D–73A,D, 74A , , style="text-align:center;" , 33B, 59B,C, 70B–71B, 72B,C–75B,C, 78C (second) , , , - , Kansas City Southern (

Louisiana and Arkansas Railway The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans. Branch lines served Vidalia, Louis ...

) , , style="text-align:center;" , 7 , , style="text-align:center;" , 8 , , style="text-align:center;" , 32A–33A, 74D, 75A,D–76A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , 32B, 76B,C–78B,C, 79B , , , - , Louisville and Nashville Railroad , , style="text-align:center;" , 67 , , style="text-align:center;" , 17 , , style="text-align:center;" , 800–856, 844–849, 900–903 , , style="text-align:center;" , 703–716, 900–902 , , , - ,

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 8 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 560–574 (even) , , style="text-align:center;" , 561–571 (odd) , , , - , Milwaukee Road , , style="text-align:center;" , 68 , , style="text-align:center;" , 50 , , style="text-align:center;" , 48A,C–50A,C, 68A,C–79A,C, 84A,D–85A,D, 86A, 87A,C–89A,C, 106A–108A, 109A,C–111A,C, 113A,C–121A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , 48B–50B, 68B–79B, 84B,C–85B,C, 87B–105B, 109B–111B, 113B–121B , , 90B–105B passenger (with FP7) , - ,

Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive ra ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 16 , , style="text-align:center;" , 8 , , style="text-align:center;" , 208A,C–211A,C, 226A,C–229A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , 208B–211B, 121B–124B , , , - ,

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 26 , , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , 577–594, 619–626 , , style="text-align:center;" , 587B–594B, 629B–630B , , , - , Missouri Pacific Railroad ( International-Great Northern Railroad) , , style="text-align:center;" , 14 , , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" , 595–606, 617–618 , , style="text-align:center;" , 595B–596B , , , - , Missouri Pacific Railroad ( St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway) , , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 607–616 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , , - , Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 8 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 150A,C, 250A,C, 350A,C, 151A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , , - ,

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a railway company that operated in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. It began as the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, chartered in Nashville on December 11, 1845, ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 23 , , style="text-align:center;" , 8 , , style="text-align:center;" , 809–831 , , style="text-align:center;" , 912–919 , , , - , Northern Pacific Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 45 , , style="text-align:center;" , 34 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6007A,D–6020A,D, 6500C -6502C, 6507A,C–6513A,C , , style="text-align:center;" , 6007B,C–6020B,C, 6050B, 6510B–6513B, 6550 , , 6000s freight (as dual service locomotives), 6500s passenger , - ,

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 238 , , style="text-align:center;" , 56 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1636–1873 , , style="text-align:center;" , 2420–2474, 2446 (second) , , , - ,

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 123 , , style="text-align:center;" , 76 , , style="text-align:center;" , 9640A–9676A, 9690A–9699A, 9764A–9831A, 9872A–9879A , , style="text-align:center;" , 9547B–9555B (odd), 9640B–9647B, 9648B–9660B (even), 9667B–9676B, 9764B–9818B (even), 9832B–9858B (even), 9872B–9878B (even) , , , - , Reading Company , , style="text-align:center;" , 18 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 266–283 , , style="text-align:center;" , 266B–271B , , , - ,

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad comp ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , 10 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1101–1110 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1151–1160 , , , - ,

St. Louis–San Francisco Railway The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway , commonly known as the "Frisco", was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central United States from 1876 to April 17, 1980. At the end of 1970, it operated of road on of track, not includi ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 22 , , style="text-align:center;" , 22 , , style="text-align:center;" , 5018–5039 , , style="text-align:center;" , 5118–5139 , , F7A to 18 – 39 after renumbering F7B to 118 – 139 after renumbering , - , Soo Line , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" , 212A,B–214A,B , , style="text-align:center;" , 502B, 503B , , 500s passenger (with FP7) , - , Soo Line ( Wisconsin Central Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 20 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , 2201A,B–2203A,B, 2224A,B–2230A,B , , style="text-align:center;" , 2201C–2204C , , 2228AB-2230AB were built with 567C engines. , - , Southern Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , 63 , , style="text-align:center;" , 44 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4207–4269 , , style="text-align:center;" , 4385–4428 , , , - , Southern Railway ( CNO&TP) , , style="text-align:center;" , 7 , , style="text-align:center;" , 24 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6114–6120 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6160–6183 , , , - , Southern Railway ( AGS) , , style="text-align:center;" , 6 , , style="text-align:center;" , 3 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6714–6719 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6756–6758 , , , - ,

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 250 , , style="text-align:center;" , 220 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6140A,D–6169A,D, 6240–6423, 6440–6445 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6140B,C–6169B,C, 8140–8285, 8290–8303 , , , - ,

( T&NO) , , style="text-align:center;" , 44 , , style="text-align:center;" , 16 , , style="text-align:center;" , 338–381 , , style="text-align:center;" , 538–553 , , , - ,

