The EMD GT26 Locomotive Series made their debut in 1967 after the rise in popularity of the American EMD SD40. Designed to meet most First World, Second World and Third World countries, the GT26 Series were now equipped with a turbocharged high horsepower EMD 645 Series engine as well as six axle HT-C trucks to provide better traction effort at slow speeds. Based on customer input, the GT26 Series would be defined by various designations that suit the customer's railway operations.

EMD GT26 Series
Korean National Railroad EMD GT26CW-2 #7516 awaits its next orders at the Cheoram Station (Yeongdong Line)
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderVarious licencees from Electro-Motive Division (see models below).
ModelGT26CW, GT26CWP, GT26CW-2, GT26CW-2A, GT26CW-2B, GT26HCW-2, GT26MC, GT26CU-2, GT26CU-MP, GT36CW, GT36HCW, GT36CU-MP
Build dateOctober 1967 - (Unknown) 2017
Total produced1,387
Specifications
Configuration:
 • AARC - C
 • UICCo'-Co'
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) or
3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) or
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in)
Driver dia.40 in (1,016 mm)
Wheelbase41 ft 0 in (12,497 mm) between truck centers; 11 ft 11 in (3,632 mm) between axles in each truck.
Length64 ft 0 in (19,507 mm) over the coupler pulling faces.
Width9 ft 3 in (2,819 mm)) over the grabirons.
Height12 ft 5.65 in (3,801 mm)
Loco weight105.51 t (103.84 long tons; 116.30 short tons)
Fuel capacity1,700–3,200 US gal (6,435–12,113 L; 1,416–2,665 imp gal)
Prime moverEMD 16-645E, 16-645E3B, 16-645E3C & 16-645F3 (2 Stroke V Engine design)
AspirationTurbocharged
CylindersV16
Performance figures
Maximum speed77–93 mph (124–150 km/h)
Power output3,000–3,300 hp (2,240–2,460 kW)
Career
Nicknames"Karavela" (Yugoslavia) "특대 :(The Great Giant)" (South Korea)
LocaleAlgeria, Australia, Iran, Israel, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, Sudan, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe.

The standard suffix after the GT26 designation was the use of six-axle trucks (C); following the C designation, the customer had the option to purchase specific traction motors to fit Narrow Gauge (U) or Broad Gauge (W) rails. It was also around the mid 1970s that customers began to purchase EMD Dash 2 electronics to simplify maintenance.

The GT26 designation can freely apply to the designs of any EMD export model or a licensee of EMD as long as the electrical and mechanical gear were left unaltered.

Overview

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With the introduction of the EMD 645 Series engine now replacing the EMD 567 Series engine in 1967, the locomotive model designation number changed by adding 10 to a similar predecessor model (example: the G12 - 567 engined, now became the G22 - 645 engined). To meet customer demands for a high-horsepower model, EMD created the G16: A longer, six-axle version of the EMD G12 equipped with Flexicoil Type-C trucks and a larger engine with increased horsepower. A turbocharged variation also was available, designating the model as EMD GT16. While most GT26s shared a similar body style, Australian versions notably have significant visual differences.

However, as the EMD 645 Series engine was now in production, the G16 now became the GT26 equipped with a turbocharger. EMD applied the six axle (C) designation to further separate the model from any four-axle models similarly produced.

Several models were introduced:

  • GT26CW
  • GT26CWP
  • GT26CW-2
  • GT26CW-2A
  • GT26CW-2B
  • GT26HCW-2
  • GT26MC
  • GT26CU-2
  • GT26CU-MP
  • GT36CU-MP
  • GT36CW
  • GT36HCW

GT26CW/CWP

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Korail 7300

The EMD GT26CW first appeared in 1967. Unlike its turbocharged predecessor the GT16, the GT26CW was identified with a W suffix which indicated that this model had traction motors that could fit the locomotive's axles from Indian gauge to Irish Gauge rails; thus Wide would be the understood term for the traction motors.

