CSXT GE C39-8 7484, former CR 6009, built in 1986.
(Chesapeake at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
GE C39-8 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The GE C39-8 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive model built by GE Transportation Systems between 1984 and 1987. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives.
A total of 161 examples of this locomotive were built for two North American railroads: Conrail and Norfolk Southern Railway.
The C39-8 was a fairly unpopular locomotive with crews, cited factors such as a rough ride, tendency to overheat, frequent turbocharger issues, issues with the fuel injection system, and various other reliability issues.
Technical
The C39-8 is powered by a 3,900 horsepower (2,900 kW) V16 7FDL-16 diesel engine driving a GE GMC187A2 main alternator. The power generated by the main alternator drove 6 GE 752AG traction motors, each with a gear ratio of 83:20 and connected to 40-inch (1,016 mm) wheels which allowed the C39-8 a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).
Depending on customer options, the C39-8 carried between 3,900 to 4,500 US gal (14,763 to 17,034 L; 3,247 to 3,747 imp gal) of diesel fuel, 360 to 400 US gal (1,363 to 1,514 L; 300 to 333 imp gal) of lubricating oil, and 380 to 420 US gal (1,438 to 1,590 L; 316 to 350 imp gal) of coolant. Like most North American diesel locomotives, the C39-8 uses normal water for cooling.
The C39-8 has a maximum tractive effort of 108,600 lbf (483,000 N) at 10.8 mph (17.4 km/h).
Original owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Southern | 114 | 8550-8663 | 8550,8551 former GE demonstrators set up for short hood forward operation. 8552-8663 set up for long hood forward operation. All units have been retired. |
| Norfolk Southern | 25 | 8664-8688 | C39-8E (Enhanced) built in carbody similar to the GE C40-8. All have been retired. 8687 damaged in collision with semi truck in 1992. The entire incident was caught on camera. Unit 8688 currently used as a test bed in Altoona [1] |
| Conrail | 22 | 6000-6021 | After Conrail split in 1999, 13 units went to Norfolk Southern to become NS 8200-8212 and are no longer in service with NS, 9 units went to CSX to become CSXT 7480-7488 and have since been retired. |
Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad GE C39-8 8212 leads a light engine move southbound on the Bethlehem Line in Hatfield, PA.
(Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Current use
Apart from Norfolk Southern's test bed, Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad's former Norfolk Southern 8212 (née Conrail 6021) is the last C39-8 in active use in North America.
15 Norfolk Southern units were sold to Peru's Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA) after RDC acquired a significant part of the company in 1999. Many of them have been rebuilt by shortening the radiators.
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: GE Transportation Systems
Model: C39-8
Build date: 1984 – 1987
Total produced: 161
Specifications
Configuration: AAR C-C
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1,016 mm)
Length 70 ft 8 in (21.54 m)
Fuel capacity: 3,900–4,500 US gal (15,000–17,000 L; 3,200–3,700 imp gal)
Prime mover: 7FDL-16
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 70 mph (113 km/h)
Power output: 3,900 hp (2,900 kW)
Career
Operators: See table above
Locale: United States
