EMD F3

Engine and powertrain

The F3 used a 16-cylinder 567B series diesel engine developing 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) at 800 rpm. The 567 was designed specifically for railroad locomotives, a supercharged 2 stroke 45 degree V type with 567 cu in (9.29 L) displacement per cylinder, for a total of 9,072 cu in (148.66 L). A D.C. generator powered four traction motors, two on each Blomberg B truck. EMD has built all of its major components since 1939.

Identification

As built, the only way to distinguish between the F2 and F3 was the nose number panels on the A units, which were small on the F2 and large on the F3 and subsequent locomotives. However, these could and were often altered by the railroad. Few F2's were built, however.

Early versions of the F3 had the "chicken wire" grilles along the top edge of the carbody. Later production featured a distinctive fabricated stainless steel grille.

All F-units introduced after the FT have twin exhaust stacks and four electrically powered radiator fans arranged close together atop their roofs, unlike the FT's four stacks and separated and belt driven pairs of fans.

F3 phases

The identification of locomotive "phases" is a creation of railfans. EMD used no such identification, and instead only kept track of the marketing name (e.g. F2, F3, F7, etc.) and individual locomotives' build (serial) numbers. During the production cycle of a particular model, as design and production techniques improved, all builders would invariably make minor changes. To better keep track of noticeable, and not so noticeable differences in appearance that a locomotive model would acquire during the course of its production run, locomotive historians began documenting any subtle or minor changes made to a particular diesel locomotive model as "phases", and referring to these as such. This practice has proved very popular over the years among diesel locomotive modelers looking to create the most "true to life" models possible.

Despite not being official designations, phase descriptions are quite useful to the diesel spotter and record keeper, but sometimes tricky as many of the changes described are mostly cosmetic and easily altered features of a locomotive - roof fans, body panels, grilles, etc. that could be - and often were - updated or swapped interchangeably during production runs.

The following are normally identified as F3 phases:

Phase I

Built from July 1945. High, flat-topped 36 in (914 mm) roof fans. Top third body panel had "chicken wire" in openings only. Short rear vent panel. Center-third body panel with three equally-spaced porthole windows and D17 traction motors. As-built Phase I F3 units are identical to the F2, they differ only in electrical equipment and numberboard size. Three highly modified locomotives survive from this series, rebuilt as FP10s, all for Metro-North Railroad.

Phase II (early)

Built from February 1947. Top third body panel now had full-length "chicken wire". Long rear vent panel. Center third body panel now had two portholes; area between covered with chicken wire, over 4 smaller rectangular openings.

Phase II (late)

Built from December 1947. Roof radiator fans change to low, pancake fans.

Phase III

Built from March 1948. (Surviving F3's former BAR 42,44,46 are still Phase 2 and were built in MAY 1948) Center third body panel now has no chicken wire between the portholes; the four rectangular openings now have louvres.

Phase IV

Built from August 1948. Chicken wire upper-third panel is replaced with full-length horizontal stainless steel grille.

"F5"

Built from August 1948 through end of F3 production in February 1949. D27 traction motors with heavier-duty cables and higher capacity traction motor blowers fitted. Nearly all previously built F3's received the same upgrades by 1955. The note in the January 1, 1959 EMD Service Department Locomotive Reference Data states, "All F5 locomotives were delivered as F3 units." All EMD DC traction motors are backwards compatible so as the better motors became available the D37, D47, D57, D67 and D77 all could be found on an F unit.

Surviving F3 locomotives

Twelve F3s survive today at a variety of museums; ten being A units, and two being B units.

Metro-North Railroad still had three FP10 units in service, which are rebuilt F3s, before BL20GHs took over. Lately, with the leasing of P40s from Amtrak, their usage of in revenue service has declined. Those went to the Shore Line East when the BL20GHs took over. These units were originally built for the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio railroad and rebuilt by Illinois Central to FP10 status for MBTA. Metro North originally acquired four of the units, but one was acquired by the Adirondack Scenic Railway for service out of Utica, New York. The CN and three ex-BAR surviving F3 units retain their original appearance and specifications.

The Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton, Alberta owns Canadian National F3 #9000. #9000 was the first diesel road freight locomotive ordered for a Canadian railway, and one of the only six F3's to be owned by a Canadian Railway. #9000 was built in 1948 and was part of an order for six locomotives (two A-B-A sets).

Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania is home to former Bangor and Aroostook F3s 44 (owned by the Tri-State chapter of the NRHS in Morristown, New Jersey) and 46 (owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society). Both engines were initially restored as Jersey Central 57 and 56, but as of 2012 have been repainted as Lackawanna 663 and 664. These engines, along with BAR 42, are the oldest "chicken wire" style F3s in existence, and are used on most long distance excursions from the park. The ARHS also owns a former Boston & Maine F7B (4268B), which has been altered to resemble a F3B. It too is currently located in Scranton, and as of May 2014 has been cosmetically restored as DL&W 664B, with mechanical restoration still to come.

The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, the corporate successor to BAR, still owns #42, which was renumbered back to its original number, 502, when it was repainted into the original gray and yellow scheme.

The California State Railroad Museum owns Santa Fe No. 347B, which was donated to the museum in March 1986 by the Santa Fe. The engine is painted in the railroad's Warbonnet scheme and is listed as operable.

The C&O Historical Society owns former Clinchfield Railroad F3 #800. It is currently in C&O passenger livery, but as June 2014 it is rumored to be slated to return to the classic CRR black and yellow.

There is a Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway F3 A unit and B unit stored at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga. However, the A unit is privately owned and restoration is unlikely because of it.

In popular culture

Wilson, the main protagonist of the children's television show Chuggington, is based on an EMD F3 power unit.

Since 1950 and 1991, Lionel has made the Santa Fe F3 in two versions: the yellow plus design, and the T yellow design. The T yellow design is the most rare and highly prized version since the 1950 Santa Fe F3 had a T Yellow design. The 1950 and 1991 Santa Fe F3 versions are the most famous toy trains ever made. The 2345 Lionel Western Pacific, in production for only one year, is the one of the rarest and most sought after variants of postwar Lionel F3 model train production.