EMD FL9
Encyclopedia
The EMD FL9 was a dual-power electro-diesel locomotive
, capable of diesel-electric operation and of operation as an electric locomotive
powered from a third rail
. Sixty units were built between October 1956 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
(the "New Haven"); The FL9 model was in direct competition with the less popular Fairbanks-Morse
dual-power P-12-42
model.
, lengthened to accommodate additional equipment, including a larger train heating steam boiler. Due to the additional weight of the added equipment and the weight restriction on the Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct
, the locomotive was equipped with a three-axle rear truck, giving it an uncommon B-A1A
wheel arrangement
. The middle axle of the rear truck was not powered. The Flexicoil type of truck was used at both front and rear, due to this type of truck having more room for fitting the third rail shoes and associated equipment.
The locomotive was capable of using either an over-running or under-running third rail by means of retractable shoes operated by pneumatic cylinders. The shoes were retracted to the vertical position outside of third rail territory: if extended, electrically live shoes would have projected towards the low-level station platforms that were the norm until the 1970s. A few early examples were fitted with a small DC pantograph for use within New York City's Grand Central Terminal
, where long gaps exist in the third rail because of the complex trackage that includes numerous single and double slip switches and double track ladders. These pantographs were soon removed. The complex trackage remains, but the overhead power rails are long gone.
The third rail could be contacted by dropping the third rail shoe and the power source switched at speed, as could be the reverse transition. Unlike some other dual-power locomotives, such as British Rail
's Class 73
, the diesel engine is the primary source of power. Third rail capability was required only because of the Park Avenue Tunnel
and underground Grand Central Terminal, which lack sufficient ventilation for diesel exhaust. The third rail extended from Grand Central Terminal to Woodlawn Junction at the New York City border, where the New Haven diverged from the New York Central Harlem Division. However, dual-power locomotives switch on diesel as soon as possible, immediately after leaving the tunnel, due to diesel fuel being cheaper than electricity for Metro North. The New Haven operated the FL9s from third rail power between Grand Central Terminal and 125th Street Station in upper Manhattan.
Preston Cook has stated that the five-axle configuration was originally designed by EMD to allow additional water tankage on an FP-9 used for long distance passenger trains, and only later adapted the unit to support the additional equipment needed for dual-power operation.
The FL9s allowed through passenger trains from Grand Central Terminal to reach Boston, Springfield, and other non-electrified destinations without the need for an engine change at New Haven. They were purchased with the intent of allowing the eventual elimination of all New Haven electric locomotives and the abandonment of the electrification east of Stamford, Connecticut, 33 miles from Grand Central. The fact that the entire New York to Boston line is now electrified shows the short-sightedness of this concept, which had been adopted by the McGinnis management to avoid the cost of modernizing the New Haven’s Cos Cob, Connecticut power plant. The New Haven to Boston electrification was completed by Amtrak in 1999.
Prior to the introduction of the FL9, all non-multiple unit New Haven passenger trains were hauled by electric locomotives between New York and New Haven, with a change to steam (before 1950) or diesel at New Haven. Meeting the weight limits of the Park Avenue Viaduct in Manhattan, the FL9 made it possible to eliminate the engine change. FL9s were used on the New Haven's premier "name" train, the Merchants Limited, which covered the 229.5 miles between Grand Central Terminal and South Station
, Boston in 4 hours 15 minutes.
Introduction of the FL9 allowed the New Haven to scrap its entire fleet of pre-1955 electric locomotives, many of which were less than 25 years old. The FL9 had higher operating costs and lower performance than the electric locomotives it replaced. The only New Haven electrics surviving through the FL9 period were the General Electric
EP5
"Jets" of 1955. Three FL9s were required to approach the performance of one EP5. But the powerful "Jets" were doomed by poor maintenance, and the last were retired in 1977. In keeping with the New Haven's policy of dual service utilization of locomotives, FL9s were used at night to move a Trailer-on-FlatCar (TOFC)
train, with difficulty, in one direction between the Cedar Hill
yard in New Haven and the Oak Point yard in The Bronx
. Assigned to this train in the other direction, an EP5 locomotive could easily outrun automobile traffic on the adjacent Connecticut Turnpike
.
