"Peoria & Western" (Keokuk Junction Railway) No. 1752, an EMD FP9 locomotive in yellow and black, at Mapleton, Peoria County, Illinois.
(Nate Beal, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
EMD FP9 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The EMD FP9 is an American 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW), B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive that was produced between February 1954 and December 1959 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, except for Canadian orders, which were assembled by Canadian subsidiary GMD at London, Ontario. The FP9 was essentially EMD's F9 locomotive extended by four feet to give greater steam generator and water capacity for hauling passenger trains. A total of 90 cab-equipped lead A units were built; unlike the freight series, no cabless booster B units were sold. Regular F9B units were sometimes used with FP9 A units, since they, lacking cabs, had more room for water and steam generators. The FP9 and its predecessor, the FP7, were offshoots of GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit diesel locomotives.
RLGN 1400 (originally CN 6539), an FP9Au in 2003.
(The original uploader was JYolkowski at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Original buyers
Locomotives built by EMD at La Grange, Illinois
| Railroad | Quantity FP9 | Quantity F9B (where ordered with FP9) | Road numbers FP9 | Road numbers F9B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago & North Western Railway | 4 | 4 | 4051A–4054A | 4051B–4054B | Built from trade-in FTs and rated at 1500 hp. "Diesel Spotters' Guide" counts these as FP7 |
| Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México | 25 | – | 7010–7034 | – | |
| Saudi Government Railways | 7 | — | 1502–1508 | — | |
| Totals | 36 | 4 |
CN F9B 6512 with the Super Continental at Edmonton, Alberta.
(Photo by Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard from U.S.A., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Locomotives built by GMD at London, Ontario
| Railroad | Quantity FP9 | Quantity F9B (where ordered with FP9) | Road numbers FP9 | Road numbers F9B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian National Railways | 43 | 38 | 6500–6542 | 6600–6637 | Model FP9ARM, 15 units were rebuilt in the 1980s with EMD 645C power up to 1800 HP. |
| Canadian Pacific Railway | 11 | 8 | 1405–1415 | 1900–1907 | |
| Totals | 54 | 46 |
GMD FP9 owned/operated by the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone.
(Btrotter at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
FP9 Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builders: General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and General Motors Diesel (GMD, Canada)
Model: FP9
Build date: February 1954 – December 1959
Total produced: 90
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Trucks: Blomberg B
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve: 23° (250.79 ft or 76.44 m radius)
Wheelbase: 43 ft (13.11 m)
Length: 55 ft 2+1⁄4 in (16.82 m)
Width: 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Height: 15 ft (4.57 m)
Locomotive weight: 260,000 lb (120,000 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1,200 US gal (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal)
Prime mover: EMD 567C
RPM range: 800
Engine type: V16 Two-stroke diesel
Aspiration: Roots-type supercharger
Displacement: 9,072 cu in (148.66 L)
Generator: EMD D-12
Traction motors: (4) EMD D-37
Cylinders: 16
Cylinder size: 8+1⁄2 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm)
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 65–105 mph (105–169 km/h)
Power output: 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW)
Career
Locale: North America, Saudi Arabia