Not many EMC/EMD FT diesels, which pretty much were the locomotive that killed steam, were preserved – just two FTA units and three FTBs, although these Bs had been converted to Steam Heater Cars for passenger trains by the Southern Railway. Fortunately, one of the FTs that was saved was from the original set, which operated as demonstrators for Electro-Motive Corporation in 1939 and 1940. EMC 103, along with the other three diesels in the set, was sold to the Southern Railway, with EMC 103A becoming SOU 6100A, and then SOU 6100, before being transferred to Southern Railway subsidiary Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway as CNOTP 1030A, later donated to Missouri's National Museum of Transportation. In the late 1980s, knowing this important diesel's 50th anniversary was approaching, EMC successor General Motors Electro-Motive Division arranged for this FTA, along with a former FTB Steam Heat Car that was cosmetically restored to replicate EMC 103B, to tour the country (but not under their won power) to celebrate this milestone diesel. For a while this set was on display at the National Transportation Museum before the FTB was returned to its owner, the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. (Kirkwood, Missouri – October 2, 2014)