traction motors, enabling a fairly easy conversion to a dual-power locomotive. A DC electric compressor provided air until the diesel engine was started. Two batches of FL9s were built; 30 locomotives (including the original test units 2000 and 2001, originally built with a "Blomberg"
front truck
, but later upgraded following testing) from October, 1956 through November, 1957 of 1750 hp from a EMD 567C engine; and 30 between June and November, 1960 of 1800 hp from a newer EMD 567D1 engine. The paint scheme as delivered was the bright McGinnis scheme of red-orange, black and white and the Herbert Matter designed "NH" logo. FL9s were initially fitted with the Hancock air whistle
, a trademark of New Haven units of this time, instead of the standard air horns
on diesel locomotives.
and New York Central Railroad
, and some were repainted in Penn Central schemes, while others remained in their former New Haven paint. When the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") began funding these commuter services in 1970, many were repainted blue with a bright yellow nose, although they remained Penn Central-owned. The locomotives passed to Conrail in 1976. 12 FL9s were sold to Amtrak
, six of which were remanufactured by Morrison Knudsen starting in 1978.
In 1983, Conrail passed its commuter operations to state agencies. In New York State, the MTA formed Metro-North Railroad
as a subsidiary company to operate these, and operations in Connecticut
under contract with that state. The locomotives were repainted in Metro-North colors, and a large number of them, now in some cases over 25 years old, were rebuilt and modernized. 10 rebuilt for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) were painted in the original New Haven paint scheme, which has since been applied to remanufactured locomotives in the CDOT's Shoreline East service pool, and on four new GE Genesis
II P32AC-DM dual-mode locomotives.
Many were replaced only in the early years of the 21st century by new power, a service life of almost 50 years. Six still remain in service on Metro-North work train
s, and will remain so until "they are no longer worth repairing." The FL9s are restricted to branch lines since they no longer have the ability to operate on third rail. A number have been donated to museums in the area; the Amtrak units were purchased by New Jersey's Morristown and Erie Railway
for tourist train service, and two of them are now serving in Maine
for the Maine Eastern Railroad
.
Electro-diesel locomotive
An Electro-diesel locomotive is powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine...
, capable of diesel-electric operation and of operation as an electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
powered from a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. Sixty units were built between October 1956 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
(the "New Haven"); The FL9 model was in direct competition with the less popular Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958...
dual-power P-12-42
FM P-12-42
The P-12-42, also known as the Speed Merchant, was a streamlined, locomotive built between 1957–1958 by Fairbanks-Morse, specifically to operate on each end of the Talgo train produced by American Car and Foundry...
model.
Design
The locomotive was based on the EMD FP9EMD FP9
The EMD FP9 was a , B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive 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...
, lengthened to accommodate additional equipment, including a larger train heating steam boiler. Due to the additional weight of the added equipment and the weight restriction on the Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct
Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct
The Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct is a roadway that brings Park Avenue around Grand Central Terminal and the MetLife Building, the two buildings that interrupt Park Avenue's broad boulevard in the Manhattan borough of New York City...
, the locomotive was equipped with a three-axle rear truck, giving it an uncommon B-A1A
AAR wheel arrangement
The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive wheel arrangements that was developed by the Association of American Railroads. It is essentially a simplification of the European UIC classification, and it is widely used in North America to describe diesel and electric...
wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
. The middle axle of the rear truck was not powered. The Flexicoil type of truck was used at both front and rear, due to this type of truck having more room for fitting the third rail shoes and associated equipment.
