emd_SD_60 wrote:It looks like tin panels were used on the sides, doesn't it?Maybe the G stood for galvinized.
Railroad Forums
Favorite GE engine?
- Discussion of General Electric locomotive technology. Current official information can be found here: www.getransportation.com.
7 Train wrote:The late, great E60.I second that, though I have no idea why. The E-60s were generally before my time (at least, before I had much of an interest in railfanning and the ability to do anything about it). Inexplicably, I find myself strangely drawn to them.
Phil Gengler
Overheard in NY Penn: "All aboard! Get on the train if you're coming with us!"
Overheard in NY Penn: "All aboard! Get on the train if you're coming with us!"
pgengler wrote:The E-60-CH's were good pullers for sure and had roomy cabs compared to the A7's. That's about it for the good points. The ride quality was, well, breathtaking to say the least. And self-lapping brake valves are best suited for freight service. I guess GE had Amtrak's demise in mind when they designed these rats. GE must have forgot that 15 years prior they built the E-44 which was still soldiering away in freight and probably would have seen another 20 years of service had CR not pulled the plug on electric freight service. No pun intended, of course.7 Train wrote:The late, great E60.I second that, though I have no idea why. The E-60s were generally before my time (at least, before I had much of an interest in railfanning and the ability to do anything about it). Inexplicably, I find myself strangely drawn to them.
Forget the G. The E-44 was the electric freight loco of the PRR!
ThebigC--
It's nice to hear somebody speak up for the E-44; I've long had a soft spot in my heart for it!
The end of electric freight operations was surprising (and I can't help think unfortunate: in this age of environmental concern, it would surely be a good thing for the United States to have at least a protype/pilot model of a non-internal-combustion railroad operation, at least for comparative purposes, and the ex-PRR could have provided one!). In the first couple of years of Conrail there was even talk of extending the electrification, and GE I think rebuilt one E-44 with state-or-the-art "innards": something they wouldn't have bothered to do if they hadn't thought a big (rebuilding or new unit) order from Conrail was possible.
I think what happened was that Amtrak wanted freight off the Northeast Corridor, and without the NYC-Washinton main line, the remainder of the electrified system was not viable: to continue electrified freight operation, Conrail would have had to put up new wires over its non-PRR freight routes (and even, since Corridor freight south of Philadelphia was moved onto trackage rights) over the B&O Washington-Philly line!
Sad.
At least we have one E-44 left, at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. I had a few melancholy moments when I visited it, remembering better days.
It's nice to hear somebody speak up for the E-44; I've long had a soft spot in my heart for it!
The end of electric freight operations was surprising (and I can't help think unfortunate: in this age of environmental concern, it would surely be a good thing for the United States to have at least a protype/pilot model of a non-internal-combustion railroad operation, at least for comparative purposes, and the ex-PRR could have provided one!). In the first couple of years of Conrail there was even talk of extending the electrification, and GE I think rebuilt one E-44 with state-or-the-art "innards": something they wouldn't have bothered to do if they hadn't thought a big (rebuilding or new unit) order from Conrail was possible.
I think what happened was that Amtrak wanted freight off the Northeast Corridor, and without the NYC-Washinton main line, the remainder of the electrified system was not viable: to continue electrified freight operation, Conrail would have had to put up new wires over its non-PRR freight routes (and even, since Corridor freight south of Philadelphia was moved onto trackage rights) over the B&O Washington-Philly line!
Sad.
At least we have one E-44 left, at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. I had a few melancholy moments when I visited it, remembering better days.
Allen Hazen wrote:I think what happened was that Amtrak wanted freight off the Northeast Corridor, and without the NYC-Washinton main line, the remainder of the electrified system was not viable: to continue electrified freight operation, Conrail would have had to put up new wires over its non-PRR freight routes (and even, since Corridor freight south of Philadelphia was moved onto trackage rights) over the B&O Washington-Philly line!I'm not sure Amtrak necessarily wanted freight off of their lines. I believe they just wanted more for it than CR was willing to pay. First off, the rates for using electric power were increased, leading to CR abandoning electric ops in the early '80s. On top of the power usage charges, CR would have had to put more capital into new or rebuilt motors. That souped-up E44 Allen mentioned was a demonstrator, I guess, for what would be needed in the future if the electric ops were continued.
