The EMD GA8 was an export diesel locomotive designed by

GM-EMD Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. The company is owned by Caterpillar through its sub ...

in the late 1950s as a simplified design for use on overseas railways with light rail and sharp curves."American Export Unit", ''

Diesel Railway Traction ''Railway Gazette International'' is a monthly business magazine and news website covering the railway, metro, light rail and tram industries worldwide. Available by annual subscription, the magazine is read in over 140 countries by transport ...

'', p. 470, 1959 At the time of its introduction it was described as an extremely lightweight road locomotive capable of handling passenger or freight trains and switching.Sawyer, R. Tom, "Locomotive Progress", "Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen's Magazine", p. 24, 1959 The locomotive is notable for its use of freight car trucks that are driven by cardan shafts and two traction motors attached to the underframe. Measuring 32 feet 6 inches, they are equipped with an 8- 567C prime mover capable of producing 875 bhp or 800 hp traction. Late model GA8 locomotives were equipped with an 8-567E prime mover which is a 645 block (introduced in 1965) fitted with 567 power assemblies. Due to the design, most servicing and maintenance could be done without removing the traction motors from the underframe or trucks of the locomotive. The units were built without multiple unit connection capability so electrical components are kept to a minimum. The EMD GL8 was a derivative design introduced in 1960 that is similar to the GA8 but used standard B-B or A1A-A1A trucks and was equipped with multiple unit capability. The EMD GA8 prototype demonstrator unit was built in late 1958 or early 1959 and export customer production commenced in 1960. The GA8 demonstrator also attracted considerable attention from several US railroads, although ultimately none would ever purchase the locomotive for domestic use. Several countries purchased the locomotivehttp://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/ga8.htm GA8 Order Summary and examples are still in operation today.

Original Owners

Argentina

*15 Sarmiento Railway 5551-5565. The 5554 and 5561 locomotive, receive change gauge and transferred to the Urquiza line.

Chile

*3 Antofagasta y Bolivia 950-952

Colombia

*2 National Railways of Colombia 501-502

El Salvador

*16

International Railways of Central America Guatemala has a network of narrow gauge railroads, passenger and freight trains currently run. History Construction of the first railway in Guatemala commenced in 1877 and the first section began operation in 1880, connecting Puerto San ...

, El Salvador Division, later Ferrocarriles Nacionales de El Salvador (National Railways of El Salvador) 851-866

Mexico

*22 Coahuila y Zacatecas 800-802; NdeM 5400-5416; Unidos de Yucatán 204-205

Peru

*3 Cerro de Pasco 21-23

South Africa

*4 Anglo-American Corp. 1-2; Union Lime 1-2

South Korea

*2 Fluor Corp. (No #); Korean Oil 3

Taiwan

*21

Taiwan Railway Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...

S301-S321

United States

* 1

Electro-Motive Division Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. The company is owned by Caterpillar through its sub ...

demonstrator

Zambia

* 5 Nchanga Consol Copper 8-12

Gallery

References

External links

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GA8 Photo

EMD GA8 demonstrator G08A Standard gauge railway locomotives Diesel-electric locomotives of Argentina Diesel-electric locomotives of Chile Diesel-electric locomotives of Mexico Diesel-electric locomotives of Peru Diesel-electric locomotives of South Africa Diesel-electric locomotives of South Korea Diesel-electric locomotives of Taiwan Diesel-electric locomotives of Zambia {{diesel-loco-stub