EMD AEM-7

EMD AEM-7
Amtrak AEM-7 No. 943 with a Metroliner at Seabrook, Maryland, in 1987
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division ASEA Model SJ Rc Build date 1978–1988 Total produced 65 Rebuilder Alstom Rebuild date 1999–2002 Number rebuilt 29
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo'Bo' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 51+1⁄8 in (1,299 mm) Wheelbase 25 ft 7+1⁄16 in (7.80 m) (between truck centers) Length 51 ft 1+25⁄32 in (15.590 m) Width 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) Height 14 ft 9.5 in (4.51 m) Loco weight 101 short tons (90 long tons; 92 t) Power supply 500 kW, 480 V AC Electric system/s Overhead line: 12 kV AC at 25 Hz 12.5 kV AC at 60 Hz 25 kV AC at 60 Hz Current pickup(s) Dual pantographs Traction motors ASEA LJH 108-5 (DC) Alstom 6 FXA 5856 (AC) Head end power 500 kW (DC) 1,000 kW (AC) Transmission 85:36 MU working Yes, AAR Train heating Locomotive-supplied head-end power
Performance figures Maximum speed 125 mph (201 km/h) Power output 7,000 hp (5.2 MW) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 51,710 lbf (230 kN)  • Continuous 28,100 lbf (125 kN)
Career Operators Amtrak MARC SEPTA Numbers Amtrak: 900–953 MARC: 4900–4903 SEPTA: 2301–2307 Nicknames Toasters; Meatballs Locale Northeast United States First run May 9, 1980 (Amtrak) Last run December 1, 2018 (SEPTA) Retired 2016 (Amtrak) 2017 (MARC) 2018 (SEPTA) Preserved Amtrak Nos. 915, 917, and 945 Disposition Two Amtrak units sold to TTCI, Two Amtrak units sold to Caltrain, Three Amtrak units preserved, all MARC Units Stored, remainder Amtrak and all SEPTA scrapped
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The EMD AEM-7 is a twin-cab four-axle 7,000 hp (5.2 MW) B-B electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and ASEA between 1978 and 1988. The locomotive is a derivative of the Swedish SJ Rc4 designed for passenger service in the United States. The primary customer was Amtrak, which bought 54 for use on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. Two commuter operators, MARC and SEPTA, also purchased locomotives, for a total of 65.

Amtrak ordered the AEM-7 after the failure of the GE E60 locomotive. The first locomotives entered service in 1980 and were an immediate success, ending a decade of uncertainty on the Northeast Corridor. In the late 1990s, Amtrak rebuilt 29 of its locomotives from DC to AC traction. The locomotives continued operating through the arrival of the final Siemens ACS-64 in June 2016. MARC retired its fleet in April 2017 in favor of Siemens Chargers, and SEPTA retired all seven of its AEM-7s in November 2018 in favor of ACS-64s.