EMD SD24
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| File:Union Pacific SD24 408.jpg UP #408 at the company's Portland, Oregon, Albina Yard in July, 1968. The unit's roof-mounted "torpedo tube" air reservoirs, a signature feature, are clearly visible just aft of the locomotive's cab. | |||||||||||||
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The EMD SD24 was a 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) C-C diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July, 1958 and March, 1963.[1] A total of 224 units were built for customers in the United States, comprising 179 regular, cab-equipped locomotives and 45 cabless B units. The latter were built solely for the Union Pacific Railroad.Diesel Era staff. "EMD's SD24". Diesel Era. 9 (3): 10–29, 51–63.
The SD24 was the first EMD locomotive to be fitted with an EMD turbocharged diesel engine, several months before the four-axle (B-B) model GP20. Power output was substantially higher than the 1,800 hp (1,350 kW) of the concurrent Roots blower-equipped SD18s with the same engine displacement.
In order to provide room for a larger fuel tank, the air reservoirs were located on the roof just behind the locomotive's cab. The tanks were known as "torpedo tubes" due to their long, thin design. Factory-installation of these tanks was peculiar to this model locomotive.
From January, 1973 through January, 1978 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway rebuilt its fleet of eighty SD24 locomotives, naming the resulting type the SD26. The rebuild boosted the power output of the locomotives by replacing the 16-567D3 engines with 16-645D3 models. Other work improved the reliability by replacing the entire electrical systems, and replacing the multiple body-side vents with a central air filtration system. The large box fitted high on the body behind the cab for the air filters required relocating the "torpedo tube" air reservoirs further back on the long hood, and gave the SD26 a noticeable "hump-backed" appearance.
Many models included a winterization hatch over one of the fans.
Original purchasers
| Railroad | Qty | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe | 80 | 900 – 979 | |
| Burlington | 16 | 500 – 515 | |
| General Motors-EMD (demonstrators) | 4 | 5579 and 7200 – 7202 | all sold to UP as numbers 448 (EMD 5579) and 445 – 447 (EMD 7211 – 7202) |
| Kennecott Copper | 1 | 904 | |
| Southern | 48 | SOU 2502 – 2524, CNTP 6305 – 6325, NO&NE 6950 – 6953 | |
| Union Pacific | 75 | A units 400 – 429, B units 400B – 444B |
References
- ^ Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.
External links
- EMD SD24 Diagram at the Illinois Railway Museum official website.
