EMD GP15T

The EMD GP15T was a specialized variant of the broader GP15 family of light road switchers produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. EMD constructed 28 examples of the GP15T between October 1982 and April 1983, making it a relatively rare model compared to the more widely adopted GP15-1. The locomotive was designed to offer railroads a capable yet economical unit suited to yard switching and lighter road service, competing in the marketplace against the widespread practice of rebuilding older first-generation diesels rather than purchasing new equipment. The entire production run of 28 units was divided between two American railroads. The Chessie System, operating the units under Chesapeake and Ohio Railway reporting marks numbered 1500 through 1524, received 25 of the locomotives, representing the overwhelming majority of the class. The remaining three units went to the Apalachicola Northern Railroad in Florida, numbered 720 through 722. The Chessie System's units were distinguished by being the only GP15-series locomotives delivered with dynamic braking equipment. Following the Chessie System's absorption into CSX Transportation, these units continued to operate under their successor railroad. In 2021, CSX donated one example, former C&O number 1507, to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, making it the first member of the GP15 family to be formally preserved. The GP15T occupied a narrow window in EMD's production calendar, sandwiched between the more numerous GP15-1 and the near-simultaneous GP15AC variant. Its small production total of just 28 units reflects the relatively limited market appeal of its turbocharged configuration during that era, though the design demonstrated that EMD could extract competitive horsepower from a smaller engine package.

The GP15T was powered by a turbocharged eight-cylinder version of the EMD 645 prime mover, which produced 1,500 horsepower while using four fewer cylinders than the naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder 645 engine fitted to the GP15-1. This approach allowed EMD to achieve equivalent output through turbocharging rather than increased displacement, resulting in a more compact engine installation. The locomotive rode on a standard B-B wheel arrangement using four axles, each driven by a DC traction motor, and the overall configuration placed it firmly within the road switcher category. The straight side sill profile visible on the GP15T was a distinguishing external feature shared with the GP15AC variant, setting both apart from the GP15-1 in terms of bodywork detail. Like its GP15 siblings, the locomotive was intended to be versatile enough for both yard duties and light road assignments, filling a role that many railroads of the period were alternatively addressing through rebuilding programs applied to earlier GP7 and GP9 units.

Models by: Athearn · Walthers