Transport Atlas

How The World Moves
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Vehicle

EMD F7

Diesel and Electric Locomotives

The EMD F7 is a 1,500 horsepower diesel-electric locomotive built for North American rail service between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and, in Canada, by General Motors Diesel; it used a 16-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine with a Roots blower, weighed about 247,300 pounds and could run 65 to 102 miles per hour. A total of 2,393 A units and 1,463 B units were built, more F7s than all other F-unit models combined, making it by far the best-selling cab unit design of all time. Though marketed mainly for freight, the F7 proved versatile enough to pull prestigious passenger trains such as the Santa Fe Railway's Super Chief and El Capitan, and its reliability and economy of operation made it a dominant force on American railroads through the middle of the twentieth century.

Facts
Year
1949 1
Marks the start of F7 production in February 1949; production continued to December 1953.
Significance
The F7 was the best-selling cab unit of all time in EMD's F-unit line, with more F7s built than every other F-unit model combined, and it helped complete the dieselization of American freight and passenger railroading. 1
Manufacturer or Builder
Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) at La Grange, Illinois, and by General Motors Diesel (GMD) at London, Ontario. 1
EMD F7
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Exemplifies

Rail Transport, Modes
Sources
1. Wikipedia: EMD F7
Wikipedia
  • Introduction section
    The EMD F7 is a model of 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW) diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) and General Motors Diesel (GMD).
  • History section
    The F7 was the fourth model in GM-EMD's successful line of F-unit locomotives, and by far the best-selling cab unit of all time. In fact, more F7s were built than all other F-units combined.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.