   #copyright

EMD F7

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Railway transport

   CAPTION: EMD F7

   EMD F7
   D&RGW #5634 in 1950; this early Phase I locomotive was delivered in
   July, 1949
   Power type Diesel-electric
   Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
   Model F7
   Build date February 1949 – December 1953
   Total production 2,366 A units, 1,483 B units
   AAR wheel arr. B-B
   Gauge 4  ft 8^1⁄[2]  in (1435  mm)
   Power output 1,500 hp
   Locale North America

   The EMD F7 was a 1,500 hp B-B freight-hauling diesel locomotive
   produced between February, 1949 and December, 1953 by General Motors'
   Electro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange,
   Illinois plant. A total of 2,366 cab-equipped lead A units and 1,483
   cabless booster B units were built. The F7 was the fourth model in
   GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit freight diesels,
   and it was the most produced of the series. The F7 can be considered
   the zenith of the cab unit freight diesel; it was ubiquitous on North
   American railroads until the 1970s (longer in Canada), and the design
   has become entrenched in the popular imagination.

   The F7 replaced the F3, differing only in internal equipment (mostly
   electrical) and was succeeded by the more powerful F9.

Identification

   There is no easily identifiable differences between late F3 production
   and early F7 production; the major differences were all internal
   electrical system changes. However, no F7 had the "chicken wire"
   grilles of most F3s, and no F3s had the later F7 changes described
   below under Phases.

   The EMD F9 is distinguishable from the late F7 by having five, rather
   than four, carbody centre louver groups covering the carbody filters.
   The additional one is placed ahead of the first porthole, where F7s
   have no openings. The F9's greater power output, of course, cannot be
   seen from the outside.

Phases

   The identification of locomotive "phases" is a creation of railfans.
   EMD used no such identification, and instead kept track of the
   marketing name (F7) and individual locomotives' build numbers. During
   the production cycle of a model, EMD would make changes. To keep better
   track of the variations of locomotives identified the same by the
   manufacturer, railfans began referring to phases (critical changes to a
   locomotive line).

   Despite not being official designations, the phase description is
   useful. However, many of the changes described are cosmetic, easily
   changed features of a locomotive; roof fans, body panels, grilles and
   the like could be and sometimes were updated or swapped. Most of the
   phase differences on the F7 were concerned only with A units; B units
   varied far less. The following are normally identified as F7 phases:

Phase I (early)

   Built from February 1949. Upper grille with horizontal openings. Four
   horizontal louvred openings on centre body panel. 36 inch dynamic brake
   fan. Flush windshield gasket changed to raised in July 1949. Square cab
   door corners with kick plates on the steps beneath. Wing window short
   with square corners. Single drip strip over cab windows and door.
   Square end door window. Round sand filler cover. Rear overhang.

Phase I (late)

   Built from March 1950. Upper grille started out horizontal, as in early
   Phase I; from March 1951, some locomotives were built with
   vertical-slotted "Farr-Air" grilles, and by October 1951, all had them.
   Cab doors became round-cornered, and the kick plates were deleted. The
   wing windows became larger, with round corners. Two drip strips; one
   over cab windows, second over door. The end door window became round
   after November 1950.

Phase II

   Built from February 1952. All upper grilles vertical "Farr-Air" type.
   Centre car body louvres became vertical-slotted. Sand filler now with a
   horizontal, rectangular pull handle. From June 1952, 48 inch dynamic
   brake fans began to be introduced; from October 1952, all dynamic-brake
   equipped locomotives had them. At that latter date, locomotives no
   longer had a rear overhang.

   A Great Northern Railway F7A locomotive in near-pristine condition.

   Chesapeake and Ohio Railway F7A #7086, in 1953. This is a late Phase II
   locomotive built in October, 1952 and is representative of the final
   year of F7 production.

   A former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad F7A falls under the cutting torch
   at the Naporano Iron & Scrap Works in Newark, New Jersey in 1975. The
   majority of the carbody has been removed, exposing the sixteen-cylinder
   EMD 567 series prime mover.

Deliveries

   Original owners of the EMD F7 include:
   Railroad Cab-equipped 'A' units Cabless booster 'B' units

Preservation

   The Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, CA rosters two former
   Western Pacific F7As: WP 917-D and 921-D. These engines are part of the
   museum's popular "Run a locomotive" program.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F7"
   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.
