How Much Does a Diesel Locomotive Weigh?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 28, 2020

The weight of a diesel locomotive varies from about 100 tons or below to over 200 tons, depending on the model. The GP38-2 weighs 125 tons, the Dash 9 GE-C44-9W weighs 210 tons, the C30-7 weighs 195 tons and the F7A weighs 104.4 tons.

The engine of the EMD 710 from General Motors is six feet wide and weighs about 8.029 tons, which can supply power to about 1,000 houses at peak performance. A modern diesel train has a diesel engine and an electricity generator. It’s not connected to overhead wires, unlike purely electric trains. It generates about 35 percent of the power an electric train of similar weight generates.