EMD E5
| EMD E5 | |
|---|---|
 Preserved E5 Silver Pilot at Illinois Railway Museum | |
| Specifications | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) |
| Model | E5 |
| Build date | 1940–1941 |
| Total produced | 11 A units, 5 B units |
| AAR wheel arr. | A1A-A1A |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Engine type | EMD 567, 2 off |
| Cylinders | V12 × 2 |
| Power output | 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) |
| Locomotive brake | D22L |
| Career | |
| Railroad(s) | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and subsidiaries |
| Disposition | One unit preserved in operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum |
The EMD E5 was a 2,000-horsepower (1,500 kW), A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive manufactured by Electro-Motive Corporation, and its corporate successor, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of La Grange, Illinois, and produced exclusively for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (“The Burlington Route”), and its subsidiaries, during 1940 and 1941. The E5 was distinguished from the otherwise very similar E3, E4 and E6 by being clad in polished stainless steel to match the Burlington's Zephyr trains. Like those other models, the E5 had a sloping “slant nose” equipped with two headlights — a regular stationary headlight and a gyrating signal light. The E5 was the sixth model in a long line of passenger diesels of similar design known as EMD E-units.
Engine and powertrain
The E5 used twin 12 cylinder 567 engines developing a total of 2,000 hp at 800 r.p.m. Designed specifically for railroad locomotives, this supercharged 2 stroke 45 degree V type, with an 8 1/2" bore by 10" stroke giving 567 cubic inches displacement per cylinder, remained in production until 1966. Two D.C. generators, one per engine, provide power to four motors, two on each truck, in an A1A-A1A arrangement. This truck design was used on all E units and on MP 7100 and CB&Q 9908 power cars. EMC/EMD has built all of its major components since 1939.[1][2]
Original owners
| Railroad | Cab-equipped A units | Cabless booster B units | Road numbers A units | Road numbers B units | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | | | 9909, 9913, 9914A,B, 9915A,B | | |
| Colorado and Southern Railway | | | | ||
| Fort Worth and Denver Railway | | | | | |
| Total | 11 | 5 | |||
Locomotive Names
| Name | Cab/Booster | #(as built) |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Bullet | (cab) | 9909 |
| Silver Speed | (cab) | 9910A |
| Silver Power | (booster) | 9910B |
| Silver Pilot | (cab) | 9911A |
| Silver Mate | (booster) | 9911B |
| Silver Meteor | (cab) | 9912A |
| Silver Comet | (booster) | 9912B |
| Silver Wings | (cab) | 9913 |
| Silver Arrow | (cab) | 9914A |
| Silver Swift | (cab) | 9914B |
| Silver Carrier | (cab) | 9915A |
| Silver Clipper | (cab) | 9915B |
| Silver Racer | (cab) | 9950A (C&S) |
| Silver Steed | (booster) | 9950B (C&S) |
| Silver Chief | (cab) | 9980A (FW&D) |
| Silver Warrior | (booster) | 9980B (FW&D) |
Surviving example
The last surviving EMD E5 diesel, named Silver Pilot, is owned and operated by the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. Last used on the Fort Worth and Denver Railway (a CB&Q subsidiary) on the Texas Zephyr, the E5 is matched with one of the Burlington's Nebraska Zephyrs, a 5 car, articulated, stainless steel 1936 passenger train. This equipment was used in the production of the 1992 film A League of Their Own, and for the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, E5 9911A Silver Pilot was used with 4 stainless steel passenger cars relettered to resemble the Zephyr trainset.
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Lamb, J. Parker (2007). Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive. Railroads Past and Present. Bloomington, IN, USA: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253348630.
- Marre, Louis A. (1995). Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years: A Guide to Diesels Built Before 1972. Railroad Reference Series (Book 10). Waukesha, WI, USA: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0890242585.
- Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter’s Guide. Milwaukee, WI: Kalmbach Publishing Company. pp. EMD–121–123. ISBN 0-89024-026-4.
- Schafer, Mike (1998). Vintage Diesel Locomotives. Enthusiast Color Series. Osceola, WI, USA: MBI Publishing. ISBN 0760305072.
- Solomon, Brian (2000). The American Diesel Locomotive. Osceola, WI, USA: MBI Publishing. ISBN 0760306664.
- Solomon, Brian (2006). EMD Locomotives. St. Paul, MN, USA: Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760323960.
- Solomon, Brian (2010). Vintage Diesel Power. Minneapolis, MN, USA: MBI Publishing. ISBN 9780760337950.
- Solomon, Brian (2011). Electro-Motive E-Units and F-Units: The Illustrated History of North America's Favorite Locomotives. Minneapolis, MN, USA: Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760340073.
- Solomon, Brian (2012). North American Locomotives: A Railroad-by-Railroad Photohistory. Minneapolis, MN, USA: Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760343708.
- Wilson, Jeff (2002). E Units: Electro-Motive's Classic Streamliners. Classic Trains / Golden Years of Railroading series. Waukesha, WI, USA: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0890246068.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to EMD E5 locomotives. |
- IRM Roster: Chicago Burlington & Quincy 9911A
- Burlington Route Historical Society, Rosters, Equipment & Structures
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