The EMD GP8 is a model of four-axle

diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover (locomotive), power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is con ...

rebuilt by Illinois Central's

Paducah Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern United States at the confluence ...

shops using a General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

GP7 GP-7 or GP7 may refer to: Vehicular * EMD ''GP7'', a class of locomotives * Ducati ''GP7'', a model of the racing motorcycle Ducati ''Desmosedici'' * Honda ''GP7'', a model of the subcompact Honda ''Fit Shuttle'' Other uses * (48616) 1995 GP7, a ...

, GMD GP7 or GP9 as a start. It is similar to the

GP10 The EMD GP10 is a diesel-electric locomotive that is the result of rebuilding a GP7, GP9 or GP18. The Illinois Central Railroad had three separate rebuild programs to upgrade their old EMD GPs and GPs that they had purchased from equipment dea ...

and

GP11 The EMD GP11 is a four-axle diesel locomotive rebuilt by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah shops. It is very similar in appearance to the GP8 and GP10. The Illinois Central Railroad began its GP11 rebuilding program in 1978. All units wer ...

History

A total of 111 units were rebuilt to "GP8" for the Illinois Central and Illinois Central Gulf. Core units used in the construction of these units were Illinois Central GP7, GP9, a GP8, C&O GP9, D&RGW GP9, DT&I GP7, N&W GP7, P&LE GP7, QNS&L GP7, RDG GP7, St.J&LC GP9, SLSF GP7, and SP GP9. The Paducah Shops also rebuilt 16

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...

GP7s to GP8s. Nine were rebuilt in 1976 and another seven in 1978. Rock Island's Silvis Shops rebuilt 20 Conrail GP7s into GP8s in 1978. Morrison-Knudsen's Boise Shops rebuilt 13 Conrail GP7s into GP8s in 1978. The 1976 Conrail units rebuilt at Paducah were the equivalent of the Illinois Central rebuilds. The 1978 rebuilds were engine and electrical gear only rebuilds with no carbody modifications.

History

References

Further reading