by: Brian Solomon
In February 2005, General Motors announced its decision to sell its Electro-Motive Division (EMD), thus ending its 75-year association with one of the most renowned brands in railroading. Looking at the heritage of the venerable EMD in light of this momentous development, this monumental volume offers an overview of the great locomotive maker unprecedented in its scope and unparalleled in the spectacular quality of its photographs. Leading railroad author and photographer Brian Solomon provides an authoritative, comprehensive account of EMDs history, from its genesis in 1922 as the independent Electro-Motive Corporation, to GMs acquisition of the company in 1930, and on through the age of todays "superpower" locomotives. From the earliest 1920s railcars to the iconic mid-century F units, workhorse GP and SD locomotives, and Dash series; to the companys race with its chief competitor, General Electric, to reach 6,000 horsepower, EMDs complete story unfolds here in depth and detail, illustrated with a wealth of archival photos from across the country, as well as a remarkable collection of color photography from top railway photographers of the last half century.
The book describe in some detail the different diesel engines that EMD has used over the years to power its locomotives. Details include horsepower ratings, RPM ranges, cylinder bore and stroke and the configurations of such engines as the Winton, the 567, the 645 and the 710. E.g., there is a mechanical drawing of the inside of an E9 locomotive detailing the two engines, the genrators and other devices. Also present is a chart on gear ratios and a chart on the Speed Tractive Effort Curve. The captions for the many photographs throughout the book give detailed information. This information is supplemental to the text and not a restatement. This is an excellent book for casual reading, learning details about diesel engines and for enjoying excellent photographs of America and trains.
Authored by a serious rail photographer / writer, EMD covers the entire period from EMD diesel-electrics' first long-haul appearance on American railroads just prior to our nation's entry into World War II, until Feb. 2005 when the division "went private" and no longer belonged to GM. During this period EMD's ruled the road, and for most of the time either vanquished the diesel-electric competition (Morrison-Knudsen, Fairbanks-Morse) or relegated it to a very junior number two (General Electric).
But EMD is more than just a string of diesels. At various times and in various parts around the world the company also built "pure" electric locomotives (or "motors" to the purist). The leading example is probably Amtrak's AEM-7, workhorse for the Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor ("NEC").
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