Westinghouse Visibility Cab Oil-Electric B-71 to Youngstown

[Rick Rowlands]

In October, 2010 the Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation purchased the 1930 Westinghouse Visibility Cab oil-electric "Armco B-71" from Ed Bowers. The locomotive is currently stored at the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul, MN and will be moved to the Youngstown, OH area in 2011.

The YSHF acquired the B-71 for the following reasons:
1) We were concerned that this rare locomotive would be scrapped on site as no other entities had stepped forward to acquire it.
2) The locomotive was a mill switcher for a steel plant located within 50 miles from Youngstown, OH, giving it local significance.
3) The locomotive was built 70 miles from here in East Pittsburgh, PA

Upon the locomotive's arrival in Youngstown, it will be given a thorough cosmetic and operational restoration. Preliminary inspections have revealed that the locomotive is nearly intact and the electrical equipment appear to be in good condition. Condition of the prime mover is unknown.


Builders photo of the B-71.

[Rick Rowlands]

Appearance in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Its been a long time coming, but the words written on the side of the unit will soon come true.

Yes, I know that it is an ugly locomotive. But you must understand that she was built before anyone knew what a diesel should look like. This was the first body style that was not a boxcab. These were the first internal combustion locomotives built that did not involve having the engineer sit next to the roaring engine. This locomotive is older than 99.99% of all the diesels ever built. Sister unit B-73 resides at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Boxcab predecessor B-70 is at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia. All were former Armco (American Rolling Mill Co.) units.

[mtuandrew]

Good for your group! Last I heard, B-71 was supposed to be a part of the Gopher State Railway Museum, but I'm not sure if that entity still exists. I haven't a clue how this unit came to be a part of the MTM collection either, since I believe they were the ones that first brought the unit to Minnesota in the mid-1980s, but it doesn't have anything to do with our state or its railroads.

More information about B-71: http://www.mtmuseum.org/jsr/roster/armcoB71.php

Andrew Stephens
Member, Minnesota Transportation Museum

[ohioriverrailway]

B-73 is in fact alive and well at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. We've found it useful as a source of emergency traction power when our commercial electric supplier goes down for the count. A couple of quick connections and it feeds into the trolley wire so we can get the cars back home and into the barn.

It also gets a little excercise on the 250 or so feet of standard gauge track that we maintain.

[chuchubob]

B-73 is in fact alive and well at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum...

B-73 at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum