Conrail CR 9624 (MP15).
(Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
EMD MP15 DIESL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The EMD MP15, sometimes referenced as MP15DC, is a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) diesel–electric road switcher locomotive model produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between 1974 and 1980. It was equipped with a V12 12-645E engine sporting a Roots blower. The length was either 47 ft 8 in (14.53 m) or 48 ft 8 in (14.83 m) depending on the build date.
The early MP15 and the SW1500 were similar in appearance and applications. They were fitted with the same engine in a similar appearance. The primary difference is the MP15's standard Blomberg B trucks.
Locomotive No. 539 with a gravel train at Amtrak's Midway Yard in December 2023.
(Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Original buyers
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoa | 1 | 7 | |
| Alton and Southern Railway | 1 | 1522 | |
| Altos Hornos de México | 5 | 146–148, 159, 166 | |
| American Cyanamid | 2 | 18, 19 | |
| Arizona Public Service | 1 | 2 | |
| Bauxite and Northern Railway | 2 | 15, 16 | |
| BC Hydro | 3 | 151–153 | |
| Belt Railway of Chicago | 4 | 533–536 | |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | 2 | 260, 261 | |
| Cambria and Indiana Railroad | 2 | 19, 20 | |
| Chicago and Northwestern | 15 | 1302–1316 | |
| Cities Service | 1 | 109 | |
| Conn. Davison Chemical Division | 4 | 121, 122, 131, 132 | |
| Genesee and Wyoming Railroad | 2 | 45, 46 | |
| Georgetown Railroad | 2 | 1011, 1012 | |
| Graysonia, Nashville & Ashdown Railroad | 1 | 80 | |
| Gulf Oil | 1 | 101 | |
| Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad | 5 | 60–64 | |
| Industrial Minera México | 2 | 383, ? | |
| Kansas City Southern Railway | 4 | 4363–4366 | |
| Kelly's Creek and Northwestern Railroad | 2 | 1, 2 | |
| Lake Erie, Franklin and Clarion Railroad | 4 | 25–28 | |
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad | 10 | 5030–5039 | |
| Manufacturers Railway | 3 | 251, 252, 254 | |
| Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago | 1 | 4 | |
| Missouri Pacific Railroad | 62 | 1530–1554, 1356–1392 | #1530 was the first MP15 built |
| North Louisiana and Gulf Railroad | 4 | 42–45 | |
| Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad | 25 | 1574–1598 | |
| Point Comfort and Northern Railway | 5 | 11–15 | |
| Quebec Iron and Titanium | 2 | 9, 10 | |
| Reading Company | 10 | 2771–2780 | Equipped with remanufactured and renewed ALCO RS-3 truck assemblies, including the General Electric 752 traction motors. To Conrail as Nos. 9621–9630. |
| Rockdale, Sandow and Southern Railroad | 3 | 13–15 | |
| Southern Pacific Railroad | 12 | 2690–2701 | |
| Southern Railway | 88 | 2348–2435 | |
| St. Louis–San Francisco Railway | 5 | 361–365 | To Burlington Northern Railroad as #4000–4004, later renumbered to #1000–1004 |
| St. Mary's Railroad | 2 | 504, 505 | |
| Swift Chemical Company | 1 | 1976 | |
| Tennessee Eastman | 1 | 2 | |
| Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks | 7 | 761, 771, 772, 801, 802, 821, 822 | |
| Texas and Northern Railway | 2 | 998, 999 | |
| Texas City Terminal Railway | 3 | 35–37 | Split from the last Missouri Pacific order of MP15DCs. Painted and lettered for Missouri Pacific |
| Union Railroad | 24 | 10–33 | |
| U.S. Steel | 15 | 170, 955–968 | |
| Total | 351 |
Mosaic 212, an EMD MP15DC at Brewster, Florida.
(The copyright holder of this file, Harvey Henkelmann, allows anyone to use it for any purpose,
provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted. Attribution: Harvey Henkelmann)
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
Build date: 1974–1980
Total produced: 351
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Trucks: Blomberg B
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve: 55° (107 ft (32.614 m)
Wheelbase: 24 ft 2 in (7.366 m) between bolsters; 9 ft 0 in (2.743 m) between axles in each truck
Length: 47 ft 8 in (14.53 m) or 48 ft 8 in (14.83 m) depending on build date
Width: 10 ft 0+3⁄4 in (3.067 m)
Height: 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
Locomotive weight: 248,000 lb (112,493 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1,100 or 1,400 US gal (4,200 or 5,300 L; 920 or 1,170 imp gal)
Lubricant capacity: 197 or 284 US gal (746 or 1,075 L; 164 or 236 imp gal)
Coolant capacity: 230 US gal (871 L; 192 imp gal)
Sandbox capacity: 0.849 or 1.133 m3 (30.0 or 40.0 cu ft)
Prime mover: EMD 12-645E
RPM:
• RPM low idle 235 RPM
• RPM idle 318±4 RPM (normal)
• 517±15 RPM (switching 2 mode)
• Maximum RPM 904±4 RPM
Engine type: V12 diesel
Aspiration: Mechanical
Displacement: 645 cu in (10.57 L) / cylinder; 7,740 cu in (126.8 L)
Generator: D32
Traction motors: 4 × D77/78 DC
Cylinders: 12
Cylinder size: 9+1⁄16 in × 10 in (230 mm × 254 mm)
Gear ratio: 62:15
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 65 mph (104.6 km/h)
Power output: 1,500 hp (1,119 kW)
Tractive effort: 62,000 lbf (275.79 kN)
URR No. 17, a GM-EMD Model MP15 1,500-hp locomotive in Bi-Centennial livery. Photo courtesy Union Railroad Company.
The Union Railroad bought 24 of these units numbered 10-33.
(Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Public domain, via W. Lenheim Collection)