FM Erie-built

what is it?

The Erie-built was the first streamlined, cab-equipped dual service diesel locomotive built by Fairbanks-Morse, introduced as direct competition to such models as the ALCO PA and FA and EMD FT. F-M lacked the space and staff to design and manufacture large road locomotives in their own plant at Beloit, Wisconsin, and was concerned that waiting to develop the necessary infrastructure would cause them to miss out on the market opportunity for large road locomotives. Engineering and assembly work was subcontracted out to General Electric, which produced the locomotives at its Erie, Pennsylvania, facility, thereby giving rise to the name "Erie-built." At the time, diesel road power was sold as multi-unit locomotives. The Erie-Built used the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW), ten-cylinder version of F-M's Model 38D 8-1/8 opposed piston diesel engine, which had seen success as a submarine powerplant in Worl

who runs it

Kansas City Southern RailwayUnion Pacific RailroadAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayNew York Central RailroadFMFairbanks-MorseChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadCSChicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha RailwayPennsylvania Railroad

base stats

• power 1.5 MWpower output
• built 82made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

• 🎂First built 81 years ago, in 1945.
• 🚗1.5 MW is about 18 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
• 📏19.5 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built

1945–1949

status

retired

number built

82

kind

Diesel

traction

diesel

origin

🇺🇸 United States

builders

Fairbanks-Morse

operators

Kansas City Southern Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, New York Central Railroad, Fairbanks-Morse, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, Pennsylvania Railroad

top speed

—

power

1.5 MW

gauge

1,435 mm standard gauge

wheel arrangement

A1A-A1A

length

19.5 m

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.