I don't believe Conrail ever seriously considered extending electrification. Yikes! The capital required! Nowhere near enough return on such an investment.
Secondly, Amtrak's per car charge for trackage rights was more than CR wanted to pay as the '80s progressed. Moving as much traffic off corridor as possible happened in response to that situation. The B&O route was used, and the Hagerstown gateway was expanded for north-south traffic.
DGLE E44 in Strasburg, PA
LCJ wrote: I'm not sure Amtrak necessarily wanted freight off of their lines. I believe they just wanted more for it than CR was willing to pay. First off, the rates for using electric power were increased, leading to CR abandoning electric ops in the early '80s. On top of the power usage charges, CR would have had to put more capital into new or rebuilt motors. That souped-up E44 Allen mentioned was a demonstrator, I guess, for what would be needed in the future if the electric ops were continued.Amtrak most defintely wanted CR off the corridor and charging them triple the going rate for ton/miles was an effective way to accomplish this.
DGLE E44 in Strasburg, PA
4453 was the rebuilt E-44 in question. Strange it was rebuilt though. The E-44 wasn't broke so why fix it? PCB issues possibly?
Allen Hazen wrote:ThebigC--"Bricks" were the electric freight king on the PRR, PC, CR. The power of choice for the "juice" train.
It's nice to hear somebody speak up for the E-44; I've long had a soft spot in my heart for it!
The end of electric freight operations was surprising (and I can't help think unfortunate: in this age of environmental concern, it would surely be a good thing for the United States to have at least a protype/pilot model of a non-internal-combustion railroad operation, at least for comparative purposes, and the ex-PRR could have provided one!). In the first couple of years of Conrail there was even talk of extending the electrification, and GE I think rebuilt one E-44 with state-or-the-art "innards": something they wouldn't have bothered to do if they hadn't thought a big (rebuilding or new unit) order from Conrail was possible.
I think what happened was that Amtrak wanted freight off the Northeast Corridor, and without the NYC-Washinton main line, the remainder of the electrified system was not viable: to continue electrified freight operation, Conrail would have had to put up new wires over its non-PRR freight routes (and even, since Corridor freight south of Philadelphia was moved onto trackage rights) over the B&O Washington-Philly line!
Sad.
At least we have one E-44 left, at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. I had a few melancholy moments when I visited it, remembering better days.
Funny you should mention that preserved brick. I was at the GE plant and noticed CR 2500 and that E-44 back-to-back. Like a dope I just took a roster shot of each! Didn't realize they were on their way to museums. Would have made a nice group photo. Oh well.
ATK wrote:Why do you need recordings??? Do you have a vacuum cleaner at home? Turn it on. There's your P32!When we were in Galesburg Yesterday we saw 500 on 4(28). My Dad thought it was an F-Unit.
Anyone who has spent any length of time around those locomotives can attest as to how obnoxious those blowers are. I can still hear the ringing in my ears...
Despite the blowers, the locomotive is still an engineering marvel. The fact that the P32 can change modes between diesel and third rail (and back) with no loss of HEP is quite amazing.
LCJ & ThebigC--
Thanks for your responses to my comments!
The photo of the E-44 at Strasburg is reassuring: it's being well taken care of, indoors and in its original color scheme! (When I last visited Strasburg, it was outside and still in New Jersey Transit (?) silver.)
I don't know how serious Conrail was about extending electrification to Pittsburgh, but it was reported in the press-- not just the railfan press, but also the trade periodical "Railway Age"-- that the possibility was being studied. Capital needed would have been huge (around the same time there was an article in "Railway Age" about the prospects for electrification that suggested a ball-park figure of a million dollars per track mile for new electrification), but this was at a time when it seemed possible that the federal government would make significant contributions.
Thanks for your responses to my comments!
The photo of the E-44 at Strasburg is reassuring: it's being well taken care of, indoors and in its original color scheme! (When I last visited Strasburg, it was outside and still in New Jersey Transit (?) silver.)
I don't know how serious Conrail was about extending electrification to Pittsburgh, but it was reported in the press-- not just the railfan press, but also the trade periodical "Railway Age"-- that the possibility was being studied. Capital needed would have been huge (around the same time there was an article in "Railway Age" about the prospects for electrification that suggested a ball-park figure of a million dollars per track mile for new electrification), but this was at a time when it seemed possible that the federal government would make significant contributions.