Great Northern No. 100 on June 9, 1964 in Minneapolis, MN. Built by EMC as an NC with Serial Number 647 and numbered GN 5150 in January 1938
with a 900 hp Winton 201-A V12 engine. Rebuilt as SW1200m in Feb. 1955. Later became BN 106 and worked into at least the mid-1980s.
(© 2023 Marty Bernard, All Rights Reserved, used by permission, https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/16570127400/in/photolist-rffezJ)
EMC 900 HP N SERIES
These EMC locomotives were all nearly identical, except for cast versus welded underframes. The 900 hp (670 kW) V12 Winton 201-A-engined NC and NW series locomotives can be distinguished from the less powerful S Series 600 hp (450 kW) SC and SW because, although the underframes are identical, the hood on the N series is longer, leaving only a small amount of room before the front walkway. Many, but not all, N series locomotives have a short electrical box with sharp-angled corners in that location; this is easily distinguished by the lower, longer, rounded-cornered "satchel" of the SC and SW series. The other distinguishing feature from the S series is the central location of the twin exhaust stacks; the S series have them offset towards the engineer's left, because of the inline diesel engine.
Pre-NC
One experimental locomotive was built in March 1935 as a demonstrator, numbered EMC 518. It was assembled by Bethlehem Steel of Wilmington, Delaware. After demonstration purposes, it was sold to the Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad in October as No. 203, later renumbered to 55; it was later sold to the Parrish Line Railway as their No. 10.
NC
Five NC locomotives were built. Some had General Electric electrical equipment, while others had Westinghouse, since EMC's own designs were not yet ready. This model did not have multiple unit (MU) equipment. They were:
EMC S/N 647:1 (built January 1938): Great Northern Railway No. 5101 (later No. 5300) rebuilt to an SW1200 in 1955.
EMC S/N 648:1 (built July 1937): Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad No. 208.
EMC S/N 649:1 (built July 1937): Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad No. 209.
EMC S/N 650 (built May 1937): Youngstown and Northern Railroad No. 201, to Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway No. 402 in April 1946, to Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England No. 55
EMC S/N 651 (built May 1937): Youngstown and Northern Railroad No. 202, to Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad No. 408 in April 1946, to Marinette, Tomahawk & Western Railroad No. 408, then finally to the Sabine River and Northern Railroad as No. 408 before being preserved in the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri.
NC1
Five NC1 locomotives were built during March 1937, all with Westinghouse electrics. The only difference between models NC and NC1 was the fitting of multiple unit (MU) connections to the NC1, to enable multiple working. All were delivered to the Birmingham Southern Railroad, as EMC S/N 642-646, BSR No. 71-75.
NC2
Two NC2 locomotives were built in July 1937 for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. They were functionally identical to the NC1; author Jerry Pinkepank (The Diesel Spotter's Guide) states EMC as recording, enigmatically, "Wiring" as the difference. They were EMC S/N 714 and 715, MP No. 4100 and 4101.
NW
Eight NW locomotives were constructed between September 1937 and December 1938. They were identical to the NC except for the EMC-built welded underframes. The first three were built as EMC S/N 725-727 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as their Nos. 2350-2352, later renumbered Nos. 2400-2402 and rebuilt into SW1200s in 1959. Two were constructed as S/N 728 and 729 for the Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad as their Nos. 210 and 211, later renumbered as Nos. 53 and 54. Another two were built as S/N 730 and 731 for the Kansas City Terminal Railway as their Nos. 60 and 61. The final NW, S/N Nos. 732 was built for the Northern Pacific Railway as their No. 100. NP 100 was rebuilt to an SW900m in Jan 1957. It was in service on the Burlington Northern with same number and sold in 1983.
NW1
The NW1 was the only 201-A-engined N series locomotive model to be ordered in any significant number; 27 were built between November 1937 and January 1939. It had a lengthened hood and no electrical box in front of it as in the other N series models. Electrical equipment was General Electric. Owning railroads were:
- Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway: 2 locomotives, Nos. 400-401
- Lehigh Valley Railroad: 11 locomotives, Nos. 120-130
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad: 2 locomotives, Nos. 9200-9201
- Great Northern Railway: 1 locomotive, No. 5102 (rebuilt to an SW8 No. 101)
- Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad: 8 locomotives, Nos. 700-707
- Chicago and North Western Railway: 1 locomotive, No. 901
- Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway: 2 locomotives, D538 (now preserved at the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin) and D738.
NW1A
The NW1A, of which only 3 were built, was equipped with EMC-built traction motors, although the generator was still a General Electric unit. All were built for the Soo Line: EMC S/N 841-843, SOO Nos. 2100-2102.
NW4
The NW4, of which two examples were built for the Missouri Pacific Railroad, used the hood and cab configuration of the regular N-series, but with an additional straight section between cab and hood, mounted on a lengthened frame with large air tanks on the front platform, in front of the radiator. The additional hood section contained a steam generator; the NW4 was the first switcher so equipped, for switching passenger cars. The water tanks were mounted beneath the frame; the air tanks were therefore displaced to the front. The locomotives ran on AAR type B trucks re-used from EMC boxcab demonstrators Nos. 511 and 512. The two NW4s were EMC S/N 823 and 824, and were MP Nos. 4102 and 4103. They were scrapped in 1961.
T
The solitary EMC transfer locomotive classified T was built in May 1936 for the Illinois Central Railroad as their No. 9201, but soon renumbered as 9202. The bodywork was built by St. Louis Car Company and the electrical equipment was by General Electric. The main frame rested on two subframe bolsters which were articulated together; the four two-axle trucks were mounted to the bolsters, giving it a B-B+B-B wheel arrangement. The locomotive was a center-cab design, with twin hoods extending in both directions, each containing a V12 Winton 201-A diesel engine of 900 hp (670 kW), giving 1,800 hp (1,300 kW). The locomotive's main underframe sagged over time, and was returned to EMD for straightening and gusseting for extra strength. The locomotive was scrapped in 1950.
