KM ML-4000
Encyclopedia
The Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 C'C' is a diesel-hydraulic locomotive, built between 1960 and 1969 by German
manufacturer Krauss-Maffei
in Munich, Germany. It generated 4000 horsepower
from two Maybach
V16
engines. Thirty-seven examples were built for two North American railroads and one South American railroad.
’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) rebuilt nine of its GP9
locomotives for the Union Pacific Railroad
with pre-production examples of a new turbo-supercharging system that would raise the locomotives’ horsepower to 2000. This soon evolved into the GP20
and SD24
class.
The Southern Pacific Railroad (who served much of the same territory as the UP, and thus its main rival) took this into account, as business for the SP was growing rapidly. Freight trains were getting longer and heavier, and SP had to use up to nearly 10 locomotives to power long-distance freight trains. SP's main workhorses at the time were EMD F7
s and GP9s. Although SP had a small fleet of 2400 hp H-24-66
"Train Master" locomotives manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse
, SP found that they were found not suitable for freight service and were relegated to the San Francisco Bay Area
's Peninsula Commute
s.
manufacturer Krauss-Maffei. Delivered by ship
and unloaded at the Port of Houston, Texas
in late 1961, they featured two Maybach
V16
2000 hp diesel engines and Voith
transmissions. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
also ordered three units, but found them unsuitable in mountain service, and they were quickly sold to the SP. Upon arrival, a special track was set up at the locomotive shops in Roseville, California
just for servicing the ML-4000s.
The first order of the ML-4000s are referred to as “cab units,” given that they have a fully enclosed car body, similar to that of the EMD F-unit
. Following extensive testing SP returned to Krauss-Maffei for an additional fifteen units. Delivered in 1964, they featured the same engines and transmissions but looked very different on the outside. These are referred to as “hood units” because of their hood type bodies.
locomotives from the American Locomotive Company
(ALCO).
and SD45
locomotives from EMD as well as U33C
s from General Electric
. In 1967, a deadline of ML-4000 cab units appeared at the Sacramento Locomotive Works. Hood units soon appeared in the deadline, and the first ML-4000s were retired in September of that year. The Pacific Locomotive Association
(the organization that operates the Niles Canyon Railway
) came to the SP with a request of a diesel-hydraulic powered railfan
passenger excursion, preferably with a ML-4000 cab unit. However, the cab units were no longer operational, so hood unit number 9120, along with a pair of EMD FP7
s powered a series of railfan passenger excursions in the spring of 1967, the only time an ML-4000 was used in passenger service. On February 13th, 1968, SP announced the end of its diesel-hydraulic locomotive program. By the end of the year, all of the ML-4000s had been retired. The trio of ALCO diesel-hydraulics fared slightly better, and were not retired until 1973.
(originally numbered 9010) and converted it into a "camera car" between 1968 and 1969 at the Sacramento Locomotive Works. It emerged as SPMW #1. Due to SP's traffic computer requiring 4 digits, it was renumbered SPMW 1166. In June 1969 it was finally renumbered to SP 8799. Its purpose was to record films for a computerized locomotive simulator for engineer training. The most drastic change in appearance was the locomotive's short hood (or "nose"). It was completely rebuilt to house camera equipment and heavy, thick steel was used for collision protection. The front transmission was removed to house a generator to power the camera equipment. The generator drew fuel from the locomotive's original fuel tank. The two engines and rear transmission, though disabled, remained in the engine for weight. All of the controls remained in the cab so that it could control a locomotive pushing behind it, much like a cab car is used on a commuter train. The camera car could be put on the lead of any train, but it mostly made special trips with just one locomotive behind it for power. SP 8799 was based out of SP's West Colton Yard in Southern California
until it was retired in 1984.
.
was donated to the California State Railroad Museum
in Sacramento
in 1986. Initially, the museum removed its nose for the purpose of having a new nose built to replicate the nose that it had while it was a locomotive as part of its plan for restoration. However, that restoration never came. It sat in outdoor storage in a very forlorn state at the Sacramento Locomotive Works until it was sold to the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA), along with several pieces of rolling stock. They were moved by the Union Pacific Railroad in the summer of 2008 from Sacramento to their interchange with Niles Canyon Railway at Hearst in Sunol, California
. The Niles Canyon Railway then transferred it to its Brightside Yard. Its restoration is now underway by volunteers of the PLA. Initial plans call for cosmetic restoration, including building a replica of the locomotive's original nose, and returning the locomotive to its original number, 9010. It will retain its cab controls so that it can be pushed by a locomotive providing power from behind. In the future, one of its two Maybach engines may be made operational.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany...
in Munich, Germany. It generated 4000 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
from two Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
V16
V16 engine
A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder...
engines. Thirty-seven examples were built for two North American railroads and one South American railroad.
