I just learned EMD became Electro Motive Diesel in 2005 and was bought by Catapillar in 2010. What I don’t know is why did General Motors sold EMD? Was it because of the 2008 demise of their automotive business?
History: GM sold EMD in 2005 not 2010: From Wikipeda
In June 2004, The Wall Street Journal published an article indicating EMD was being put up for sale. On January 11, 2005, Reuterspublished a story indicating a sale to “two private U.S. equity groups” was likely to be announced “this week”. Confirmation came the following day, with a press release issued by General Motors, stating it had agreed to sell EMD to a partnership led by Greenbriar Equity Group LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC. The newly spun-off company was called Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., thus retaining the famous “EMD” initials. The sale closed on April 4, 2005.
Didn’t EMD used to be EMC in the '30s then was renamed EMD in the '40s? IIRC, EMC released some or all of the SW1 switchers and FT A-B units but had been renamed EMD by the time the F3s came along.
Tom
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Yes, EMD used to be EMC. The name change had to do with Electro-Motive becoming a full division at General Motors. I am not sure of the date.
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Almost all of my knowledge of EMC, EMD, and Detroit Diesel comes from servicing the industrial & marine engines sold by GM. I have near zero experience on Railroad Equipment.
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I have serviced/repaired 110 and 149 series engines that were branded as both Detroit Diesel and EMD. I have seen stand by generators powered by 12V149 engines that had EMC data plates, and they were built well after the 1940s. Everything I have seen larger than a 149 series has beem branded EMD, and everything 92 series and below has been branded Detroit Diesel.
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-Kevin
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Electro-Motive Company became Electro-Motive Division Jan 1, 1941.
SW1 production Jan’39-Nov’53
FT production Nov’39-nov’45
E6 production Nov’39-Sep’42
EMC built four unit FT demonstrator in 1939.
AT&SF FT #100 was delivered to the railroad by EMD in Jan 1941
“Plant 3” was in Cleveland, Ohio.
Good information here:
http://ctr.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf/not-built-at-la-grange.pdf
Regards, Ed
Thanks Ed, interesting stuff!
Mike.
EMC was the railcar company, founded in the 1920s. It was bought by GM in the early '30s, I think just before GM bought the Winton engine company, both being part of Sloan’s interest in getting GM into modern internal-combustion rail design … he certainly chose the right team. If you have not read the 1951 history of the 567 engine, you should: it was the resources of GM as a whole that made the EMC/EMD road power so good.
Some interesting information here with the history of automobile manufacturers during World War II including EMD and Cleveland Diesel.
http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/
Rick Jesionowski
Is there a reason why engineers prefer EMD over GE?