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EMD 20 Locomotives
Created from the need for higher horsepower units, and to compete with ALCO and General Electric road switchers, the EMD GP20 was introduced in November of 1959. For the trackside observer, the GP20 represented a new generation in motive power - something new and different - a symbol of power and progress. |
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Click on diagram to see larger size. |
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The Union Pacific, historically known for seeking new ways to advance their motive power fleet, began
experimenting to increase horsepower as early as September 1955 by
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Click on image to see larger size. |
equipping GP9s with turbochargers. The Omaha shops installed nine from AiResearch and ten from Elliot, creating nineteen "Omaha GP20s." Turbocharging routes exhaust gases through a turbine which forces air into the
cylinders, thereby increasing the compression and the horsepower rating of the GP9s from 1750 to 2000.
EMD was somewhat reluctant to equip production units with turbochargers due to increased maintenance costs, but with the competitors offering road switchers with up to 2500 hp ratings, they decided the time was right. Shortly after EMD developed it's turbocharger, nine UP GP9s were thus equipped and tested prior to offering it in a production unit. The first production model with turbocharging was the SD24, introduced to the catalogs in May 1959. A short six months later the second turbocharged model was the GP20.
Marketed as being able to replace four carbody units with three more versatile units as well as an offer to
accept trade-ins, the railroads viewed the announcement with tempered excitement. Only eight roads purchased the GP20; Santa Fe (75), Southern Pacific (38), Burlington (36), Great Northern (36), Union
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Burlington Publicity Shot |
Pacific (30), Cotton Belt (20), New York Central (14) and the Western Pacific (10). Production ended with the announcement of the GP30 in 1961.
The CB&Q decided to take advantage of EMD's trade-in offer and began trading FT units that were only 15 years old for the "new" GP20. Considering the frugal Burlington kept some steam locomotives in service for over 50 years, this decision was remarkable! However, it was time for class one repairs on the heavily-used FTs, and with a price tag of $50,000 per overhaul, the decision was made somewhat easier.
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Click on image to see larger size. GP20 #906 at the head of a freight at Savannah, IL. (Courtesy Jan Kohl/Castle Graphics) |
The Burlington GP20s contained remanufactured parts from the FTs trade-ins. Truck frames, traction motors, traction motor fans, fuel pumps, air compressors, cooling fans, water pumps, injectors, camshafts, main and auxiliary generators, alternators, air horns, speed recorders, batteries and the bells were all recycled into the new units. Although rebuilt, these parts carried the same warranty as the new parts.
The Burlington opted for the low nose on it's GP20s, the first CB&Q units so equipped. Unique to the Q were the metal GP20 plates and the use of Mars lights between the number boards above the windshield. The Burlington units were equipped with dynamic brakes with a 48" pan-top fan, a 2350-gallon fuel tank, a 48" cooling fan behind the cab, a single exhaust stack, a 36" cooling fan covered by a winterization hatch and a final 48" fan. The prime mover was the turbo-charged, 16 cylinder, 16-567 D2 engine feeding DC current to four D47 traction motors, each producing 500 hp. These locomotives tipped the scales at Lincoln at 260,560 pounds.
The first order of two GP20s, EMD order #7598, arrived on the property in February 1961, followed closely by the second order (#7597) of 34 units in February, March and April 1961. A total of 12 units in February, 10 units in March and the remaining 14 in April. The Q was quick to assign the new units to visible freight service out of Chicago. Mated with UP GP20s, the bright red Q units often were in charge of the CD and CGI. Later assigned to Lincoln, the GP20s continued to provide dependable service for the Q, with all 36 receiving BN numbers in 1970.
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Click on image to see larger size.
Brand-new GP20 #915 is on the lead track to the scale house at Lincoln in March 1961. The unit was delivered to Nebraska to avoid paying Illinois taxes (legally), and was waiting to be weighed before being placed in service. (Dick Rumbolz) |
Five of the ex-CB&Q GP20s were chosen for yet another remanufacturing while on the BN. Between 1988 and 1990 these units were sent to the Generation II Locomotive, a company that was formed by Caterpillar dealer Ziegler, Inc. at Babbit, Minnesota. Gen II shops equipped them with a Caterpillar 12-3512 prime mover and the "new" units were classed GP20C. The Cat engine provided the same 2000 horsepower as the EMD prime mover and at 264,000 pounds, they exerted a tractive effort of 54,500 pounds at 11.3 mph. Also equipped with a microprocessor control system and a 1250-volt brushless/transitionless traction alternator, the new units now can control wheel slip, engine excitation and other related functions.
Another major change is a new cooling system designed for treated water or anti-freeze, thus allowing the units to be shut down in cold weather saving expensive fuel. When compared to EMD's GP38-2, the GP20C can effect a 17 to 30 percent increase in fuel efficiency.
Remarkably, eleven ex-CB&Q GP20s - four GP20Cs and seven plain-Jane GP20s - are still in service in 2011! Considering that some of the parts of these units were manufactured over 60 years ago, they are somewhat like that pink battery rabbit, in that they keep going and going and going...
GP20 roster text by David Lotz ©1998 Burlington Route Historical Society.
