   #copyright

CF7

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Railway transport

   CAPTION: CF7

   CF7
   Santa Fe #2626 (former F3 #22C) wears the blue and yellow Billboard
   livery. The unit's original F-series cab windows have been replaced,
   and the rear pane blanked out. The rounded cab roof was retained on
   this unit, but later examples had more angular cabs.
   Power type Diesel-electric
   Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD);
   rebuilt by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
   Model CF7
   Build date October 1970 —
   March 1978
   Total production 233
   AAR wheel arr. B-B
   Gauge 4  ft 8^1⁄[2]  in (1435  mm)
   Length 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m)
   Total weight 249,000  lb (113,000  kg)
   Prime mover EMD 16-567BC
   Engine type 2-stroke diesel
   Aspiration Roots blower
   Displacement 9,072 in³ (148.7 L)
   Cylinders V16
   Cylinder size 8.5 in × 10 in
   (216 mm × 254 mm)
   Transmission DC generator,
   DC traction motors
   Top speed 65  mph (105  km/h)
   Power output 1,500  hp (1,119 kW)
   Tractive effort 62,250 lbf (277 kN)
   Locomotive brakes Straight air
   Train brakes 26 L air
   Locale North America

   A CF7 is an EMD F-unit railroad locomotive that has had its streamlined
   carbody removed and replaced with a custom-made, "general purpose" body
   in order to adapt the unit for road switching duty. All of the
   conversions were performed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
   in their Cleburne, Texas workshops between October, 1970 and March,
   1978. The program was initiated in response to a system-wide need for
   more than 200 additional four-axle diesel hood units to meet projected
   motive power demands on branch lines and secondary main lines.

   Santa Fe's aging fleet of 200-series F-units were in dire need of
   overhaul, and were not suitable for switching service in their original
   configurations due to the poor visibility resulting from their the
   full-width carbody; the engineer was required to stick his or her head
   out of the window in order to see the end of the train or locomotive
   when coupling and uncoupling cars. As new, state-of-the-art locomotives
   cost upwards of $150,000 each at the time, Santa Fe elected to
   experiment with modifying its existing F-units to serve their purpose,
   which they hoped they could accomplish for around $60,000 each.

   Changes in business philosophy led the company to sell off its entire
   CF7 inventory by 1987, with most of the units (all but 9) ending up in
   the hands of regional and short-line railroads, and a few excursion
   lines. A number remain in service today.

History

Development

   The first locomotive to go through the "Converted F7" Program was Santa
   Fe #262C, an F7A cab unit that entered the Cleburne shops in October,
   1969. The unit was stripped down to bare metal, its sleek carbody
   removed and scrapped. Unlike hood units, cab units were structurally
   supported by their carbodies, so a new underframe had to be
   constructed. Next, a new road switcher carbody complete with walkways
   was manufactured and installed, along with numerous other upgrades
   traditionally associated with a comprehensive overhaul, including
   remanufactured prime movers, trucks, and traction motors (rebuilt at
   the San Bernardino, California shops), refurbished electrical systems,
   and enhanced brakes. #262C was the only CF7 conversion ever equipped
   with dynamic brakes, which were parted-out from the long hood of
   wrecked GP7B #2788A.

   In order for the salvaged hood to fit, some 7" had to be removed from
   the bottom of the hood where the it connected to the main frame and the
   running board (all other units had long hoods fabricated from scratch
   by the Cleburne shop forces). A new rounded-roof and low short hood
   were constructed, and a new control stand installed. To increase
   versatility, the unit could operate in either switching mode or road
   service mode. All CF7s were configured with a B-B wheel arrangement and
   ran on two Blomberg B two-axle trucks, with all axles powered. All but
   one CF7 utilized the F-units' sixteen-cylinder EMD 567 series diesel
   engines as their prime mover, progressing from model 16-567B through
   16-567C (#2452 was tested with an EMD 645 series turbocharged engine,
   which produced 2,000 horsepower — however, the greater availability of
   parts for the 567 series, coupled with the perception that CF7s would
   be engaged primarily in switching duties, resulted in the original
   motors being retained). The engines were removed from their frames,
   completely dismantled and rebuilt, then reinstalled.

   Santa Fe #2509, a rounded-cab CF7, pauses in front of the depot at
   Santa Ana, California in 1976.

   Back-to-back angled-cab CF7s cruise southbound with a Tyson Foods unit
   train through Showell, Maryland on the Maryland and Delaware Railroad's
   "Snow Hill Line."

   Maryland and Delaware Railroad #2628 runs long hood-forward past the
   station and company headquarters on the railroad's "Seaford Line" in
   Federalsburg, Maryland.

   Locomotive #517, a CF7, is the main power on the Commonwealth Railway
   in Suffolk, Virginia.

