Locomotive, Diesel, Fairbanks Morse, C-Liner

History: The Consolidated line, or C-line, was a series of diesel-electric railway locomotive designs produced by Fairbanks-Morse and its Canadian licensee, the Canadian Locomotive Company. Individual locomotives in this series were commonly referred to as “C-liners”. A combined total of 165 units (123 cab-equipped lead A units and 42 cabless booster B units) were produced by F-M and the CLC between 1950 and 1955.

The C-Liners replaced FM's earlier cab model the Erie-Built, which proved only marginally successful at best. The updated version of FM's cab locomotives did not feature a carbody nearly as elegant as the former, which sported a European look. It was offered for either passenger or freight (with four or five axles) service and intended to compete against Electro-Motive's (EMD) popular E and F series as well as Alco's FA and PA models. Unfortunately, the C-Liners saw about the same level of success as the Erie-Builts and FM canceled the line after only a few years of production.

All of the designs were based on a common 56 ft 3 in (17.15 m) carbody, but the customer could choose cab or booster units equipped with 1,600 hp (1.19 MW), 2,000 hp (1.49 MW), or 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) opposed piston engine prime movers. Each option was also offered in both passenger and freight configurations.
All freight units, and the CLC-built Model CPA/B-16-4 were designed with a B-B wheel arrangement, while passenger units (in addition to having different gearing) featured an unusual B-A1A wheel configuration, as the rear truck required an extra unpowered axle to help distribute the weight of the steam generator.

The models produced comprise: CFA-16-4 (cabs) and CFB-16-4 (cabless boosters), CFA-20-4 (cabs) and CFB-20-4 (cabless boosters), CPA-20-5 (cabs), CPA-24-5 (cabs), CPA-16-4 (cabs), CPA-16-5 (cabs) and CPB-16-5 (cabless boosters).
Using the CFA16-4 as an example the "C" referred to cab unit, "F" listed it for freight service, "A" was a designation for A unit, "16" was short for 1,600 hp, and "4" was the number of axles it carried.

From Wikipedia
Read more on American-Rails.com

Railroad/Company: Fairbanks Morse and Company was an American manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, coffee grinders, farm tractors, feed mills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958. It used the trade name Fairbanks-Morse.
Fairbanks Morse and Company merged with Penn-Texas Corporation in 1958 to form Fairbanks Whitney Corporation. One of the successors of the original company is Fairbanks Morse Engine, a subsidiary of EnPro Industries, that continues to develop and sell opposed piston (OP) engine technology for marine applications.

Fairbanks Morse was the last builder to enter the diesel locomotive market in 1939 and the first to exit in 1958. While its opposed-piston engine design was not as successful in locomotive application as with marine ships its locomotives were nevertheless revolutionary for their time, so revolutionary that it would take twenty years after the builder’s exit from the market for railroads to become interested in similar models!

From Wikipedia
Read more on American-Rail.com