EMD GP28

Technical Specifics

The EMD GP28 was a diesel-electric road switcher produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between March 1964 and November 1965. With a total production run of only 26 units, the model was among the more uncommon offerings in EMD's catalog during the mid-1960s. The relatively modest production numbers reflected the specialized nature of the locomotive, which was aimed at customers requiring a mid-range horsepower unit without the complexity and maintenance demands associated with turbocharged prime movers. The 26 units built were distributed across three countries. Sixteen locomotives went to American railroad operators, ten were purchased by Mexican railroads, and the remaining five were delivered to Peru, where the Southern Copper Corporation was among the known operators. This international distribution, while modest in scale, demonstrated EMD's ongoing effort during this period to serve markets across the Americas with adaptable, economical motive power. Although the GP28 never achieved the widespread adoption of contemporaries such as the GP35 or GP38, it occupies a distinct place in EMD's lineage as a naturally aspirated alternative during a transitional era in American diesel locomotive development. Its short production window of roughly two years meant that relatively few railroads had direct experience with the type, and surviving examples became of particular interest to historians and modelers as representative of the niche products EMD offered alongside its more commercially successful mainstream models.

Prototype Reference

Real-world information about this equipment type

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