Production spanned from October 1967 to October 1988.

EMD GT26CW/CWP Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Clyde Engineering Australia Western Australian Government Railways Comalco 27 L251 - L275, R1001 - R1002 See also WAGR L class (diesel)
Clyde Engineering Australia Victorian Railways 10 C501-C510 See also Victorian Railways C class (diesel)
Electro-Motive Division & General Motors Diesel Division Algeria Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires 94 060DD1 – 060DD29, 060DF1 – 060DF25, 060DG1 – 060DG15 060DL1-060DL25 DD & DF Series built by EMD; DG Series built by GMDD with high short hoods; DL series built by GM, similar to DD & DF
Electro Motive Division Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Railways 183 60.501 – 60.569, 60.801 – 60.914
Electro-Motive Division & Hyundai Rolling Stock Company South Korea Korean National Railroad 186 7101 – 7120, 7121 – 7140, 7141 – 7190, 7201 – 7240, 7501 – 7556 7101-7120, 7121-7140, 7201-7210, 7212-7218, 7220, 7223-7224, 7227-7228, 7232-7234, 7236-7237, 7239, 7501-7551, and 7556 built by EMD.
7141-7190, 7211, 7219, 7221-7222, 7225-7226, 7229-7231, 7235, 7238, 7240, and 7552-7555 built by HDRS.

GT26CW-2/-2A/-2B

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Beginning on January 1, 1972, export customers now had the option to purchase EMD Dash 2 electronics on new orders of locomotives. Customers who did purchase EMD Dash 2 electronics had the -2 suffix applied to the end of the locomotive's model designation. The GT26CW-2 made its debut in 1972, but by the mid-1980s, two new designations were added based on mechanical/electrical improvements after the -2 suffix: Type A and Type B.

Production spanned from September 1972 to (Unknown) 2006.

EMD GT26CW-2/-2A/-2B Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division Yugoslavia Yugoslav Railways 14 663.001 – 663.014 Yugoslav Class 663 Series delivered with JUGOSLAVENSKE ŽELJEZNICE (Croatian) lettering on carbodies
Electro-Motive Division Morocco Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc 22 DH351 – DH368, DH371 – DH374
Electro-Motive Division & ABB Henschel Pakistan Pakistan Railways 66 4701 – 4736, 8201 – 8230 4701 – 4736 constructed by EMD; 8201 – 8230 designated GT26CW-2A & constructed by ABB Henschel with a redesigned cab, trucks and a 16-645E3C engine
General Motors Diesel Division Peru Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Perú 7 751 - 757
General Motors Diesel Division & Hyundai Precision Company Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Railways 80 60.915 – 60.994 60.915 – 60.974 built by GMDD, 60.975 – 60.994 built by HPC and designated GT26CW-2A
Electro-Motive Division Israel Rakevet Israel 1 701 Equipped with a cowcatcher and gyralight
Equipamentos Villares S.A. Nigeria Nigerian Iron Ore 3 900 – 902 Designated GT26CW-2B
Hyundai Precision Company Nigeria Nigerian Railway Corporation 5 2001–2005 Built with extra jacking pads and without dynamic brakes
Türkiye Lokomotif ve Motor Sanayi A.Ş. Turkey Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları 89 DE33001 – DE33089 'Headspace' cab design – Equipped with a 16-645E3C engine
Hyundai Precision Company & Korean Rail Vehicle Company South Korea Korean National Railroad 194 7301 – 7383, 7401 – 7484, 7557 – 7583 Equipped with triple clasp HT-C trucks; 7445 – 7484 built by Korean Rail Vehicle Company. Locomotive #7435 made the first trial run into North Korea on 17 May 2007; #7303 made another run on 11 December 2007.

GT26HCW-2

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To provide high horsepower in the passenger service, EMD installed Vapor Clarkson boilers for Head End Power on the GT26 series. Customers who purchased locomotives with Head End Power had the H suffix applied after the GT26 designation. Designated GT26HCW-2, this model was only purchased by Algeria's National Railway.