American railroad's need for horsepower
In 1959, General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) rebuilt nine of its GP9
EMD GP9
An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including...
locomotives for the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
with pre-production examples of a new turbo-supercharging system that would raise the locomotives’ horsepower to 2000. This soon evolved into the GP20
EMD GP20
An EMD GP20 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1959 and April 1962. Power was provided by an EMD 567D2 16-cylinder turbocharged engine which generated 2000 horsepower...
and SD24
EMD SD24
The EMD SD24 was a 2,400 hp C-C diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July, 1958 and March, 1963. A total of 224 units were built for customers in the United States, comprising 179 regular, cab-equipped locomotives and 45 cabless B...
class.
The Southern Pacific Railroad (who served much of the same territory as the UP, and thus its main rival) took this into account, as business for the SP was growing rapidly. Freight trains were getting longer and heavier, and SP had to use up to nearly 10 locomotives to power long-distance freight trains. SP's main workhorses at the time were EMD F7
EMD F7
The EMD F7 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La...
s and GP9s. Although SP had a small fleet of 2400 hp H-24-66
FM H-24-66
-External links:* * * *...
"Train Master" locomotives manufactured by 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...
, SP found that they were found not suitable for freight service and were relegated to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
's Peninsula Commute
Peninsula Commute
The Peninsula Commute, also known as the Southern Pacific Peninsula or just Peninsula, was the common name for historical commuter rail service between San Jose, California and San Francisco, California on the San Francisco Peninsula. This service ran as a private, for-profit enterprise beginning...
s.
American railroad industry stunned
After much research, SP decided to experiment with diesel-hydraulic locomotives and stunned the railroading industry by purchasing three 4000 hp ML-4000 type locomotives from GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer Krauss-Maffei. Delivered by ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
and unloaded at the Port of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in late 1961, they featured two Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
V16
V16 engine
A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder...
2000 hp diesel engines and Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....
transmissions. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
also ordered three units, but found them unsuitable in mountain service, and they were quickly sold to the SP. Upon arrival, a special track was set up at the locomotive shops in Roseville, California
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
just for servicing the ML-4000s.
The first order of the ML-4000s are referred to as “cab units,” given that they have a fully enclosed car body, similar to that of the EMD F-unit
EMD F-unit
EMD F-units were a line of Diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario...
. Following extensive testing SP returned to Krauss-Maffei for an additional fifteen units. Delivered in 1964, they featured the same engines and transmissions but looked very different on the outside. These are referred to as “hood units” because of their hood type bodies.
In service
SP found the ML-4000s unsatisfactory in service over the Sierra Nevada mountain range, so they were relegated to service in flat territory throughout California, often paired with F7s or GP9s. The locomotives were fairly reliable, with only one recorded failure. Upon ordering the second batch of ML-4000s, SP also purchased three diesel-hydraulic ALCO DH643ALCO DH643
The ALCO C-643DH, also known as the Century 643DH, was a twin-engine diesel-hydraulic locomotive, the first diesel-hydraulic road unit built in the United States. It had a C-C wheel arrangement and generated . Only three were built, all for Southern Pacific Railroad in 1964...
locomotives from the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
(ALCO).
The end of diesel-hydraulic power
American locomotive technology began to catch up in the late 1960s, and the operation of diesel-hydraulic locomotives, while useful, was no longer justifiable. The SP and other railroads had made their horsepower needs known and American builders responded by increasing horsepower on single-engine locomotives. In the late 1960s SP ordered dozens of EMD SD40EMD SD40
The EMD SD40 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972.-Design:Like its predecessor in EMD's catalog, the SD35, the SD40 is a high-horsepower, six-motor freight locomotive....
and SD45
EMD SD45
The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD...
locomotives from EMD as well as U33C
GE U33C
The GE U33C is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1968 and 1975. 375 examples of this locomotive were built for North American railroads.-Original Owners:-External links:* Thompson, J. David. ....
s from 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...
. In 1967, a deadline of ML-4000 cab units appeared at the Sacramento Locomotive Works. Hood units soon appeared in the deadline, and the first ML-4000s were retired in September of that year. The Pacific Locomotive Association
Pacific Locomotive Association
The Pacific Locomotive Association is an organization dedicated to the preservation of the physical aspects and atmosphere of Pacific Coast railroading during the period from 1910 to 1960....
