MK5000C

what is it?

The MK Rail MK5000C is a 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) North American diesel-electric locomotive developed by MK Rail. At the time of its creation, it was one of the most powerful diesel locomotives with one diesel engine, second only to the Soviet TE136, 2TE126, and 2TE136 (6000 hp). In the early 1990s MK Rail, a long time locomotive remanufacturer, announced its plan to compete directly with Electro-Motive Diesel and GE Transportation by beginning its own high-horsepower locomotive program, starting with a 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) DC drive locomotive and intending to continue with 5,500 hp (4.1 MW) and 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) AC drive locomotives in later years.

who runs it

SPSouthern Pacific Transportation CompanyUnion Pacific RailroadKRKyle RailroadURUtah Railway

base stats

• power 3.7 MWpower output
• built 6made 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 32 years ago, in 1994.
• 🚗3.7 MW is about 44 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
• ⌛Served for 32 years (1994–2026).

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built

1994–1995

in service from

1994

retired

2026

status

preserved

number built

6

kind

Diesel-Electric

traction

diesel

origin

🇺🇸 United States

builders

Morrison-Knudsen

operators

Southern Pacific Transportation Company, Union Pacific Railroad, Kyle Railroad, Utah Railway

top speed

—

power

3.7 MW

gauge

1,435 mm standard gauge

wheel arrangement

C-C

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