The locomotive was capable of using either an over-running or under-running third rail by means of retractable shoes operated by pneumatic cylinders. The shoes were retracted to the vertical position outside of third rail territory: if extended, electrically live shoes would have projected towards the low-level station platforms that were the norm until the 1970s. A few early examples were fitted with a small DC pantograph for use within New York City's Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, where long gaps exist in the third rail because of the complex trackage that includes numerous single and double slip switches and double track ladders. These pantographs were soon removed. The complex trackage remains, but the overhead power rails are long gone.
The third rail could be contacted by dropping the third rail shoe and the power source switched at speed, as could be the reverse transition. Unlike some other dual-power locomotives, such as British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
's Class 73
British Rail Class 73
The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
, the diesel engine is the primary source of power. Third rail capability was required only because of the Park Avenue Tunnel
Park Avenue Tunnel (railroad)
The Park Avenue Tunnel connects four tracks of the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street to 97th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The tunnel portal rises to a full viaduct by 99th Street.- History :...
and underground Grand Central Terminal, which lack sufficient ventilation for diesel exhaust. The third rail extended from Grand Central Terminal to Woodlawn Junction at the New York City border, where the New Haven diverged from the New York Central Harlem Division. However, dual-power locomotives switch on diesel as soon as possible, immediately after leaving the tunnel, due to diesel fuel being cheaper than electricity for Metro North. The New Haven operated the FL9s from third rail power between Grand Central Terminal and 125th Street Station in upper Manhattan.
Preston Cook has stated that the five-axle configuration was originally designed by EMD to allow additional water tankage on an FP-9 used for long distance passenger trains, and only later adapted the unit to support the additional equipment needed for dual-power operation.
Operation
In their later years, when operated by Metro-North Commuter Railroad, a New York State agency, the diesel engines were run within Grand Central Terminal and the Park Avenue tunnel without any apparent concern for the smoke ordinances. New Haven trackage between Woodlawn and New Haven, Connecticut, 72 miles from Grand Central, was electrified in the early 1900s at 11,000 volts, 25 Hz overhead. The New Haven was the pioneer of heavy mainline railroad electrification in the United States. Early plans to extend the catenary to Boston as it exists today were not completed due to the perennial financial problems that plagued the New Haven almost continuously from the 1920s to its demise in 1969.The FL9s allowed through passenger trains from Grand Central Terminal to reach Boston, Springfield, and other non-electrified destinations without the need for an engine change at New Haven. They were purchased with the intent of allowing the eventual elimination of all New Haven electric locomotives and the abandonment of the electrification east of Stamford, Connecticut, 33 miles from Grand Central. The fact that the entire New York to Boston line is now electrified shows the short-sightedness of this concept, which had been adopted by the McGinnis management to avoid the cost of modernizing the New Haven’s Cos Cob, Connecticut power plant. The New Haven to Boston electrification was completed by Amtrak in 1999.
Prior to the introduction of the FL9, all non-multiple unit New Haven passenger trains were hauled by electric locomotives between New York and New Haven, with a change to steam (before 1950) or diesel at New Haven. Meeting the weight limits of the Park Avenue Viaduct in Manhattan, the FL9 made it possible to eliminate the engine change. FL9s were used on the New Haven's premier "name" train, the Merchants Limited, which covered the 229.5 miles between Grand Central Terminal and South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
, Boston in 4 hours 15 minutes.
Introduction of the FL9 allowed the New Haven to scrap its entire fleet of pre-1955 electric locomotives, many of which were less than 25 years old. The FL9 had higher operating costs and lower performance than the electric locomotives it replaced. The only New Haven electrics surviving through the FL9 period were the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
EP5
New Haven EP5
The New Haven EP-5 was a double-ended mercury arc rectifier electric locomotive built in 1955 by General Electric, for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad...
"Jets" of 1955. Three FL9s were required to approach the performance of one EP5. But the powerful "Jets" were doomed by poor maintenance, and the last were retired in 1977. In keeping with the New Haven's policy of dual service utilization of locomotives, FL9s were used at night to move a Trailer-on-FlatCar (TOFC)
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
train, with difficulty, in one direction between the Cedar Hill
Cedar Hill (New Haven)
Cedar Hill is a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. It includes portions of the city-designated neighborhoods of East Rock, Quinnipiac Meadows, and Mill River.Cedar Hill was named for cedar trees that were once plentiful there in 1665...
yard in New Haven and the Oak Point yard in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Assigned to this train in the other direction, an EP5 locomotive could easily outrun automobile traffic on the adjacent Connecticut Turnpike
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
.
