Ripley & New Albany Railroad

Motive Power Samples

It is the practice of Pioneer Lines to supply its various shortlines with motive power from its large lease pool held by Pioneer Railroad Equipment. As such, motive power at a specific shortline often varies from season to season. Below is a sample of power in service at Ripley & New Albany in 2020. Consult the Diesel Shop roster for more locomotives and information.

#800

Pioneer Lines #800

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • rebuilder:Illinois Central Gulf
  • model:GP8 "Paducah rebuild"
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Mar 1953, EMD #17717
  • series:2729 produced 1949-54
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyl, 1600 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Illinois Central #8902, GP7
    1 of 48 blt new for Illinois Central
    to Illinois Central Gulf #7902
    to Pioneer Railroad Equipment #800
  • builder
    prex800l1 prex800l2 prex800l3 prex800l4 prex800l5 prex800l6 prex800l7 prex800l8 prex800l9 prex800l10 prex800l11 prex800l12 prex800l13 prex800l15

    Jun 2020 / RWH

    paducah_banner

    #2017

    tag_bird tag_rare

    Pioneer Lines #2017

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP20u (upgraded)
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Aug 1961, EMD #26832
  • series:260 produced 1959-62
  • engine:EMD 567D2 (16 cyl, 2000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe #1126
    1 of 75 blt new for Santa Fe
    to ATSF #3126, then ATSF #3026
    to Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2017
    to Peoria & Western #2017
    to Pioneer Lines #2017
  • builder
    icon_wikipedia

    gp20_inset An EMD GP20 is a 4-axle diesel-electric 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 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW). EMD was initially hesitant to turbocharge their 567-series diesel engine, but was spurred on to do so following successful tests made by Union Pacific in the form of UP's experimental Omaha GP20 units. 260 examples of EMD's production locomotive model (with the EMD turbocharger) were built for American railroads.

    The GP20 was the second EMD production locomotive to be built with an EMD turbocharged diesel engine, sixteen months after the six-axle (C-C) model SD24. Power output of the turbocharged SD24 was 33 percent higher than the 1,800 hp (1,340 kW) of the concurrent Roots blower-equipped SD18s with the same engine displacement, 400 hp (298 kW) per axle, but the power output of the turbocharged GP20 was only 11 percent higher than the 1,800 hp (1,340 kW) of the concurrent Roots blower-equipped GP18s with the same engine displacement 500 hp (373 kW) per axle, due to the limitations of the traction motors then available. Nevertheless, the turbocharged GP20 provided full rated power at all altitudes, which the Roots-blown GP18 could not provide.

    Wikipedia


    tag_closeup Previous Motors

    Thanks to RailRoad Picture Archives, here is a sampling of motive power from previous shortlines that operated the New Albany District before Pioneer Railcorp's Ripley & New Albany.


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    This page was updated on 2022-06-02