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The Rio Grande had 8 four unit sets of EMD F3.  A 1,500-horsepower B-B diesel locomotive produced by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division between July 1945 and February 1949 . Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The F3 was the third model in GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit diesel locomotives, and it was the second most produced of the series. The F3 essentially differed from the EMD F2 in that it used the “new” D12 generator to produce more power, and from the later EMD F7 in electrical equipment. Some late-model F3's had the same D27 traction motors, along with the heavier-duty electrical cables, used in the F7, and were referred to as model F5 by EMD's Engineering Department. All the Rio Grande F3 units were traded in for GP-40s in 1965.

The DRGW roster information below by Jim Eager has not been updated since 2000.  If you know of the deposition of any F3 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
6000 (1500 hp/unit) 16-cylinder 567B B-B 62:15 964940 241235 DE B-B 58 EMD
Final Road # Original Road # EMD Builder # Locomotive Model Year Purchased Year Retired Notes
5521 552A 3544 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5522 552B 3550 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5523 552C 3551 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5524 552D 3545 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5531 553A 3546 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5532 553B 3552 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5533 553C 3553 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5534 553D 3547 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5541 554A 3548 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5542 554B 3554 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5543 554C 3555 F3-B 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
5544 554D 3549 F3-A 1946 1965 Trade-in to EMD on GP40
All Rights Reserved, Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society

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