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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
All Rights Reserved, Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society

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