locomotives with single letters in their types

[Lord Atmo]

UP's roster says they have both C44-9s and C44-9Ws. i'm just guessing this is UP's idiocy at work again?

[coborn35]

Simple error. They are indeed C44-9W's.

[Lord Atmo]

are you sure?

[coborn35]

Yes I am.

[zardoz]

And with all of this wonderful information on this thread, no mention of the meaning of the "F" in F3 & F7's, nor the "E" in E7 & E8's.

I've heard the "F" indicated Freight, Full width cab, Four-unit locomotive. No good explanations of the "E" designation.

And what ever happened to the F1, F2, F4, F5, F6, F8, as well as the E1, E2, etc.

[Lord Atmo]

doesnt F mean full cowled body?

[Anonymous]

Zardoz:

The "F", as in the EMD F cab units stood for "frieght". The first was the pioneering FT, followed by successive models (F2, F3, F7 & F9).

The first EMC/EMD passenger cab unit was designated the EA. The "E" stood for eighteen hundred, the unit's horsepower rating. From this point on, the "E" designation was assigned for all the following A1A-A1A passenger cab units (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8 & E9).

[Anonymous]

No, F" means Fourteen Hundred Horsepower, even tho they have 1350 HP.

E Stands for Eighteen Hundred Horsepower

BNJ

[alstom]

Max - NS nevered owned any C44-9's. They only stuck/stick with the 4,000 hp DC locos. And you can bet, they have hundreds of C40-9W's and a good several C40-9's.

Lord Atmo - A simple lesson, you must have the "Kerr Roster" with you. I will say that I will never buy that roster again due to several errors found within the pages.

They inform you that NS's 9800-9900 locomotives are ES40DC's when they are simply C40-9W's. This error can be understood because NS was originally going to name their ES40DC's in that number range.

Another error I found within those pages is, what it up with them listing some of BNSF's AC4400CW fleet as "AC4400EV's." Is that some sort of special term that BNSF is now using on those locomotives?

Now, here are some designations that I know about:

M - American Safety Cab (Modified American Safety Cab)
I - Isolated (Whisper Cab)
AC - Alternating Current
DC - Direct Current
SD - Special/Super Duty
GP - General Purpose (4-axle road switchers)
SW - Switcher Unit
C - Conventional (Used for GE's 6-axle road units)
B - Blomberg (spelling*) - pronunciation (Blom-Burgh) Or GE's 4-axle road units
DD - Double Duty (Used for DD39, DD40 and DDA40X) by EMD
D - eight-axle unit
X - Expierimental
W - Widecab Body (GE heavily uses this designation on all Widebodies that they built)
U - Upgraded (i. e. GP7u)
U - Universal Series (GE "U-Boats")
F - Fourteen-hundred horsepower Full Cowl Body Unit
E - Eighteen-hundred horsepower Full Cowl Body Unit (not definate)
L - A Canadian Railroad term for "Widenose Unit" so I've heard

That is about the extent of my loco designation knowledge, hope you find it useful.

Rich

.................

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Burlington Northern Junky

No, F" means Fourteen Hundred Horsepower, even tho they have 1350 HP.

E Stands for Eighteen Hundred Horsepower

BNJ

This sounds right, and in line with EMD's naming program.
Richard - Is it possible that those AC4400EVs are GEVOs? Also, SW does not mean Switcher. It's Six hundred horsepower, welded frame. NW = Nine hundred horsepower, welded frame. (Ever hear of the SC1 and NC1? The C stands for Cast iron frame)

[Lord Atmo]

kerr roster? no i got this one free off of www.up.com

[BNIRRLives]

 

SD, Special Duty

60, Series 710V16 engine block

M, Modified

Originally they had the SD60s with the standard aar controlstand and cab, M is for Modified Cab

[traisessive1]

Yes the W is not only a GE thing.

CN again ... GP38-2W, GP40-2W, SD40-2W.

[mustanggt]

Now how about the GP40MC? I've heard it was just a railfan designation, but it says it right the side of the cab......

Dave

[Trainmaster.Curt]

Actually the W is not just a GE/GM thing, but rather a CN thing, cause the MLW M420W and the HR412W's are not GE's but ALCO's. Hence the pictures below are of two EX CN engines on the Southern Manitoba Railway, the black and yellow is a BBD (Bombardier) HR412W and the other unit is a MLW M420W.