I know the Rock Island had two H-15-44s rebuilt with EMD engines in 1958. How long did they last? I haven't seen photos from after 1964. That doesn't say much, as I've seen few photos of these units overall. But if they lasted to the 70s, I expect there would be more. Seems that repowering of FMs wasn't a very worthwhile effort.
ITs been a while since i visited this site but I am wanting to find old photos and pass them along to you guys but my computor is so outdated that i may have to get a new computor . To anser your question i think i saw a photo or two a while back but i think the rock island had i think it was like 4 to 8 of those units ,probally closer to 3 or 4 but when i find out i will post what i find out.
According to Louis Marre, they only owned two H15-44 units. They were re-engined by EMD in May of 1958. Traded to GE in September of 1966. Boxcab E50
Not a lot of FMs were repowered. I only know of these two, the eight (?) Wabash Trainmasters, and weren't there some C-Liners from some railroad? Were there any others?
Browsing around, I stumbled upon this one: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/kcs61c.jpg The previous page thumbnail caption states it was repowered to EMD. http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel85.html Seems like I've read, somewhere, that a couple of H10-44 were re-engined. But I can't find anything to support that idea. Boxcab E50
I found tha KCS shot several years ago and forgot about it entirely. Okay, that page doesn't list any EMD repowerings other than the Rock Island H-15-44s and KCS Eries. But the Wabash Trainmasters were Alco jobs, and I suspect the C-Liners (whoever had them) were too. What about aftermarket jobs, like the U25Bs that got engines from F7s? I guess those didn't exist for FMs.
The two FM's were repowered by EMD in the late '50's. They were still used in suburban service until around the time when the five push-pull equipment sets went into service, early '65 IIRC. They then went to Chgo Terminal yard service. In mid '66 they were removed from the roster for trade in.
Some railroads repowered locomotives instead of sending them out. The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide shows Monon repowered 1 H-10-44 and 2 H-15-44 Wabash 1200hp Lima-Hamilton with 12 cylinder 244's and rock took the 244' from repowered FA1's to repower NM1's. New York Central repowered several FM, Baldwin, and Lima -Hamiltons.
The Rock Island repowered NW-1's not NM-1's. From the RI point of view the repowering of 400-401 was a complete success. They no longer had to stock FM engine parts or have the units laid up waiting for parts as they were needed for Suburban service until the five push-pull train sets went into service in 1965. Had it not been for the C415's arrival the 400-401 would have been in yard service a lot longer, both were servicable (as was Lima 806) until sent away for trade in.
