EMD GP38

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Model of 706 North American diesel-electric locomotive

title: "EMD GP38" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["electro-motive-division-locomotives", "general-motors-diesel-locomotives", "b-b-locomotives", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "railway-locomotives-introduced-in-1966", "freight-locomotives", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-canada", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-mexico", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-canada", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-mexico", "atchison,-topeka-and-santa-fe-railway-locomotives", "baltimore-and-ohio-locomotives", "chesapeake-and-ohio-locomotives", "maine-central-railroad-locomotives", "diesel-locomotives-of-southern-railway-(u.s.)"] description: "Model of 706 North American diesel-electric locomotive" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP38" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Model of 706 North American diesel-electric locomotive ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox locomotive"]

FieldValue
nameEMD GP38
powertypeDiesel-electric
imageGWWR 2037 EMD GP38.jpg
captionEMD GP38 of the Gateway Western Railway
gauge
aarwheelsB-B
uicclassBo'Bo'
builderGeneral Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD)
General Motors Diesel (GMD)
buildmodelGP38
builddateJanuary 1966 – December 1971
primemoverEMD 16-645E
aspirationRoots-type blower
enginetypeV16 Two-stroke diesel
cylindercount16
fuelcap2600 usgal
poweroutput2000 hp
totalproduction706
localeNorth America
::

::callout[type=note] This article is about the locomotive. For the family of glycoproteins, see Glycoprotein. ::

| name = EMD GP38 | powertype = Diesel-electric | image = GWWR 2037 EMD GP38.jpg | caption = EMD GP38 of the Gateway Western Railway | gauge = | aarwheels = B-B | uicclass = Bo'Bo' | builder = General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) | buildmodel = GP38 | builddate = January 1966 – December 1971 | primemover = EMD 16-645E | aspiration = Roots-type blower | enginetype = V16 Two-stroke diesel | cylindercount = 16 | fuelcap = 2600 usgal | poweroutput = 2000 hp | totalproduction = 706 | locale = North America

The EMD GP38 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. The locomotive's prime mover was an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine that generated 2000 hp. The company built 706 GP38s for North American railroads.

In 1972, EMD began making an updated model, the GP38-2, as part of its Dash-2 line.

Original orders

::data[format=table]

RailroadQuantityNumbersNotesTotals706
Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad1400
Altos Hornos de México4130-131, 135-136
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway613500-3560Rebuilt to GP38us and renumbered to 2300-2360, To BNSF
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad703800-3849, 4800-4819To CSX 2000–2049, 2100-2119
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad881-88
Burlington Northern Railroad62072-2077Ordered as SP&S 200-205, To BNSF
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway603850-3899, 4820-4829To CSX 2050–2099, 2120-2129
Clinchfield Railroad102000-2009To Seaboard System then CSX 2180-2189
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad7200-206To GTW 6200-6206
Erie Mining Company2700-701
Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste2512-513
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad20701-720To Illinois Central Gulf then Illinois Central Railroad 9520-9539
Louisville and Nashville Railroad204000-4019To Seaboard System 6221–6240, then renumbered to 2130–2149, then to CSX
Maine Central Railroad13251-263252 & 254 To B&M after Guilford merger. 252 & 255 now at Conway Scenic.
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad4300-303To Union Pacific
Missouri Pacific Railroad6572-577
Monongahela Railway52000-2004To Conrail
Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–1982)72001-2007To Southern Railway renumbered 2880-2886
Penn Central Transportation Company2657675-7939Biggest order of GP38s, to Conrail same numbers, and then to Norfolk Southern 2880 and 2885-2957 and CSX Transportation 1950–1998, Rest to various short lines.
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines152000-2014Built with dual control stands and an extended cab face. To Conrail 7660–7674, and then Norfolk Southern 2943-2957
Phelps Dodge Corporation847-54
Southern Railway1072716-2822Built with high hoods. To NS with original numbers
Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway180To Southern then NS 2879
Texas Mexican Railway4857-860
::

Rebuilds

A number of GP38s have been rebuilt into the equivalent of a GP38-2.

Conversely, a number of higher horsepower 40 Series locomotives have been rebuilt into the equivalent of a GP38-2 (GP38AC), by the removal of the turbocharger and the substitution of twin Roots blowers.

In 2007, Norfolk Southern rebuilt #2911 which is an ex Penn Central GP38 into an experimental zero-emissions Battery-Electric locomotive known as the Altoona Works BP4. The new locomotive was renumbered as NS #999. It has since been sold to Rail Propulsions Systems, where it was upgraded for eventual use in the Los Angeles Basin region.

Preservation

References

References

  1. "EMD GP38".
  2. (1996). "A field guide to trains of North America". Houghton Mifflin.
  3. McDonnell, Greg. (2002). "Field guide to modern diesel locomotives". Kalmbach Publishing.
  4. "GP38 Roster".
  5. "Norfolk Southern 2014 Sustainability Report - Environmental Performance {{!}} A Battery-Powered Alternative".
  6. (2 June 2020). "Agent 999: RPS Restores Zero-Emission Locomotive". [[Railway Age]].
  7. Cupper, Dan. (November 12, 2019). "NS to dispose of executive F units, other roster oddities". [[Trains magazine.
  8. Franz, Justin. (2021-10-19). "Conway Scenic Acquires Second Maine Central GP38".
  9. Cotey, Angela. (2016-05-09). "Museum unveils Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia-painted GP38 NEWSWIRE".
  10. "History of TAG Railway 80 Locomotive".
  11. Speicher, Jake. (19 December 2012). "Exelon Power Donates Locomotive to West Chester Railroad".
  12. Laepple, Wayne. (10 December 2012). "West Chester Railroad receives GP38 donation".
  13. "Equipment Roster".
  14. "B&O #3802".
  15. (2023-09-20). "Cape May Seashore Lines acquires predecessor diesel".
  16. "The Return of Engine 2000!".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

electro-motive-division-locomotivesgeneral-motors-diesel-locomotivesb-b-locomotivesdiesel–electric-locomotives-of-the-united-statesrailway-locomotives-introduced-in-1966freight-locomotivesstandard-gauge-locomotives-of-the-united-statesstandard-gauge-locomotives-of-canadastandard-gauge-locomotives-of-mexicodiesel–electric-locomotives-of-canadadiesel–electric-locomotives-of-mexicoatchison,-topeka-and-santa-fe-railway-locomotivesbaltimore-and-ohio-locomotiveschesapeake-and-ohio-locomotivesmaine-central-railroad-locomotivesdiesel-locomotives-of-southern-railway-(u.s.)