EMD 567

EMD 567
Name	EMD 567
Powertype	Diesel
Builder	Electro-Motive Division
Builddate	1938–1966
Enginetype	Two-stroke diesel V-type
Displacement	567 cu in per cylinder
Aspiration	Roots blower / turbocharged
Valvetrain	Uniflow
Fueltype	Diesel

EMD 567 is a family of two-stroke V-type diesel engines developed by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for railroad locomotive prime movers. It powered a wide range of Electro-Motive Division road locomotives and switchers, influencing designs used by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, Santa Fe Railway, and international operators such as British Rail, SNCF, and Indian Railways. The design underpinned multiple successor engines and saw use in passenger, freight, and military applications across the 20th century.

Design and Development

The design originated under the direction of General Motors engineering teams led by figures associated with Alco competition and contemporaneous projects at Fairbanks-Morse. Early development paralleled efforts at Electro-Motive Corporation and integrated influences from General Electric electrical transmission work and Westinghouse traction motor practice. Key engineering choices reflected lessons from EMD 567's predecessors in mechanical robustness and maintainability, with emphasis on modular power assemblies similar to maintenance philosophies at Union Pacific Railroad and Southern Railway (U.S.). The result addressed reliability concerns that had surfaced during operations involving New York Central Railroad and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad motive power. Development milestones were often coordinated with procurement programs of United States Army Transportation Corps during wartime mobilization.

Technical Specifications

The engine is a two-stroke, single-acting, four-stroke-in-practical-use design configured as V6, V8, V12, or V16 with 567 cubic inches displacement per cylinder. Its uniflow scavenging system and crosshead-like piston design were informed by practices at Fairbanks-Morse and Sulzer marine engines. Aspiration employed a Roots blower or later turbocharging units derived from Henschel and Holset designs, paralleling developments at Allison Engine Company for auxiliary power. Cylinder liners and power assemblies were modular, echoing maintenance concepts used by Penn Central workshops and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway locomotive shops. Typical installations paired the engine with DC main generators and traction motors produced by General Electric or Westinghouse Electric Corporation, following traction control arrangements tested on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad electrification pilot projects.

Variants and Evolution

Multiple series evolved from the original design, with iterations paralleling technological shifts seen at General Electric and Alco counterparts. Turbocharging and improved fuel injection systems introduced later mirrored advancements used by MAN and Deutz. Successor families such as the 645 and 710 series from Electro-Motive Division represent a direct lineage, reflecting engineering transitions comparable to those between Rolls-Royce marine diesels and later high-speed diesel programs. Special variants were adapted for Marine Corps and Royal Canadian Navy auxiliary power roles, similar to conversions performed by Krupp on industrial engines. Experimental adaptations included lightweight high-speed versions trialed by Southern Pacific Railroad and cold-start optimized models used by Canadian National Railway.

Production and Service History

Production spanned from late 1930s into the 1960s at Electro-Motive Division facilities, aligning with mass locomotive orders from major carriers such as New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad, Illinois Central Railroad, and Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Wartime production interleaved with World War II logistics efforts and contracts with United States Navy and United States Army, paralleling other industrial programs like Boeing aircraft manufacturing. International licensing and export deals saw engines installed by railways in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Japan, and South Africa, reflecting patterns similar to Siemens and Alstom export strategies. Over decades, many units received mid-life overhauls at shops used by Conrail and later by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Operational Use by Railroads and Countries

Railroads deploying the engine family included Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, C&NW, Erie Railroad, St. Louis–San Francisco Railway, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, Reading Company, Southern Railway (U.S.), Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad. International operators comprised British Rail, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, Indian Railways, New Zealand Railways, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, SNCF, Deutsche Bundesbahn, ÖBB, PKP, and South African Railways. Military and industrial users included United States Army Transportation Corps, Royal Australian Navy, and various mining companies in South America and Africa.

Preservation and Legacy

Preservation efforts involve museums and heritage railways such as the National Railway Museum (United Kingdom), Illinois Railway Museum, California State Railroad Museum, Illinois Terminal Railroad Museum, Illinois Railway Museum, Canadian Railway Museum, Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), Railway Museum, Utrecht, and numerous tourist operations like Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Fraser Valley Heritage Railway. The engine’s influence is evident in technical literature from American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association publications, restoration projects documented by Heritage Rail Alliance, and engineering case studies at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Its role in dieselization echoes themes also associated with Samuel Insull era electrification and locomotive transitions seen on Penn Central and New Haven Railroad routes. Many preserved examples operate at special events honoring figures such as Harold L. Hamilton and engineers connected to Electro-Motive Division history.

Category:Diesel locomotive engines