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ELECTRO-MOTIVE'S FT

former EMC demo set 103 as sold to Southern Ry.

When compared with later FT control stations, we see that the controller itself on these units was very different. Note the transition lever's position, and the shape and size of the controller itself. This controller is very much like an early "E" unit controller, with the transition lever portion added on top.

Here's the locomotive that started it all. EMC's and designer Dilworth's first attempt at direct competition against steam freight power with diesel-electrics. Following the success of the passenger types already manufactured, a similar concept was employed, with multiple "units" drawbar connected to form a locomotive. 5400 HP sets, arranged A-B-B-A as we now know them, were all they envisioned originally.
Many good books and articles have been written about the FT's, and it's performance against the best steam had to offer is quite well documented. David P. Morgan said it best, though, describing 103 as " The diesel that did it." After it did it, it was refurbished and sold to Southern, along with this manual. Let's see what it reveals.

   First, a bit of history.The FT made its debut in 1939, and was EMC's first attempt at road freight diesel locomotives. A four unit set, rated at 5400 horsepower, was intended to be the equal of the large Mallet types then in use. Maybe it couldn't out-horsepower the bigest of steam, but it had mighty tractive effort.
   The outstandingly successful nationwide tour of the demonstrator won many roads over, and clearly showed that current diesel-electric technology was sufficiently advanced for the rigorous duties of freight haulage, be it in desert or snow. Roads that were already using EMC's passenger locomotives ( the early "E" series) already knew that EMC had a good product, and this tour proved that EMC could compete against steam on freight trains too.
   During the tour of the 103 (The FT demo) many details, some small and some big, were noted for change on production models. Thus, the tour served as a "de-bugging" mission for EMC as well as a sales pitch. Some of these changes are visible in our manual for the Southern's first order of FT's, which as we now know included the 103 after refurbishment.
    Aside from permanently drawbar connecting all 4 units and not enclosing the ends of the carbodies between the A and B units, EMC essentially got it very close to right on their first try. (Close enough that locomotive was allowed to continue in production during World War Two, while other locomotive builders' freight diesel-electrics were frozen.)
    Let's look into our manual now, starting with the " engineer's control station". The scan below is believed to represent 6100 as delivered to Southern.

...at left, recall that when 6100 was delivered, Electro-motive was still technically a subsidiary, not a division, of GM, thus the EMC symbol we see here was used in this manual.