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Technical Data |
After World War II, EMD began offering a new range of locomotives designated F for freight market, consisting of the F2, F3, F7 and F9 models, with each one offering increased power ratings and improvements on the last.
The EMD F7 first appeared in 1949, and went on to become the second best selling locomotive ever produced by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. A total of 2,366 cab-equipped A units and 1,483 cabless B units were built between 1949 and 1953.
Although promoted originally as a freight locomotive, the F7 was also extensively used on passenger services across America during its time, even gaining some prestigious names such as the Santa Fe's 'El Capitan'.
Despite this popularity, many crews made their feelings known about its operation. Dislikes of the units included the difficulty to mount and dismount during switching duties as well as very poor visibility between engineer and ground crew unless they leaned a long way through the cab side window.
With much of the F7's life taking place before the introduction of two-way radio systems, these points of contention resulted in most switching operation moving over to GP traction, leaving the F units solely for through-working and block trains. This turn of duty was later attributed to the disappointing sales of the much improved F9s that were intended to replace the F7s.
Final withdrawal of the F units took place in the 1970s while most were still fully operational and so many have survived in preserved railroads.