EMD GP38-2

The EMD GP38-2 is an American four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors, Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38. Power is provided by an EMD 645E 16-cylinder engine, which generates 2,000 horsepower (1.5 MW).^[1]

EMD GP38-2
BNSF GP38-2s 2273 and 2778 in Lincoln, Nebraska
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder United States - Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Canada - General Motors Diesel (GMD) Model GP38-2 Build date January 1972–July 1986 Total produced 2,264
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo'Bo' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Length 59 ft 2 in (18.03 m) Width 10 ft 4.5 in (3.16 m) Height 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m) Loco weight 250,000 lb (113,400 kg) Prime mover EMD 16-645E Engine type V16 Two-stroke diesel Aspiration Roots-type blower Alternator AC alternator, Traction motors DC traction motors Cylinders 16 Transmission diesel electric Loco brake Straight air, Dynamic
Performance figures Maximum speed 65 mph (105 km/h) Power output 2,000 hp (1.49 MW) Tractive effort Starting: 61,000 lbf (271 kN) at 20% Continuous: 54,700 lbf (243 kN) and 11.1 mph (17.9 km/h)
Career Locale North America, Saudi Arabia, México Disposition Most still in service as of 2019

Soo Line 4413 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

GP38-2W

Canadian National 4769, a GMD GP38-2, with a CN-spec comfort cab in Saint-Félicien, Quebec

The GP38-2W is a Canadian variant of the GP38-2. It is easily distinguished by its wide-nose Canadian comfort cab. 51 of these locomotives were produced for the Canadian National Railway during 1973–1974.

Although a W is commonly suffixed to the name, it is actually an addition by enthusiasts to help specify the presence of a CN-spec comfort cab. No locomotives built using CN's design of comfort cab ever featured a W in their designation, as the presence of the cab did not mechanically alter the locomotive. This is reflected by the lack of the "W" in the model designation on the builders' plates of these units.

There are snow shields above the inertial-filter central air intakes behind the cab; the electrical boxes and equipment blower behind the cab also differ in detail from a standard GP38-2. They are otherwise identical.^[2]

Original buyers

1,851 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads and industrial concerns, 206 for Canadian railroads and industrials, 156 for Mexican railroads and industrials, and 1 export unit for the Saudi Railways Organization. A total of 51 GP38-2s were built with high-short-hoods containing steam generators for passenger service on Mexican railways. In addition, all 257 of Southern Railway's GP38-2s had Southern's "standard" high-short-hoods.^[3]

