Burlington, Canadian Pacific, Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac, and Wabash all took delivery of E8's built in 1949. (And Rock Island bought the 1949-built EMD demonstrator, but I don't know in what year they bought it.)
Does anyone know which railroad first put the E8 into revenue service? Revenue trips with the EMD demonstrator don't count for this question.
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That will probably be a great unknown. Depends on which month they took delivery. These things would have been put on the road as soon as they were checked out without ceremony.
It would be almost impossible to determine which road earned their buck first with an E8.
It's a tough one, all right. Somewhere, there must be evidence of a press release about a particular train using "General Motors' new 2250-horsepower passenger diesel-electric locomotive." But where?
I thought somebody might have a book or magazine (Railway Age?) which contained this information. As far as I can tell, Trains never published anything like that, although there was a news item about the Canadian Pacific E8's replacing steam on the Montreal-Boston trains operated with B&M. (B&M had to wait until early in 1950 for its E8.)
The month of construction might mot be the month of first service due to time consumed in delivery. Lots of papers to sign before the unit goes out the gate at EMD. Also, Wabash, Burlington, and Rock Island could have taken delivery in Chicago on the same day the engine left LaGrange, but might have chosen to take delivery in another state due to tax treatment. And any of the railroads may have waited a day to put the new diesels on a particular train.
Perhaps there's a document archived somewhere by a historical society devoted to one of those roads, and - if so - it may be discovered while somebody is doing research.
Tom:
According to the book Amtrak By The Numbers, the earliest built E8s that Amtrak got were Richmond Frederick & Potomac's #1001 and 1002 delivered in November, 1949.
They became Amtrak # 213 and 214. I read that Canadian Pacific received their three
E8s in 1949 as well but they were built by GMD of Canada. The 1973 The Second Diesel Spotters Guide book lists the first E8s as being built in August, 1949 but it does not say which railroad purchased them. If I find any further information I will you know.
The last line of the above should read: I will let you know.
On the DL&W the first two E8's, #810 & 811 arrived from GM in april of 1950 and they were painted in DL&W colors. The lackawanna did buy both demonstrator units and ordered 9 more to be delivered in november of 1951.
According to Bill Griffin's "One Hundred Fifty Years of History Along the Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac" December 9, 1949 was E8 1001's first trip north from Richmond on Train 76 [The Havana Special]. There is a nice photograph of the ceremony at Broad Street Station on page 151 in the 1984 paperback edition.
Appreciate the comments, and, especially, the RF&P date.
One might logically assume that the CPR E8's were built by GMD, but they were actually built at La Grange by EMD.
The Canadian Pacific E8s were built for use in the pool with Boston and Maine for the Boston to Montreal trains , the Allouette and the Red Wing. The B&M used E-7s for this service. The Three CP E8s were the only E's owned by Canadian Pacific. They did run through to Boston as did the B&M units to Montreal.
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