( SSW) , , style="text-align:center;" , 28 , , style="text-align:center;" , 17 , , style="text-align:center;" , SSW 920D (923), 921 2nd, 925–975 (odd) , , style="text-align:center;" , 926–958 (even) , , SSW 920D (923) was an FT rebuilt on an F7 underframe, SSW 921 2nd was an FT rebuilt on an F7 underframe , - ,

Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S) was a railroad in the northwest United States. Incorporated in 1905, it was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 4 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 803–806 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , to BN 9754,9756,9758,9760 , - ,

Texas Mexican Railway The Texas Mexican Railway was a railroad that operated as a subsidiary of the Kansas City Southern Railway in Texas. It is often referred to as the Tex-Mex, or TexMex Railway. On January 1, 2005, Kansas City Southern took control of the Texas ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 800A,B , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , , - ,

Texas and Pacific Railway The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California. History Under the influence of ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 83 , , style="text-align:center;" , 35 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1500–1582 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1500B–1534B , , , - ,

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 18 , , style="text-align:center;" , 36 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1464–1465, 1466 (twice), 1467–1480 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1464B,C, 1466B,C (twice), 1468B,C–1494B,C (even), 910B,C , , 910B,C with FP7 , - ,

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary co ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 96 , , style="text-align:center;" , 9 , , style="text-align:center;" , 1100,A–1108,A, 1140,A–1154,A, 1165,A–1188,A , , style="text-align:center;" , 1100B–1108B , , F7A's to Norfolk and Western #3631-3726, F7B's to #7616-7624 , - ,

Western Maryland Railway The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad (1852–1983) which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM beca ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 26 , , style="text-align:center;" , 14 , , style="text-align:center;" , 53–66, 231-242 , , style="text-align:center;" , 53B–65B (odd), 231B–243B (odd) , , WM 61B, 65B, 239B, 241B, and 243B were built with 567C engines. , - ,

Western Pacific Railroad The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California. WP's Feather River Route dire ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 24 , , style="text-align:center;" , 26 , , style="text-align:center;" , 913A,D–924A,D , , style="text-align:center;" , 804B–805B, 913B,C–924B,C , , 800s passenger (with FP7) , - !Totals !! 2269 !! 1422 !! !! !!

Locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada

{, class="wikitable" ! Railroad !! Quantity

s !! Quantity

s !! Road numbers
A units !! Road numbers
B units !! Notes , - , Canadian National Railways , , style="text-align:center;" , 58 , , style="text-align:center;" , 18 , , style="text-align:center;" , 9028–9142 (even) , , style="text-align:center;" , 9029–9063 (odd) , , , - , Canadian Pacific Railway , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 29 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 4424–4448, 4459–4462 , , Ordered with FP7 , - ,

, , style="text-align:center;" , 22 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 1155,A–1164,A, 1189,A , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , Ordered for service in Canada , - ! Totals !! 80 !! 47 !! !! !!

Export locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA for Mexico

{, class="wikitable" ! Railroad !! Quantity

s !! Quantity

s !! Road numbers
A units !! Road numbers
B units !! Notes , - ,

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (better known as N de M and especially in its final years as FNM) was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 (dating from the regime of Porfirio Díaz), a major railroad con ...

, , style="text-align:center;" , 22 , , style="text-align:center;" , 16 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6310–6318, 6319A–6327A, 6335–6338 , , style="text-align:center;" , 6319B–6334B , , , - , Mexican Ministry of Communications and Public Works ("SCOP") , , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , style="text-align:center;" , 23037–23038 , , style="text-align:center;" , — , , , - ! Totals !! 24 !! 16 !! !! !!

Rebuilds

MARC 83 at Brunswick MD June 1994xRP - Flickr - drewj1946

Several F7s were rebuilt by

Morrison–Knudsen Morrison–Knudsen (MK) was an American civil engineering and construction company, with headquarters in Boise, Idaho. MK designed and constructed major infrastructure throughout the world and was one of the consortium of firms that built Hoover ...

as F9PHs and used in passenger operations. Others were rebuilt as the " FP10" and used by the

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

for their commuter rail service. In addition, the Santa Fe had 190 of their F7As rebuilt into

CF7 The Santa Fe CF7 is an EMD F-unit railroad locomotive that has had its streamlined carbody removed and replaced with a custom-made, "general purpose" body in order to adapt the unit for switcher, switching duty. All of the conversions were perform ...

hood units in the 1970s. Only one original F7 unit from the railway exists to this day. In the early 2000s, a single unpowered EMD F cab unit #7100 (ex-Baltimore & Ohio Railroad F7 #4553) operated on

MARC Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...

, occasionally substituting for a cab car. In addition to serving as an all-purpose control unit, it also had a head-end power generator that supplied electricity to the train.

