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The most popular locomotives ever built?

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 7:44 PM
 Hugh Jampton wrote:

As far as the North American market goes, the top 10 looks like this:



Where is the GP38-2 on that list? EMD built models where around 2.200+. Then one cant forget the umpteen hundred that have been converted from GP40(-2), GP35s, GP50s, and who knows what other models.
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Posted by zardoz on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 10:00 AM
 WCfan wrote:
 wctransfer wrote:

I heard the SDL39s also ran quite well, but the WC SD45s with EM 2000  (7495,7496,6497?,7498,and the 7499) trumped them. Not only more horse obviously, but these were the best running SD45s known to man, could pull you out of anything at low end, and could pull through the roof at the top end.

Alec

And those units where most popular by crews. Right?

For quanity, the GP38-2, and the SD40-2.

Everywhere I went, the SD40-2 was the most popular locomotive for the crews.  The F units were a real pain in freight service (poor visibility for the engineer during switching and/or backup moves; tall ladder for the trainmen to climb up and down).

The SD40-2 was (at least when they were less than 20 years old) a warm, smooth-riding, powerful, dependable, and fast locomotive.

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Posted by WCfan on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 10:43 AM
 zardoz wrote:
 WCfan wrote:
 wctransfer wrote:

I heard the SDL39s also ran quite well, but the WC SD45s with EM 2000  (7495,7496,6497?,7498,and the 7499) trumped them. Not only more horse obviously, but these were the best running SD45s known to man, could pull you out of anything at low end, and could pull through the roof at the top end.

Alec

And those units where most popular by crews. Right?

For quanity, the GP38-2, and the SD40-2.

Everywhere I went, the SD40-2 was the most popular locomotive for the crews.  The F units were a real pain in freight service (poor visibility for the engineer during switching and/or backup moves; tall ladder for the trainmen to climb up and down).

The SD40-2 was (at least when they were less than 20 years old) a warm, smooth-riding, powerful, dependable, and fast locomotive.

Except WC. They had some of the best SD45's out there. Like WC transfer said, they where the best 45s knowen to man! So I would supose they where smooth runners. I started a thread in the locomotives section on the SD45. Here's the link: http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1109676/ShowPost.aspx

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:03 PM

Gribble, I don't know where Hugh got his data, but his numbers are pretty close to the source I used, which is: The Encyclopedia of Trains & Locomotives, by C.J. Riley, published in 1994 by Michael Friedman Publishing Group in New York.  Appendix 1 of the book has production numbers for North American diesel locomotives.  According to the book, EMD produced 2188 units for the US (1801), Canada (254), and Mexico (133).  That would make your model number 6 on the hit parade.  Now that you have me competely confused, I'll go back and check my own addition...

Erik

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:19 PM
GP9, GP7, SD40-2, GP38-2, SD70 series and Dash 9 series diesels.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 28, 2007 7:22 AM

Thanks, 4884.  I was busy burning up the calculator on my cell phone while balancing a lap top and a fairly large book....

I wish they had a similar data base somewhere for steam engines as well... I have raided Borders for the UK magazine... unfortunately, they are pretty confused over there...

Erik

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 28, 2007 12:45 PM
I dont know that we will ever know exactly how many GP38-2s there will be. We have an accurate account from EMD on new models, but with all the conversions done by railroads, and shops like NRE, we may never know the truth.
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Posted by Simon Reed on Thursday, June 28, 2007 4:46 PM

Erik.

I've narrowed it down to the May or June 2007 issue! I can keep trying but I'm pressed for time at present. If you want to go straight to the horses mouth it's www.railwaymagazine.com

Quite an interesting magazine but obviously with a UK bias.  

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 28, 2007 5:27 PM

Simon, thanks!  I will see if I can keep the mother country functioning economically by ordering some back issues!

Erik

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Posted by jeremygharrison on Friday, June 29, 2007 7:16 AM

The article is in the May 2007 issue - it discusses how many steam locomotives were ever built (about 636 000 world wide), and in which counties (from 177000 in the USA, 155000 in Germany and 110000 in Great Britain down to 2 in Turkey), but doesn't say anything about the most popular wheel arrangement.

I recall reading somewhere that it was 2-8-0, but don't recall any details.

Regarding working German 2-10-0 kriegsloks, there are quite a few sacattered across various European countries - I believe in Bosnia, there even a few still in (or available in reserve for) industrial use.   

On a slightly different criteria, I don't know whether it was the German kriegslok or the US Army S-160 2-8-0 that was most widespread, in terms of the number of counties it was used in.

 

 

   

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 30, 2007 11:09 AM

Thanks, Jeremy.  The Kreigslok fascinates me, for some reason.  What I have heard about it is that the locomotive was simplified to facilitate mass production.  It makes me wonder if the survivors managed to hang on this long because they were simple to build, maintain, and operate, or if so many were built that there are bound to be survivors out there.

I also wonder if anyone has steam locomotive building figures for the Chinese?  I'd be somewhat surprised if they did- seeing as the Chinese, like the Russians, consider that kind of production data a national security secret...

 

Erik

 

 

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Posted by jeremygharrison on Saturday, June 30, 2007 5:37 PM

The Railway Magazine article quotes a production total of 10 000 for China.

I think there is fairly reliable information about Chinese steam loco production around, if you can find it (and you may need to read Chinese or Japanese). I don't know if there is anything on (or from) http://www.railwaysofchina.com/ .

Jeremy 

 

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