ACL EMC E3 501 in original Champion livery at Spencer, NC in May of 2014.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_restless_railfan/49927606013/, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons)
ATLANTIC COAST LINE 501
Atlantic Coast Line 501 is an EMC E3 diesel-electric locomotive built in November 1939 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It was notable for being the sole EMC E3 survivor, though it was rebuilt into an E6 after delivery.
The No. 501 locomotive spent its career pulling the Champion. After retirement from regular service, the unit was restored to purple & silver colors by owner Glenn Monhart. In the 1980s, the engine operated on the Wisconsin Western Railroad, a short-lived heritage railway. It is currently operating at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina.
Seaboard Coast Line EMC E6 501 at Denver, CO Apr 26, 1977.
(Craig Garver, Photographer unknown)
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: Electro-Motive Company
Model: E3
Build date: November 1939. SN: 959.
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR A1A-A1A
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Prime mover: Two 12-cylinder 567
Engine type: Two-stroke diesel
Aspiration: Roots blower
Performance figures
Power output: 2,000 hp (1,491 kW)
Career
Operators: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, Wisconsin Western Railroad
Number: 501-A
Current owner: North Carolina Department of Transportation
Disposition: Operational
Roger Puta photographed Atlantic Coast Line E6A 501 with the East Coast Champion at AF Tower, Alexandria, VA in August 1964. Built as an E3A in Nov. 1939, it was
rebuilt to E6 specifications in the mid-forties by EMD. The unit now rests at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC in original ACL livery and runs.
(Roger Puta, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)