Roster compiled from Bernard G. Corbin's "the Burlington in Transition"
and Robert C. Del Grosso's "Burlington Northern 1980-1991 Annual,"
"The Burlington Northern Railroad in 1993" and current data from
Matthew J. Frahm,
John B. Lee and David Lotz. |
CB&Q Number |
Date Built |
EMD Serial Number |
BN Number |
Rebuild Date |
2nd BN Number |
BNSF Number |
Date Retired |
Disposition |
900 |
2-61 |
26571 |
2036 |
03/90 See Note 1 |
2006:2 |
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To GLLX No. 2006 4/93, to RRVW No. 2052 (date?) STILL ACTIVE! |
901 |
2-61 |
26572 |
2037 |
03/90 See Note 1 |
2009:2 |
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To GLLX No. 2009 4/93, to GLLX No. 3516 in demonstrator colors. (date?), to TCWR 3516 STILL ACTIVE! |
902 |
2-61 |
26573 |
2038 |
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08/82 |
See Note 2 |
903 |
2-61 |
26574 |
2039 |
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12/85 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 02/86 |
904 |
2-61 |
26575 |
2040 |
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12/85 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 02/86 |
905 |
2-61 |
26576 |
2041 |
10/89 See Note 1 |
2001:2 |
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To GLLX No. 2001 4/93, to TCWR No. 2001 (date?), to RRVW 2001 (date?) STILL ACTIVE! |
906 |
2-61 |
26577 |
2042 |
02/90 See Note 1 |
2008:2 |
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To GLLX No. 2008 4/93, to TC&W No. 2008 (date?) STILL ACTIVE! |
907 |
2-61 |
26578 |
2043 |
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05/72 |
Wrecked @ Maquon, IL 5/24/72, Dismantled 7/12/72 |
908 |
2-61 |
26579 |
2044 |
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09/94 |
Wrecked 3/92 - To Livingston Rebuild Center 9/93, Sold to Livingston Rebuild Center for parts 12/94 |
909 |
2-61 |
26580 |
2045 |
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04/87 |
SFS Precision National Corp., Mt. Vernon, IL 04/87, to LTVX 7261, to LTVX 4208, to PTR 4208 to SCRX 2007, to PR 2007 STILL ACTIVE! |
910 |
2-61 |
26581 |
2046 |
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06/82 |
Trade in to General Electric on B30-7A order |
911 |
2-61 |
26582 |
2047 |
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09/86 |
Wrecked 9/86, scrapped |
912 |
3-61 |
26583 |
2048 |
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2052 |
08/99 |
to KJRY #2052, to PREX #2052 (disposition?) |
913 |
3-62 |
26584 |
2049 |
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2053 |
07/99 |
to PREX #2053 STILL ACTIVE! |
914 |
3-62 |
26585 |
2050 |
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05/87 |
SFS Precision National Corp., Mt. Vernon, IL 05/87, to LTVX #7262, to LTVX #4209, to PTR 4209, to SCRX #2004, to PR 2004 STILL ACTIVE! |
915 |
3-62 |
26586 |
2051 |
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08/85 |
Retired (disposition?) |
916 |
3-62 |
26587 |
2052 |
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12/86 |
Sold for scrap to Azcon Corp., Chicago & Hegewisch, IL 12/86 |
917 |
3-62 |
26588 |
2053 |
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08/86 |
12/86 Wilson Railway Corp. - Des Moines, IA, to SWPC #414 03/87, scrapped 1996 |
918 |
3-62 |
26589 |
2054 |
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2054 |
08/99 |
to PREX #2054 STILL ACTIVE! |
919 |
3-62 |
26590 |
2055 |
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07/85 |
Trade in to GE |
920 |
3-62 |
26591 |
2056 |
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12/81 |
SFS to Hyman-Michaels Co., Chicago, IL 12/81 |
921 |
4-62 |
26592 |
2057 |
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2057 |
07/99 |
to PREX #2057 STILL ACTIVE! |
922 |
4-62 |
26593 |
2058 |
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2058 |
02/97 |
Retired (disposition?) |
923 |
4-62 |
26594 |
2059 |
10/89 See Note 1 |
2000:2 |
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07/91 |
Wrecked in washout at Fountain City, WI 07/08/91 (scrap date?) |
924 |
4-62 |
26595 |
2060 |
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05/87 |
SFS Precision National Corp., Mt. Vernon, IL, to PNL 2060 08/87, to LTVX 7260, to LTVX 4207, to PTR 4207, to SCRX 2005, to PR 2005 STILL ACTIVE! |
925 |
4-62 |
26596 |
2061 |
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07/84 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 09/84 |
926 |
4-62 |
26597 |
2062 |
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01/86 |
Retired (disposition?) |
927 |
4-62 |
26598 |
2063 |
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2059 |
02/97 |
Retired (disposition?) |
928 |
4-62 |
26599 |
2064 |
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07/86 |
Retired (disposition?) |
929 |
4-62 |
26600 |
2065 |
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07/85 |
Trade in to EMD on GP50 order 07/85 |
930 |
4-63 |
26601 |
2066 |
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05/87 |
Wilson Railway Corp. - Des Moines, IA 08/87 (disposition?) |
931 |
4-63 |
26602 |
2067 |
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to DAIR No. 10 12/86, to DAIR No. 20, to MVPX No. 20 2021 STILL ACTIVE! |
932 |
4-63 |
26603 |
2068 |
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12/86 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 12/86 |
933 |
4-63 |
26604 |
2069 |
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08/85 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 10/85 |
934 |
4-63 |
26605 |
2070 |
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07/86 |
Retired (disposition?) |
935 |
4-63 |
26606 |
2071 |
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06/85 |
Sold for scrap Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, TX 08/85 |
Footnotes |
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1. Rebuilt at Generation II Locomotive in Babbit, MN. Reclassed a GP20C, designating rebuilding with the 2,000 hp Catepillar 12-3512 engine. The engines were rated at 541,500 lbs tractive effort at 11.3 mph, and weighed 264,000 lbs. A larger, 2,300 gallon fuel tank was a result of the rebuild. These locomotives were leased back to the BN by Gen II Leasing (GLLX). |
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2. To COE No. 2038 9/82, to Pielet 7/88, to MNVA No. 321 (date?), to MCTA 321 (date?), to DMVW 321 (date?), to LWR 2099 (date?), to ENR 2099 (date?), currently stored |
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