(the organization that operates the Niles Canyon Railway
Niles Canyon Railway
The Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway running through Niles Canyon, between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, USA. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental...
) came to the SP with a request of a diesel-hydraulic powered railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
passenger excursion, preferably with a ML-4000 cab unit. However, the cab units were no longer operational, so hood unit number 9120, along with a pair of EMD FP7
EMD FP7
The EMD FP7 was a , B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between June 1949 and December 1953 by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, excepting locomotives destined for...
s powered a series of railfan passenger excursions in the spring of 1967, the only time an ML-4000 was used in passenger service. On February 13th, 1968, SP announced the end of its diesel-hydraulic locomotive program. By the end of the year, all of the ML-4000s had been retired. The trio of ALCO diesel-hydraulics fared slightly better, and were not retired until 1973.
The camera car
The ML-4000s were all scrapped at Sacramento before the end of 1968. However, one survived. SP took ML-4000 number 9113Southern Pacific 9010
Southern Pacific Railroad locomotive number 9010 is a KM ML 4000 C'C' diesel-hydraulic locomotive, built in 1964 by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei . SP 9010 generated from two V16 Maybach MD870 diesel engines...
(originally numbered 9010) and converted it into a "camera car" between 1968 and 1969 at the Sacramento Locomotive Works. It emerged as SPMW #1. Due to SP's traffic computer requiring 4 digits, it was renumbered SPMW 1166. In June 1969 it was finally renumbered to SP 8799. Its purpose was to record films for a computerized locomotive simulator for engineer training. The most drastic change in appearance was the locomotive's short hood (or "nose"). It was completely rebuilt to house camera equipment and heavy, thick steel was used for collision protection. The front transmission was removed to house a generator to power the camera equipment. The generator drew fuel from the locomotive's original fuel tank. The two engines and rear transmission, though disabled, remained in the engine for weight. All of the controls remained in the cab so that it could control a locomotive pushing behind it, much like a cab car is used on a commuter train. The camera car could be put on the lead of any train, but it mostly made special trips with just one locomotive behind it for power. SP 8799 was based out of SP's West Colton Yard in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
until it was retired in 1984.
The Brazilian ML-4000s
Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas of Brazil ordered 16 meter gauge units between 1966 and 1969. They were the most powerful locomotives for use in metric gauge at that time. Although they had problems with traction (they would sometimes slip on the rails, practically burning them), they stayed in service until the 1980s with the arrival of the EMD DDM45EMD DDM45
The EMD DDM45 is a narrow gauge diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD. It has eight axles in two trucks, giving it a D-D wheel arrangement. The name means a D-D locomotive, M for meter gauge, 45 series. They were built for service in Brazil, South America. The Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas ...
.
Original buyers
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental... |
3 | 4001-4003 | Cab units; sold to Southern Pacific 9021–9023, later SP 9103–9105 |
| Southern Pacific Company | 3 | 9000-9002 | Cab units; renumbered 9100-9102 |
| Southern Pacific Company | 15 | 9003-9017 | Hood units; renumbered 9106-9120 |
| Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas (EFVM) | |
|
|
Preservation
SP camera car 8799Southern Pacific 9010
Southern Pacific Railroad locomotive number 9010 is a KM ML 4000 C'C' diesel-hydraulic locomotive, built in 1964 by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei . SP 9010 generated from two V16 Maybach MD870 diesel engines...
was donated to the California State Railroad Museum
California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street....
in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
in 1986. Initially, the museum removed its nose for the purpose of having a new nose built to replicate the nose that it had while it was a locomotive as part of its plan for restoration. However, that restoration never came. It sat in outdoor storage in a very forlorn state at the Sacramento Locomotive Works until it was sold to the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA), along with several pieces of rolling stock. They were moved by the Union Pacific Railroad in the summer of 2008 from Sacramento to their interchange with Niles Canyon Railway at Hearst in Sunol, California
Sunol, California
Sunol is an unincorporated census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census....
. The Niles Canyon Railway then transferred it to its Brightside Yard. Its restoration is now underway by volunteers of the PLA. Initial plans call for cosmetic restoration, including building a replica of the locomotive's original nose, and returning the locomotive to its original number, 9010. It will retain its cab controls so that it can be pushed by a locomotive providing power from behind. In the future, one of its two Maybach engines may be made operational.