B36-7 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

General Electric built the high-horsepower B36-7 locomotive between 1980 and 1985. It featured a 16-cylinder 7FDL engine producing 3,600 horsepower. GE designed this “Dash 7” model specifically for fast intermodal service. It competed directly with EMD’s GP50 and GP60 models. To handle this power on four axles, GE added large flared radiators and the Sentry adhesion system. These features helped control wheel slip during fast acceleration.

The Seaboard System became the primary buyer, ordering 120 units. This order represented over half of the total production. These locomotives became the backbone of the CSX high-speed fleet after the Seaboard merger. Other major buyers included Conrail, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific. Many units served CSX well into the late 2000s. Eventually, Class I railroads shifted to six-axle power for better traction. They retired the B36-7 fleet, selling many units to South American buyers or sending them to scrap.