The EMD SW8 is a diesel switcher locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between September 1950 and February 1954. Power is supplied by an EMD 567B 8-cylinder engine, for a total of . A total of 310 of this model were built for United States railroads and 65 for Canadian railroads. Starting in October 1953 a number of SW8s were built with either the 567BC or 567C engine.
The SW8 was succeeded in EMD's product catalogue by the slightly more powerful SW900, introduced in December 1953.
US Army SW8s
Two examples of these locomotives, ex-USAX #2019 and #2022, are preserved at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Alabama. After serving in Korea, #2019 was sent back to the manufacturer for reconditioning in 1953. #2022 was rebuilt in 1955. Both served in military bases in the United States until the early 1990s, finishing their careers at Fort Campbell, Ky. The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum acquired them in 1995.
Original buyers
SW8 Locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesElectro-Motive Division (plant) 1 105 Built as model DH-2Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator) 1 800 to Illinois Terminal Railroad 7251 801 to Georgia Northern Railway 8011 500 to Cuyahoga Valley Railway 855Aliquippa and Southern Railroad 3 800–802 Built with 567BC enginesAtlantic Coast Line Railroad 10 50–59 Bamberger Railroad 2 601–602 Boston and Maine Railroad 8 800–807 Canton Railroad 4 40–43 42-43 were built with 567C enginesCedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway ("Crandic") 3 91–93 Built with 567BC enginesChicago and North Western Railway 1 801 Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ("Omaha Road") 4 126–129 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad 28 811–838 836-838 were built with 567BC engines. 838 was acquired by Pfizer Incorporated in 1989 and then donated to the Danbury Railway Museum in 2002. Chicago, West Pullman and Southern Railroad 5 42–46 Cincinnati Union Terminal 8 30–37 Colorado and Wyoming Railway 12 201–212 Columbia Iron and Steel 1 1 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 11 501–511 De Queen and Eastern Railroad 1 D-3 Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad 2 900–901 Donora Southern Raileoad 10 802–811 Great Northern Railway 3 98–99, 101 98–99 to Burlington Northern. 101 was rebuilt from an NW1L.G. Everist Incorporated 1 61 Lake Terminal Railroad 4 821–824 Lakeside and Marblehead Railroad 2 13–14 Lehigh Valley Railroad 29 128–129, 250–276 256-273 built with dynamic brakes.Louisiana and North West Railroad 2 40–41 Ludington and Northern Railroad 1 16 Currently operational as Kendallville Terminal #16. Merchants Despatch Transportation 1 15 Monessen Southwestern Railway 2 22, 26 New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 3 1–3 Built with 567BC enginesNew York Central Railroad 26 9602–9627 To Penn Central then Conrail 8602–8627, 8618 is preserved on the Strasburg RailroadNew York Central Railroad (Chicago River and Indiana Railroad) 2 9600–9601 To Penn Central then Conrail 8600-8601New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate Road") 8 107–114 North Louisiana and Gulf Railroad 2 37–38 Built with 567BC engines Pittsburgh Coke and Chemical Company 1 4 Poplar Ridge Coal 1 801 Reserve Mining Company 2 1200–1201 Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific Railway 1 200 South Shore Railway 1 12 to Illinois Central Railroad 802Southern Pacific Company 20 4604–4623 All built with dynamic brakes; 4622-4623 built with 567BC enginesSouthern Pacific (Texas and New Orleans Railroad) 5 12–16 Steelton and Highspire Railroad 1 26 Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company 6 750–754, 770 Texas and Pacific Railway 8 811–818 Tremont and Gulf Railway 2 75, 77 to Illinois Central Railroad 800 and 801Unity Railways 1 53 United States Army 41 2000–2040 All 41 served in the Korean War, including the 2019 and 2022 now at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. 2002 is on display at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri. Total 310
Locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesAlgoma Central Railway 2 140–141 Algoma Steel 1 50 Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway 1 356 Canadian National Railways 34 8500–8533 Canadian Pacific Railway 10 6700–6709 Dominion Foundries and Steel Company ("Dofasco") 2 11–12 Dominion Iron and Steel 2 11–12 Essex Terminal Railway 2 102, 104 Essex Terminal 104 last SW8 built 2/54Steel Company of Canada 7 71–77 Wabash Railroad 4 122–124, 127 Bought for use in Canada Total 65
TR6 Railroad Quantity A units Quantity B units Road numbers A units Road numbers B units NotesElectro-Motive Division (demonstrator) 1 1 1600 1600B to Southern Pacific 4600 (A), 4700 (B)Oliver Iron Mining Company 8 8 1207A–1213A, 1216A 1207B–1213B, 1216B Southern Pacific Company 3 3 4601–4603 4701–4703 Total 12 12
See also List of EMD locomotives List of GMD Locomotives
References
EMD Product Reference Data Card dated January 1, 1959, has the 567BC and 567C engine data used in the as-built roster.