The EMD GP39-2 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1974 and 1984. 239 examples of this locomotive were built for American railroads. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP39-2 was an upgraded GP39. The power for this locomotive was provided by a turbocharged 12-cylinder 12-645E3 diesel engine, which could produce 2,300 horsepower (1,720 kW).
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Unlike the original GP39, which sold only 23 examples as railroads preferred the reliable un-turbocharged GP38, the GP39-2 was reasonably successful, ascribed to its better fuel economy relative to the GP38-2 which became of more interest in the 1970s energy crisis, and to its better performance at altitude.[1]
Original owners
editThe GP39-2 sold to five railroads and two industrial operators:[2]
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 106 | 3600–3705 | Remainder to BNSF; 3600-3616 sold to Willamette & Pacific Railroad in 1993 as 2301-2317. Now later Portland & Western Railroad | |
| Burlington Northern Railroad | 40 | 2700–2739 | All to BNSF | |
| Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation | 32 | 1-3, 705–711, 779–799, 905 | 705-711 and 779-799 were built with raised cab roofs and extra windows for improved visibility in the Bingham open pit copper mine. Kennecott #3 was built for the Ray Mines Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation | |
| Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad | 20 | 360–379 | 371 to UP as 2370, then to NEGS, then to WAMX as 3927, operating with AA | |
| Phelps Dodge Corporation | 1 | 33 | ||
| Reading Company | 20 | 3401–3420 | To Delaware and Hudson Railway, and then to CSX[citation needed] | |
| Delaware and Hudson Railway | 20 | 7601-7620 | To Boston and Maine, to UP and then to Webb Asset Management | |
| Total | 259 |
Rebuilds
editUnion Pacific has rebuilt 7 of their GP39-2's into GP39N's at their Jenk's shop. These units received a microprocessor control system to increase adhesion, control options, and extend the life of the locomotive.[3][4]
Preservation
editOnly one GP39-2 is preserved as of 2019:
- CSX 4317, former Reading Company 3412, is preserved at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.[5][6] 4317 is the first GP39-2 in preservation.
References
edit- ^ Foster, Gerald (1996). A Field Guide to Trains of North America. Houghton Mifflin Field Guides. ISBN 0-395-70112-0.
- ^ "EMD GP39-2 Order Numbers". The UNofficial EMD Homepage. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ Craig, R. "Union Pacific Motive Power". The Diesel Shop. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Union Pacific Locomotive Roster". Up.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Laepple, Wayne (2019-10-10). "Former Reading locomotive arrives at Reading Co. museum NEWSWIRE". Trains. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "GP39-2 News Release". Reading Company Technical & Historical Society. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
External links
editMedia related to EMD GP39-2 locomotives at Wikimedia Commons
- Sarberenyi, Robert. EMD GP39-2 Original Owners
