EMD GP7

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EMD GP7
ITC 1605, at the Illinois Railway Museum
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) Model GP7 Build date October 1949 – May 1954 Total produced 2,729 (plus 5 B units)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 40 in (1.016 m)[1] Minimum curve 19° (301 ft (91.74 m) radius) Wheelbase 40 ft (12.19 m) Length 55 ft 11 in (17.04 m) Width 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) Height 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m) Loco weight 246,000 lb (112,000 kg) Fuel capacity 1,600 US gal (6,100 L; 1,300 imp gal)[1] Lubricant cap. 200 US gal (760 L; 170 imp gal)[1] Coolant cap. 230 US gal (870 L; 190 imp gal)[1] Sandbox cap. 18 cu ft (510 dm3)[1] Prime mover EMD 16-567B[2] RPM range 275–800[1] Engine type V16 Two-stroke diesel Aspiration Roots blower Displacement 9,072 cu in (148.66 L) Generator EMD D-12-B[1] Traction motors (4) EMD D-27-B[1] Cylinders 16 Cylinder size 8+1⁄2 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm) Loco brake Independent air; optional: dynamic brakes Train brakes Air, schedule 6-BL[3] or 6-BLC.[4] Schedule 24-RL offered as optional.
Performance figures Maximum speed 65 mph (105 km/h) Power output 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) Tractive effort Starting: 65,000 lbf (29,484 kgf) @25% Continuous: 40,000 lbf (18,144 kgf) @9.3 mph (15 km/h)
Career Operators See list Class Erie- MFSE-15a NYC- various P&E- 5612-5623 DRS-4c 5624-5625 DRS-4d P&LE- various NKP- ERS-15 PRR- ERS15 WAB- D15 Disposition Some retired, some rebuilt into GP8s or GP10s, many in service

The EMD GP7 is a four-axle (B-B) diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October 1949 and May 1954.^[2]

The GP7 was the first EMD road locomotive to use a hood unit design instead of a car-body design. This proved to be more efficient than the car body design as the hood unit cost less to build, was cheaper and easier to maintain, and had much better front and rear visibility for switching.^[5] Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated 1,500 horsepower (1,119 kW).^[6] The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and those built without control cabs were called a GP7B. Five GP7B's were built between March and April 1953.^[2]

Of the 2,734 GP7's built, 2,620 were for American railroads (including 5 GP7B units built for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway), 112 were built for Canadian railroads, and 2 were built for Mexican railroads.

This was the first model in EMD's GP (General Purpose) series of locomotives. Concurrently, EMD offered a six-axle (C-C) SD (Special Duty) locomotive, the SD7.^[5] The GP7 was replaced by the GP9 model in GM-EMD's GP sequence.