Technical details
The electrical supply available from the third rail—660 V DC—was identical to the requirements of diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
traction motors, enabling a fairly easy conversion to a dual-power locomotive. A DC electric compressor provided air until the diesel engine was started. Two batches of FL9s were built; 30 locomotives (including the original test units 2000 and 2001, originally built with a "Blomberg"
Blomberg B
The Blomberg B was a "B" diesel locomotive truck. These trucks were the standard EMD four wheel truck from the FT up until the GP60. EMD introduced the truck in 1936. Unofficially it is named after Martin Blomberg, who joined the company the year before...
front truck
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
, but later upgraded following testing) from October, 1956 through November, 1957 of 1750 hp from a EMD 567C engine; and 30 between June and November, 1960 of 1800 hp from a newer EMD 567D1 engine. The paint scheme as delivered was the bright McGinnis scheme of red-orange, black and white and the Herbert Matter designed "NH" logo. FL9s were initially fitted with the Hancock air whistle
Hancock air whistle
The Hancock air whistle was a railroad whistle intended for use on North American diesel locomotives in place of the standard air horn.- History :...
, a trademark of New Haven units of this time, instead of the standard air horns
Train horn
Train horns are audible warning devices found on most diesel and electric locomotives. Their primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to the presence of a train, especially when approaching a grade crossing. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees Train horns...
on diesel locomotives.
Legacy
The FL9s could be considered successful, despite being under-powered compared to the powerful electrics they replaced and other problems, but for other reasons the New Haven never did abandon its electrification, negating the primary reason for their purchase. In 1969, the FL9s passed to Penn Central on the merger of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, and some were repainted in Penn Central schemes, while others remained in their former New Haven paint. When the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") began funding these commuter services in 1970, many were repainted blue with a bright yellow nose, although they remained Penn Central-owned. The locomotives passed to Conrail in 1976. 12 FL9s were sold to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, six of which were remanufactured by Morrison Knudsen starting in 1978.
In 1983, Conrail passed its commuter operations to state agencies. In New York State, the MTA formed Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
as a subsidiary company to operate these, and operations in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
under contract with that state. The locomotives were repainted in Metro-North colors, and a large number of them, now in some cases over 25 years old, were rebuilt and modernized. 10 rebuilt for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) were painted in the original New Haven paint scheme, which has since been applied to remanufactured locomotives in the CDOT's Shoreline East service pool, and on four new GE Genesis
GE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...
II P32AC-DM dual-mode locomotives.
Many were replaced only in the early years of the 21st century by new power, a service life of almost 50 years. Six still remain in service on Metro-North work train
Work train
Work train refers to any of a number of rail cars intended for internal non-revenue use by the railroad's operator. Work trains serve functions such as track maintenance, maintenance of way, revenue collection, system cleanup and waste removal, heavy duty hauling, and crew member transport.- Types...
s, and will remain so until "they are no longer worth repairing." The FL9s are restricted to branch lines since they no longer have the ability to operate on third rail. A number have been donated to museums in the area; the Amtrak units were purchased by New Jersey's Morristown and Erie Railway
Morristown and Erie Railway
The Morristown and Erie Railway is a freight short line railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey. It operates freight rail service five days a week in Morris County, New Jersey and surrounding areas...
for tourist train service, and two of them are now serving in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
for the Maine Eastern Railroad
Maine Eastern Railroad
Maine Eastern Railroad is a railroad that operates in coastal Maine between Brunswick and Rockland on the state-owned Rockland Branch rail line...
.
Original buyers
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers |
|---|---|---|
| New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts... |
|
|