The EMD FT was a 1,350-horsepower diesel-electric locomotive produced between March 1939 and November 1945, by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. The "F" stood for 1400 horsepower (rounded from 1350) and the "T" for twin, as it came standard in a two-unit set. T. It was the first model in EMD's very successful F-unit series of cab unit freight diesels, and was the locomotive that convinced many U.S. railroads that the diesel-electric freight locomotive was the future. Many rail historians consider the FT one of the most important locomotive models of all time. The first units produced for a customer were built in December 1940 and January 1941 for the Santa Fe Railway. These were the first diesel-electric locomotives ever produced with dynamic braking, a system developed at the insistence of the railroad and with its assistance.
The road's earliest units were geared for higher speeds than subsequent units, these sets continued to be composed of one FTA cab unit and three FTB boosters. This is why the road had ten more FTB booster units than FTA cab units.
The DRGW roster information below by Jim Eager has not been updated since 2000. If you know any more about the deposition of any FT listed below or you spot missing, inaccurate data, have model suggestion or a picture for any we'd love to see & hear about it. Contact the RGM&HS webmaster at: rgmhswebmaster@rgmhs.org.
| Horsepower | Wheel Arrangement | Gearing | Weight | Tractive Effort | DRGW Class | Builder |
| 5400 (1350 hp/unit) | B-B | 65:12 (5401-5474) 61:16 (5481-5484) 65:12 (5491-5514) |
977250 945960 977250 |
238980 228380 239010 |
DE B-B 60 DE B-B 57 DE B-B 60 |
EMD |
| Final Road # |
Original Road # |
EMD Builder # |
Locomotive Model |
Purchased | Retired | Notes |
| 5401 | 540A | 1435 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5402 | 540B | 1443 | FT-B | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5403 | 540C | 1442 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5404 | 540D | 1436 | FT-A | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3029 |
| 5411 | 541A | 1437 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5412 | 541B | 1445 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5413 | 541C | 1444 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3029 |
| 5414 | 541D | 1438 | FT-A | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3030 |
| 5421 | 542A | 1439 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5422 | 542B | 1445 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5423 | 542C | 1446 | FT-B | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5424 | 542D | 1440 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5431 | 543A | 1892 | FT-A | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5432 | 543B | 1904 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5433 | 543C | 1905 | FT-B | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5434 | 543D | 1893 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5441 | 544A | 1894 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5442 | 544B | 1906 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5443 | 544C | 1907 | FT-B | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5444 | 544D | 1895 | FT-A | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5451 | 545A | 1896 | FT-A | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5452 | 545B | 1908 | FT-B | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5453 | 545C | 1908 | FT-B | 1942 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5454 | 545D | 1897 | FT-A | 1942 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5461 | 546A | 1898 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5462 | 546B | 1910 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5463 | 546C | 1911 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5464 | 546D | 1899 | FT-A | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5471 | 547A | 1900 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5472 | 547B | 1912 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5473 | 547C | 1913 | FT-B | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5474 | 547D | 1901 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5481 | 548A | 1902 | FT-A | 1943 | . | EMD rebuilt to F7-A |
| 5482 | 548B | 1914 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5483 | 548C | 1915 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5484 | 548D | 1903 | FT-A | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5491 | 549A | 2771 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5492 | 549B | 2777 | FT-B | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5493 | 549C | 2778 | FT-B | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5494 | 549D | 2772 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5501 | 550A | 2773 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5502 | 550B | 2779 | FT-B | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5503 | 550C | 2780 | FT-B | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5504 | 550D | 2773 | FT-A | 1943 | 1961 | Traded in on GP-30 #3001-3028 |
| 5511 | 551A | 2775 | FT-A | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5512 | 551B | 2781 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5513 | 551C | 2782 | FT-B | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
| 5514 | 551D | 2776 | FT-A | 1943 | 1965 | Traded in for GP-35 Series 3029-3050 |
