GE's 70 & 95-Ton Workhorses |
|
|---|---|
(Southern Pacific #5100 at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center -- Dan Haneckow photo (17 February 2013) |
|
| 70-Tonner: Although built at
the General Electric works in Erie, Pennsylvania, the 70-Ton model was marketed by both
GE and Alco from 1946 until the two transportation giants dissolved their joint marketing
agreement in 1953. Production of the mid-range horsepower locomotive continued at Erie until
late 1958 with total production reaching 238 units.
The loco's ability to lug tonnage and effectively handle assignments on light-weight capacity rail made it popular among short lines and industrial users. The medium-sized GE was also utilized in a similar fashion by a few Class 1 railroads: Canadian National (18), Louisville & Nashvile (2), Missouri Kansas Texas (4), Southern Railway (5), Southern Pacific (21) and St.Louis-San Francisco (1). In 1956, GE built two 54-Ton narrow-gauge variants of the 70-ton model. Possibly the forerunners of GE's Universal export series; they were delivered to U.S. Gypsum as #1303 and 1403.
95-Tonner: GE built its first 95-tonner for
a North American customer in 1947; it was a center cab and the only one of that type produced.
Two years later, the transportation company introduced the 95-ton end cab; it was predicated
on the 70-tonner which had been enjoying a degree of popularity. However, demand for the
heavy-duty GE never materialized and production ceased in 1956, with less than 45 units
built.
Variants: GE also produced a couple of
light-weight variants of the 70-Tonner. The first came in 1949 and included three 65-ton
end cabs, all of which went to industrial users.
In 1956, GE built two 54-Ton narrow-gauge variants of the 70-ton model. Possibly the forerunners
of GE's Universal export series; they were delivered to U.S. Gypsum as #1303 and 1403.
|
|
| Formatted by: R.Craig | Revised: 1 Jauary 2020 |
