N EMD E8A Locomotive, PRR 5712, Tuscan 5-stripe

Following the success of the EMD E7, the E8 and E9 locomotives gained equal popularity among many Class 1 railroads.

Overview

The E8 and E9 marked the culmination of the “E-Unit” series of passenger locomotives produced by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division in La Grange, Illinois. The E8 was capable of producing 2,250 horsepower, thanks to its two 12-cylinder model 567B engines, each driving a generator to power the two traction motors on one truck. From August 1949 to January 1954, a total of 450 cab versions, or E8As, were manufactured, with 447 for the U.S. and 3 for Canada. Additionally, 46 E8Bs were built exclusively for the U.S. from December 1949 to January 1954.

The E9 followed the success of the E8. These locomotives produced slightly more horsepower than their predecessors, the E8s (2,400 compared to 2,250), and featured a different, flusher-fitting mounting for the headlight glass as the only visible difference. E9s powered American passenger and mail trains from the 1950s through the late 1970s. E9s were frequently seen pulling some of America’s most iconic trains, including Union Pacific Railroad’s “City” fleet, Burlington’s “Zephyr” fleet, and Southern Pacific Railroad’s Coast Daylight and Sunset Limited. Between April 1954 and January 1964, 100 cab-equipped A units and 44 cabless booster B units were produced, all for service in the United States.

E9s, along with their E7 and E8 predecessors, traversed the country on lesser-known passenger trains, Chicago’s commuter train network, and various mail and express trains. As America’s passenger train network diminished due to declining ridership, Union Pacific, Rock Island, and Illinois Central repurposed E9s for freight trains. Burlington Northern and Chicago and North Western upgraded their fleets of E9s with Head-end power and EMD 645 power assemblies for commuter operations in the Chicago metropolitan area, a practice that continued into the early 1990s.

Numerous examples of E8s and E9s are preserved across the country. Many are still operational at museums and tourist railroads nationwide. Union Pacific, in particular, maintains a fleet of three E9s, occasionally deploying them for excursion services or for transporting railroad executives across the Union Pacific system.

In this production, Broadway Limited is modeling A and B-units from 8 railroads with prototypically accurate road numbers and paint schemes. They are offering A-B sets with Powered A-units (w/ Paragon4 Sound) and unpowered B-units, and also separate single A and B-units (where appropriate) with the full Paragon4 DC/DCC/Sound system. All of the models have road-specific details and lighting.

Features

• Paragon4 Sound and Control System featuring ROLLING THUNDER
• Integral Dual-Mode Decoder with Back EMF for Superb Slow Speed Operation in DC and DCC
• Precision Drive Mechanism Engineered for Heavy Towing and Smooth Slow Speed Operation
• All Wheel Electrical Pick-up
• ABS Body with Die Cast Chassis for Maximum Tractive Effort
• Premium Caliber Painting

• Prototypically Accurate Paint Schemes and Road Numbers
• Many Separately Applied Details such as Grab Irons, Horns, and Bell
• Prototypical Light Operation
• Prototypically Accurate Sounds for the EMD E8/E9 Diesel Locomotive
• MicroTrains-compatible Couplers (2)
• Will Operate on Code 55, Code 70 and Code 80 Rail

Product Specifications