3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. NREX 7483: terry cantrell· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. CSXC3987484: Chesapeake at English Wikipedia· Public domain
- 3. PN C39-8 8212 SB Hatfield PA: Dough4872· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The GE C39-8 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive model built by GE Transportation Systems between 1984 and 1987. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives. A total of 161 examples of this locomotive were built for two North American railroads: Conrail and Norfolk Southern Railway.
who runs it
base stats
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 42 years ago, in 1984.
- 2.9 MW is about 34 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 21.3 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- 1984–1987
- status
- in service
- number built
- 161
- kind
- Diesel-electric
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- GE Transportation, General Electric
- operators
- see table
- top speed
- 113 km/h
- power
- 2.9 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- C-C
- length
- 21.3 m
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5513262, Wikipedia: GE C39-8 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.