   Assigned #2649 and painted in Santa Fe's blue and yellow Billboard
   scheme, the locomotive was placed into service in February of 1970 and
   put through its paces during a series of shakedown runs between
   Cleburne and Dallas. The unit was officially unveiled to the public on
   March 13. This initial conversion was considered a success, though
   several key modifications were incorporated into future units. Based on
   input from trainmen within the Santa Fe system, the steps on were
   lowered and enlarged to provide better footing for the brakeman.
   Additionally, the grab irons were repositioned to enhance crew safety
   during switching movements.
   ATSF #2546, a restored angled-cab CF7 on display at the Kentucky
   Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky in 2001.
   Enlarge
   ATSF #2546, a restored angled-cab CF7 on display at the Kentucky
   Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky in 2001.

   During the 8-year program period a total of 233 CF7 conversions were
   performed (the total number of suitable F-units available in the fleet,
   as 24 had been involved in wrecks and deemed unusable). EMD F3, F7, and
   F9 models were all modified under the program. All but the
   modifications to #262C required approximately 45 days to complete per
   unit. The average retrofit cost was $40,000 per unit, well below Santa
   Fe's original target estimate. The CF7s went through a limited
   evolution during this time, most notably:
     * Unit Nos. 2649–2472 initially received rounded cab roofs (which, by
       preserving the contour left over from the F-unit roof, were
       expected to reduce costs — instead, it was found that the
       custom-fitted cab doors required by this arrangement were not
       economical, and many of the units eventually were modified with
       angled roofs), and Nos. 2471–2417 featured angled cab roofs from
       the onset;
     * Unit Nos. 2649–2614 were outfitted with 2-stack exhaust systems,
       and Nos. 2613–2417 were equipped with 4-stack exhausts; and
     * Most units converted beginning in 1973 had air conditioning systems
       installed at the Cleburne facility; eventually all CF7s received
       cab air conditioners.

   Nos. 2649–2617 came out of the shops wearing Santa Fe's Billboard paint
   scheme, while Nos. 2616–2417 were decorated in the Yellowbonnet livery.
   It is not clear why the Santa Fe chose to issue road numbers for its
   CF7 units in descending order.

In service

   Former Amtrak CF7 #585 rests in a salvage yard on September 19, 2003.
   The side doors have been removed, exposing its prime mover and other
   mechanical components. The unit had also been fitted with roof-mounted
   "torpedo tube" air tanks to accommodate the enlarged fuel and water
   tanks that facilitated its use in passenger service.
   Enlarge
   Former Amtrak CF7 #585 rests in a salvage yard on September 19, 2003.
   The side doors have been removed, exposing its prime mover and other
   mechanical components. The unit had also been fitted with roof-mounted
   " torpedo tube" air tanks to accommodate the enlarged fuel and water
   tanks that facilitated its use in passenger service.

   The CF7s worked within all segments of the Santa Fe system. While most
   saw action switching cars and transporting local freight, others could
   be found in multiple unit consists hauling mainline drags. The units
   distinguished themselves working on potash trains between Clovis and
   Carlsbad, New Mexico; Nos. 2612–2625, all equipped with remote control
   equipment (RCE), were typically "mated" to road slugs (converted
   cabless F-units). CF7s also powered grain trains across the Plains
   Division.

   The Santa Fe had planned in the mid-1980s to renumber its CF7 fleet
   from 2649–2417 to 1131–1000 and repaint the units in the new "
   Kodachrome" paint scheme, all in preparation for the upcoming Southern
   Pacific Santa Fe Railroad (SPSF) merger. However, the Interstate
   Commerce Commission (ICC) subsequently denied the merger application,
   and no CF7s were decorated in the new livery.

Afterlife

   Changing philosophies regarding motive power expenditures led the Santa
   Fe to begin trimming its CF7 roster in 1984. The majority of the
   locomotives were sold for as little as $20,000 to short-line and
   regional railroads such as the Commonwealth Railway and the Maryland
   and Delaware Railroad (6 were involved in wrecks and 3 others sent
   directly to the scrap yards), though Amtrak and GE Transportation
   Systems were among the major initial purchasers. By 1987, the company
   had divested itself of all of its CF7s.
   A close-up, head-on view of Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
   #2641 as it stops at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the summer of
   1993.
   Enlarge
   A close-up, head-on view of Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
   #2641 as it stops at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the summer of
   1993.

Preservation

   At least one unit ( #2546) has been restored and preserved at the
   Kentucky Railway Museum, the first such organization to add a CF7 to
   its locomotive roster. Ironically, #2649 ended its days on the rails by
   contributing some of its parts toward the rebuilding of two F3 units
   owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society. The Santa Cruz,
   Big Trees and Pacific Railway, a popular California tourist railroad,
   owns and operates two CF7s.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CF7"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
