EMD G8
Model of 875 hp American export model of diesel locomotive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The EMD G8 is a model of diesel–electric locomotive of which 382 were built between 1954 and 1965 for both export and domestic use. They were built by both Electro-Motive Division in the United States and by General Motors Diesel Division in Canada for use in ten countries, being equipped to operate on several different track gauges.
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Preserved former Victorian Railways T class G8 locomotive T 413 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Overview
The G8 was built for use in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Liberia, and New Zealand (DB class).[1] The 1967 Israeli invasion of Sinai captured Egyptian G8 number 3256, which became Israel Railways number 251.[2]
Canadian National G8 851 (originally 7671) was sold to Texas Industries sometime in the 1980s, renumbered to 208-1 (although still displaying its old 851 number in the number boxes) and repainted in an all-over yellow livery, where it was used for some time. It is currently stored on a length of track in Boulder, Colorado. In late 2021, the locomotive's current owners donated it to the Colorado, San Francisco and Northern co-operative, who are planning to restore it to working order.[3]
The G8 was also built in Australia under licence by Clyde Engineering, with Victorian Railways purchasing a total of 89 between 1955 and 1969, with later variants including a redesigned cab, carbody and radiator (the G8B)[4] and those built after 1967 (the G18B) equipped with the newer EMD 645 engine rather than the EMD 567 which had been fitted to the earlier locomotives.[5] They were designated as the T class.
BHP also purchased two G8s, classed as the DE class, for service on its mine railways in the Middleback Ranges, South Australia.[6] Both locomotives also saw service on the Coffin Bay Tramway out of Port Lincoln.[7][8]
The Clyde units differed from the North American-built ones in having a shunter's refuge on the No. 2 end.