Surviving units

{{expand list, date=February 2019 Escanaba and Lake Superior F7 -600

Conway Scenic Railroad Engine New Hampshire

Several F7s survive today, mostly in museums and tourist railroads. *The Norfolk Southern Railway previously rostered four F7 units (two A units and two B units), all which were rebuilt in 2007. The two A units were rebuilt into F9PH units, and rebuilt again into F9A units. They were used on inspection trains and Office Car Specials until 2019, when NS sold the four units. Two of them were sent to the

Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway The Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway is a short-line railroad running from Aberdeen to Star, North Carolina. It was incorporated in 1987 and operates on a former Norfolk Southern Railway branch line. It also leases track from Norfolk Sout ...

, while the other two were sent to the

Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad , sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on of track. Its mainl ...

. *The

Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad The Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad is a Class III shortline railroad that operates of track in Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Its main line runs from Rockland, Michigan, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it also own ...

(as of October 2011) operates an FP7A (#600) in main line freight service. The unit is the former Milwaukee Road #96A, and was purchased in 2005 from the

Wisconsin and Southern Railroad The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is a Class II regional railroad in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois currently operated by Watco. It operates former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and Chicago ...

. *The California State Railroad Museum in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, has three F7s. **Western Pacific F7A 913: This engine is currently listed as serviceable. **Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe No. 347C GM-EMD 1949 F7A was given as a gift to the museum by Santa Fe in March 1986 and is repainted to original warbonnet colors. Currently inoperable. **Southern Pacific No. 6402 GM-EMD 1952 F7A was also given as a gift by the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railroad and Historical Society in June 1978. Part of the locomotive has since been cutaway to display the inner workings of a diesel locomotive. *The

Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum The Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum is a public park in Port Hedland, Western Australia, with an open-air display of retired mining machinery and railway rollingstock. Located on Wilson Street, which links the town with the Great Norther ...

Port Hedland A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

, Western Australia, has a former

F7A: 923A. It was sold to Mt. Newman Mining and operated as locomotive #5451 before being transferred to the Shire of Port Hedland. It is now a static display, with the prime mover removed. *The Galveston Railroad Museum owned F7As Texas Limited #100 (ex-Southern Pacific #6379) and #200 (ex-Southern Pacific #6309). This duo headed the "Texas Limited" passenger train which made runs to and from Houston until track speed restrictions and liability insurance costs ended operations. {{when, date=June 2013 Both units were scrapped in 2011 after extensive damage resulting from being submerged in saltwater after Hurricane Ike. The museum now owns 2 more F7's, #315 and #316, which are both painted in ATSF warbonnet colors. Both units are ex-Southern Pacific, #'s 6443 (315) and 365 (316); they have parts salvaged from the Texas Limited units.{{cite web, last1=Duncan, first1=Stephan, title=History Of The Warbonnets, url=http://www.galvestonrrmuseum.com/history-of-the-warbonnets.html, website=Galveston Railroad Museum, access-date=2016-01-25 {{clear

Notes

{{reflist

References

* Burns, A. (n.d.). EMD F7 locomotives. American-Rails. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.american-rails.com/e1074.html. * {{cite magazine , last=Cook , first=Preston , title=F Units, T to 9 , magazine=Classic Trains , date=Spring 2015 , pages=20–35 , issn=1527-0718 * {{Dorin-North Western, pages=119–121 * Hawkins, R. W. (2020, November 27). Southern Railway CabUnits. HawkinsRails. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from http://hawkinsrails.net/mainlines/sou/sou_mp_cabs.htm. * {{Lamb-Evolution * {{Marre-diesel-50 * {{Pinkepank diesel spotters guide 2, pages=12, 91-94 * {{Schafer-Vintage Diesel * {{Solomon-American Diesel * {{Solomon-EMD F-Unit * {{Solomon-EMD Locomotives * {{Solomon-Vintage Diesel * {{Solomon-Electro-Motive * {{Solomon-North American Locomotives * Rio Grande Modelling and Historical Society. DRGW EMD F7 Roster. D&RGW F7 diesel roster. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.rgmhs.org/data/diesels/f7.html. * The Diesel Shop. EMD F7A and F7B. EMD F7 Data Sheet. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.thedieselshop.us/Data%20EMD%20F7.HTML. * {{Wilson-F Units * General Motors Electro-Motive Division Service Department "Locomotive Reference Data" published January 1, 1959, 286 pages. * General Motors of Canada Limited Diesel Division "Serial Number Record" 1942–1990, includes import of EMD units to Canada, 230 pages.

External links

{{Commons category, EMD F7 locomotives {{Amtrak rolling stock {{EMD cab and cowl B-B locomotives F07 F07 Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1949 Locomotives with cabless variants Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Passenger locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of Canada Standard gauge locomotives of Mexico Diesel-electric locomotives of Canada Diesel-electric locomotives of Mexico Streamlined diesel locomotives

History

Engine and powertrain

Identification

Original buyers

Locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA

Locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada

Export locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA for Mexico

Rebuilds

Surviving units

See also

Notes

References

External links