List of Locomotive Codes

[Anonymous]

This has probably been posted before and I missed it so forgive me. Does anyone know where to find a poster or a list of all the different loco codes and what they mean ie:

SD80MAC
GP
Dash-8
and so on.

Maybe a web site where they are all listed or a poster hwere they are listed with a picture of each loco and what each code means?


Thanks

Ross

[edblysard]

Right here in fact..
Go to the Trains.com page, and on the left, click on the ABCs of railroading.
There was a great explanation on wheel arangments, the Whyte code for steam locos, and what the GP, SD, and dash 9 stuff is about.
Ed

[M636C]

While Ed is right, the lists on the Trains website don't provide illustrations, and the easiest way to get these is to buy one of the guide books, such as Louis Marre's "Diesel Spotter's Guide" (Withers) or for older units "The First Fifty Years" (Kalmbach).

In the mean time, you could get an idea of current locomotives, not that there are many, at the manufacturers web sites:

GE

https://www.getransportation.com/general/locomotives/loco_models.asp#

EMD

www.gmemd.com

And following the threads on the site.

Peter

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Locomotive designations for North American designs are fairly easy to learn and the sources listed above are about the best place to look. Greg McDonnell's "Field Guide to Modern Diesel Locomotives" is especially helpful for recent designs.

The fun really begins with export designs and designations. I have found the following sites to be quite useful in learning about export designs:
http://emdexport.railfan.net
http://alcoworld.railfan.net
http://locopage.50megs.com/ge.htm

These sites give a good intro to export locomotives and models

[M636C]

CSSHEGEWISCH,

I'd seen and checked out the Alco and EMD sites, but I hadn't heard of the GE site. It is really great, thanks for drawing my attention to it!

Peter