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers	Notes
Angelina and Neches River Railroad	1	2000
The American Rolling Mill Company	1	B-84
Atlanta and West Point Railroad	2	6007–6008	Family Lines paint. To Seaboard System Railroad.
Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad	3	508–510
Belt Railway of Chicago	6	490–495
Boston and Maine Railroad	12	201–212	212 was renumbered 200 as a bicentennial unit.
Burlington Northern Railroad	37	2078–2109, 2150–2154	2150-2154 assigned to Fort Worth & Denver. Most passed on to BNSF Railway.
Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway	2	108–109
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company	35	4600–4634	Ordered by Rock Island. To Union Pacific Railroad.
Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad	10	2000–2009
Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company	9	100–108
Clinchfield Railroad	8	6000–6006, 6045	Family Lines paint. To Seaboard System.
Colorado and Wyoming Railway	2	2001–2002
Conrail	119	8163–8281	All units were renumbered when divided between CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.
Curtis, Milburn and Eastern Railroad	4	810, 817-819
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad	8	221–228	228 was renumbered 1776 for the bicentennial. Renumbered GTW 6221–6228 in 1984–85.
Durham and Southern Railway	4	2000–2003	To Seaboard Coast Line Railroad 556–559.
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway	5	700–704	All to Birmingham and Southern Railroad. 703 re-purchased in the 90s and assigned to Waukegan.
Florida East Coast Railway	11	501–511
Georgia Railroad	4	6009–6010, 6051–6052	Family Lines paint. To Seaboard System
Grand Trunk Western Railroad	25	5812–5836
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad	15	740–754	To Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad	40	9600–9639
Illinois Terminal Railroad	4	2001–2004	to Norfolk and Western 4160-4163, then to Norfolk Southern same numbers.
Kansas City Southern Railway	12	4000–4011
Lehigh Valley Railroad	12	314–325	To the Delaware & Hudson Railway upon creation of Conrail as 7314–7325. Briefly renumbered to 220-231 during the Guilford ownership of the D&H, upon emergence from Guilford renumbered to 7303–7312.
Long Island Rail Road	28	250–277	251 cab unit serves as a simulator at the Railroad Museum of Long Island. 261, 268, 270–271 to New York and Atlantic Railway. Delivered in Long Island bicentennial scheme.
Louisville and Nashville Railroad	129	4050–4144, 6011-6044	6011-6044 Family Lines paint. To Seaboard System.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad	16	350–365	To Soo Line Railroad.
Mississippi Export Railroad	2	65–66
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad	18	304–321	319-321 has D\B[clarification needed]To Union Pacific.
Missouri Pacific Railroad	274	858–959, 2111–2237, 2290–2334	To Union Pacific.
Penn Central Transportation Company	223	7940–8162	To Conrail, same numbers.
Phelps Dodge	8	1–4, 9, 55, 56, 58
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad	6	2051–2056
Providence and Worcester Railroad	4	2006–2009
Public Service Company of Indiana	2	WG1-WG2	Lettered for AMAX Coal.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad	68	4300–4355, 4368-4379	Acquired by GTW, MP and P&LE upon dissolution of Rock Island.
San Manuel Arizona Railroad	2	16–17
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad	74	500–555, 6046–6050, 6053-6065	6046–6050, 6053-6065 Family Lines paint. To Seaboard System.
Soo Line Railroad	53	790–799, 4410–4452	790–799 renumbered 4400–4409 soon after delivery.
South East Coal Company	3	3821–3823
Southern Railway	257	5000–5256	High-short-hoods. To Norfolk Southern. 23 rebuilt with an Admiral Cab.[note 1][4] 50 to be sold at auction on August 18, 2016. 5076 sold to Northwestern Pacific in 2017.
Southern Pacific Transportation Company	45	4800–4844
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway	116	400–478, 663–699	To Burlington Northern Railroad.
Texas Mexican Railway	7	861–867	867 was the last La Grange-built GP38-2 in May '85. All others built at GMDD London, Ont.
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway	11	2001–2011	All went to Santa Fe then were divided up, with some going to BNSF after merger and others to KCS.
Union Pacific Railroad	60	2000–2059
Vermont Railway	2	201–202
Locomotives built by GMD, London, Ontario
Algoma Central Railway	6	200-205
Canadian National Railway	60	5500–5559	23 renumbered to the 200 series when converted to hump mothers in 1978, these plus one additional renumbered to 7500-7526 (not all #'s used) in 1985. Three more, 7528, 7530, 7532 renumbered in 1990. The balance of these units became 4700–4732 in 1988. Units 4702 and 4728 rebuilt to GP40-3 and repainted to heritage schemes.
	51	5560–5610	GP38-2W's. Renumbered 4760–4810 in 1988. 5586 destroyed in the Hinton train collision of 1986.
Canadian Pacific Railway	115	3021–3135	The 3086-3135 were the last GP38-2's built by GMD, between March and July 1986.
Devco Railway	13	216–228
Ontario Northland Railway	10	1800–1809
Texas Gulf Sulphur	2	054–055
Export locomotives built by EMD for other railroads
Altos Hornos de México	6	141, 145, 157–158, 167-168
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico	12	900-911	910 & 911 have high-short-hoods containing steam generators.
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México	124	9200–9299, 9400–9414, 9901-9909	9200-9219 & 9901-9909 have high-short-hoods containing steam generators.
Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste	14	514–521, 528-533
Saudi Railways Organization	1	2000
Totals	2,264

Rebuilds

Two Providence and Worcester Railroad GP38-2s at Pawtucket/Central Falls station in 2023

A number of higher horsepower 40 Series locomotives have been rebuilt into the equivalent of a GP38-2, by removal of the turbocharger and the substitution of twin Roots blowers.

CSX and Norfolk Southern have both started replacing cabs on the aging locomotives. NS still calls them GP38-2 while CSX calls them GP38-3.

Union Pacific has rebuilt 167 of their GP38-2's into GP38N's at their Jenk's shop. These units received a microprocessor control system to increase adhesion, control options, and extend the life of the locomotive.^[5][6]

Preservation

A relatively small amount of GP38-2s are in preservation, with all being ex-Southern, and all operating on tourist lines.

• Colebrookdale Railroad #5128, built as a Southern subsidiary Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad locomotive, is in a patched NS scheme and is operating excursions on the line.^[7][8]
• Southern Railway #5000, the very first GP38-2 built, is preserved in operating condition, and sometimes operates excursion trains at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It was traded from Progress Rail with Norfolk Southern #5033 in 2017.^[9][10]
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum #5044,^[11] built as a Southern subsidiary Central of Georgia Railway locomotive, is in black with ‘TVRM’ logos on the front and rear end. It is expected to operate excursion trains on the Hiwassee River Railroad in the near future.
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum #5109,^[11] painted in the museum's black and red scheme with yellow striping, is preserved and is operating excursions on the Hiwassee River Railroad.

See also

• List of GM-EMD locomotives
• List of GMD Locomotives
• Peacekeeper Rail Garrison, one ex-CSX GP38-2 was acquired by the United States Air Force and modified for a proposed rail-based ICBM system.