GP7 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

The EMD GP7 rolled out in 1949 as EMD’s first road-switcher and its answer to ALCO’s RS series. Powered by a 16-cylinder 567B engine producing 1,500 horsepower, the GP7 brought a new hood-unit design that gave crews better visibility and made the locomotive useful in both yard and road service. Railroads ordered it in large numbers for freight and passenger trains, with many passenger versions carrying steam generators.

From 1949 to 1954, EMD built 2,729 GP7s. Santa Fe, Pennsylvania, Burlington, Rock Island, and dozens of other carriers added them to their rosters. The GP7 quickly displaced steam on branch lines and locals and proved the hood-unit layout would dominate diesel design.

Many GP7s kept working into the 1980s, later finding homes on short lines and regionals. Hundreds still exist today, either preserved or in active service, showing how the GP7 helped define the diesel era.