Production spanned from December 1989 to October 1994.

EMD GT26HCW-2 Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division & General Motors Diesel Division Algeria Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires 20 060DM1 – 060DM10, 060DP1 – 060DP10 DM Series built by GMDD; DP Series built by EMD

GT26MC

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One of the earliest South African Narrow Gauge export customers for the GT26 Series, the South African Railways purchased custom built GT26MC locomotives that were equipped with lightweight frames shorter than standard a GT26 frame by 1 ft (304.8 mm) as well as a six axle (C) interlinked trucks.

The locomotives received the M suffix which identifies the lightweight frame as well as Universal type traction motors for 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) rail operation; thus Metric would be the understood term.

Production spanned from August 1971 to August 1982.

EMD GT26MC Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division & General Motors South Africa South Africa South African Railways 308 34.201 – 34.250, 34.601 – 34.700, 34.801 – 34.858, 37.001 – 37.100 34.2 Series built by EMD; 34.6, 34.8 & 37.0 series built by GMSA. Various units sold to Spoornet Tração do Brasil Ltda. in the late 1990s.
3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge
General Motors South Africa South Africa KwaZulu Finance & Develop Corporation 1 666.0090 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge

GT26CU-2

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A GT26CU-2 in Brazil in 2009.

The EMD GT26CU-2 first appeared in 1976. Unlike its turbocharged predecessor the GT16, the GT26CU-2 was identified with a U suffix which indicated that this model had traction motors that could fit the locomotive's axles from Metre gauge to Irish gauge rails; thus Universal would be the understood term for the traction motors.

Production spanned from May 1976 to August 1992.

EMD GT26CU-2 Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division & Material y Construcciones S.A. Brazil Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas 34 901 – 934 901 – 904 built by EMD, 905 – 934 built by MACOSA 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) gauge
Equipamentos Villares S.A. Brazil Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas 6 935 – 940 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) gauge
Electro-Motive Division Zimbabwe National Railways of Zimbabwe 13 2101–2113 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge

GT26CU-MP

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In 1990, the GT26 Series made an unusual departure with the use of microprocessor equipped technology. Customers who purchased locomotives equipped with microprocessors were identified by a -MP suffix added after the model designation. Only the Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas was the sole purchaser of the GT26CU-MP locomotive model for use on its Narrow Gauge (U) rail lines. These locomotives are easily identified due to their full-length fuel tank, disappearance of the battery box cabinet, and a rectangular windshield on the engineer's side of the cab. Internally, the locomotive's standard control stand was now replaced with a short desktop control stand.

Production spanned from August 1990 to September 1991.

EMD GT26CU-MP Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Equipamentos Villares S.A. Brazil Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas 9 941 – 949 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) gauge

GT36CU-MP

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With the introduction of the 16-645F3B engine for export use, the 26 Series was now identified as the 36 Series, by adding a Further 10 to the predecessor model. Only Zambia Railways purchased the GT36 series with six axle (C) universal traction motors (U) and microprocessor (-MP) controlled computer electronics – designating the model as GT36CU-MP.

Production spanned from October to November 1992.

EMD GT36CU-MP Orders
Builder Country Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
General Motors Diesel Division Zambia Zambia Railways 15 01.601 – 01.615 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge

GT36CW/HCW

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Made for Algeria's SNTF Standard Gauge Network in 2007. CW is for Freight and HCW for is Passenger duties, painted in Orange and Sky-Blue Liveries Respectively. The locomotives are classed as 060-DR in the Freight series and 060-DS in the Passenger series. Their design is made very much similar to Indian Railways' Broad Gauge GT46MAC (WDG-4) and GT46PAC (WDP-4) locomotives, except the Gauge Difference and that they have a 16-645F3B, with DC Traction, rather than the 16-710G3B/C (EMD 710) with AC Traction used in the WDP4/WDG4, being the Second set of models in the GT36 series, nearly 15 years after the GT36CU-MP's construction ended.

See also

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References

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