E60 History

I was going through old photos from the 80's of the NEC and Wilmington shop area. Below are two photos of wreck damaged E60 #955 which according to reports was rebuilt into #610. Looking at the damage I was always skeptical of this because looking at the same cab end of #610, there is no trace of rebuild at all. Either it was great work by the Wilmington Shop crew or it isn't #955.

Check out damage photos I took back then below:

http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=by ... =e60hunter

According to Geoff's Amtrak notes here is the breakdown of Amtrak E60's (those to NJT and Navaho Mine are not listed):

E60CP 950 > E60 510 > E60 950 > soon renumbered to E60 620
E60CP 951 > HEP fitted E60MA 609
E60CP 952 > HEP fitted E60MA 608
E60CP 953 > E60 621
E60CP 954 > (allocated to become E60 622 but not renumbered) > Stored in 1991 > Retired in 1993.
E60CP 955 > (allocated to become E60 623 but not renumbered) > HEP fitted E60MA 610
E60CP 956 > HEP fitted E60MA 601
E60CH 957 > E60MA 604
E60CH 964 > E60MA 603
E60CH 965 > E60MA 605
E60CH 969 > E60MA 607
E60CH 970 > E60MA 606
E60CH 974 > E60MA 600
E60CH 975 > E60MA 602

Now there is some debate as to which E60 was retired and never renumbered or rebuilt and scrapped in the late 80's early 90's, #952 or #954.

I am wondering though.....could the scrapped E60 have been #955 instead???? I have photos showing #954 running through 1986.......

Any thoughts?.............

it could've been an error on the photographers part. The damage to the cab looks too great to be rebuilt.

Here are links to photos of the rebuilt 610

http://www.trainweb.org/railpix/a610sta.jpg

http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtE60/amt610.jpg

http://www.trainweb.org/railpix/ampix/a ... -24-99.jpg

These were all the photos that I could find for now. Some do suggest some "flaws" that may be evident of an intense overhaul/rebuild. I tried to find photos that shows the end that the damage was on.

I am the photographer!

Info on 955 becoming 610 was obtained through Geoff's Amtrak Notes.....a pretty accurate and extensive information source for Amtrak dispositions.

I have studied my photos of both units and can't find anything to indicate a rebuild of that magnitude..........

My apologies sir, lol . I meant an error on Geoff's Amtrak notes. I think the first phot may suggest something, then again, perhaps the wilmington crews did an excelent job.

I just can't imagine that Amtrak at the time of the E60's rebuilding (1986-88) could justify the cost of rebuilding such a heavily damaged unit.

Whether it was 952 or 954 that was the scrapped unit, neither of them were wreck damaged, so my thinking is it would be more cost effective to rebuild one of those two units and scrap a heavily damaged one like 955.

The 969...which you can't see in my original photos, was coupled to 955 when those photos were taken. It was a burnt out shell that was rebuilt into 607. So I guess it is possible that 955 is indeed 610, but I still have a feeling that it really is 954. I have photos of it running as late as 1985 just prior to the first renumbering (for a short while the E60's ran in phase II paint with new numbers) prior to rebuilds.

I know it is a crazy pursuit, but I know that truth is out there...(X-files music playing)

I'm checking with my sources on this, however I have found a magazine article from March 1988 that lists both 954 and 955 as being in the heavy repair backshop at Wilmington.

I've seen invisible repairs made to locos with far more severe wreck damage than this. The main factor in whether to repair or scrap is usually related to the amount of structural damage to the frame rather than bodywork.


Geoff Sarbutt
Geoff's Amtrak Notes
http://www.gobytrain.us/amtak/notes/

I wonder what was wrong with 954 to warrant repairing 955 over it? I can see salvaging parts from one to repair another..........maybe that is what happened here...........maybe 954 "donated" a cab to 955????

Great info Geoff..........as always!

what happned in that accident?

early80sNECguy wrote:I wonder what was wrong with 954 to warrant repairing 955 over it? I can see salvaging parts from one to repair another..........maybe that is what happened here...........maybe 954 "donated" a cab to 955????

Great info Geoff..........as always!

But that accident was in the 80's, and you can see that the 954 was stored in '91.

From what I was told on the New Haven Historical Society Forum (NHRHTA). It was an engine move that struck a leaning catenary support pole outside Stamford, CT in 1984. No one was seriously hurt which is amazing. I believe they said the pole was on a curve.

What if before scrapping the unit that was scrapped they removed its cab and placed it on the unit that was damaged, Beech Grove has done this with an F40, cut two in half and make one you know. Why couldn't Wilmington have done that.
Cheers,
Nick

That actually sounds like a possibility but what was the status of 954? It wouldn't make sense to scrap 954 if it was in better condition would it?

I am thinking 954 must have burnt up or something.........I know a few NJT units met that fate............