GE 70-ton switcher

GE 70-ton switcher
Ex-Southern Pacific No. 5100 at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, in Portland, Oregon, in 2013
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model 70-ton switcher Build date January 1947–December 1955 Total produced 238[1]
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo′Bo′ Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, (1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) Brazil) Trucks 4 wheel Length 37 ft (11,278 mm) Width 10 ft (3,048 mm) Height 13 ft (3,962 mm) Loco weight 130,000 lb (59,000 kg) Prime mover Cooper-Bessemer FWL-6T RPM range 450-1000 Cylinders 6
Performance figures Maximum speed 60 mph (97 km/h) Power output 500–660 hp (373–492 kW)
Career Locale North America and Brazil

The GE 70-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Electric between about 1942 and 1955. It is classified as a B-B type locomotive. The first series of "70 tonners" were a group of seven center-cab locomotives built for the New York Central Railroad in November 1942. These units differ from the later end-cab versions. Locomotives exported to Brazil were known as GE 64T (70 short tons or 63 long tons or 64 metric tons) and nicknamed "scooters".

Survivors[]

The Modesto and Empire Traction Company used nine of these reliable 70-ton locomotives (MET No. 600–609) on its railroad along with two former-Southern Pacific EMD SW1500s. The company has since retired and sold all of these locomotives except number 600.^[2] The GE locomotives are also used by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad.^{[3][unreliable source?]}

The Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad still has locomotives 50, 51 and 53. 50 and 51 are original to the line, 53 was purchased second hand. 50 and 53 are currently in shop being re-built for service (6/20). 51 suffered a catastrophic engine failure and is permanently out of service. It will be used for parts as necessary.

DownEast Scenic Railroad's 54, ex Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad 54, originally Berlin Mills Railway 16 is also in service. (6/20)

The Oregon Pacific Railroad owns the former Southern Pacific #5100. The locomotive is painted in the historic Southern Pacific scheme and is currently out-of-service.

The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association owns former Southern Pacific #5119. The locomotive currently sports its Modesto and Empire Traction Company paint scheme, but will be restored to its original 1955 Southern Pacific livery. #5119 is maintained in operational condition and is regularly used in excursion service over a section of the San Diego & Arizona Railway.

Ex-Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–1982) 703, GE builder #30015, ex-Southern Railway #703; to Naporano Iron & Metal (May 1978); to Lake Ontario Steel (May 1978); now at South Simcoe Railway and now powered by a Cummins VTA1710 V12 engine.

The Denton Farmpark (Denton, NC) has the High Point Thomasville and Denton Railroad 202; it has been restored and is operational. As of 1-10-2020 #202 is repowered with a Caterpillar D398 V-12 diesel engine, after a crankshaft failure in the original Cooper Bessemer engine. It is back running, making money again for its owner. It is available for a ride during Christmas at the Country Christmas Train event.

One modified 70-ton locomotive equipped with Cummins engine and PLC control system is in Mexico in full operational conditions and was operated by Ryder a logistic contractor at GM Silao Guanajuato plant for around 16 years until January 2013 when it was substituted by an EMD SW1504 and was sold to Ferrovias Del Bajio a Rail equipment rebuilder, seller, operator and leaser of rail equipment and now its part of its lease fleet.

Two of the end-cab versions exist on display at the Whippany Railway Museum, Whippany, New Jersey, United States, originally purchased by the Rahway Valley Railroad, headquartered in Kenilworth New Jersey, as RV16 and RV17. They were placed into service in 1951 and 1954, respectively, and operated through the closing of the shortline rail business in 1990. Both are owned by the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey. Restoration was done on site in Whippany.^[4]

Three end-cab versions (#5, #6, #7 locomotives) are still known to be in operation at the WVA Manufacturing, LLC plant in Alloy, WV. The locomotives were purchased by the Union Carbide company some fifty years ago. They are still in operation with engine retrofits to accommodate modern maintenance.

The Waterloo Central Railway which operates a tourist train has one of these marked engine 1556 and it runs their route from North Waterloo Ontario to Elmira Ontario a dozen times a week.

Preservation[]

Frisco (St. Louis – San Francisco Railway) 70-ton #111 B&Y scheme at Heart of the Heartlands.^[5]

Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad No. 50 resides at the B&O Railroad Museum, [Baltimore, MD] USA.

Southern Pacific 5100 resides at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, Oregon. It is currently leased to the museum by the Oregon Pacific Railroad.

Southern Pacific 5119 resides at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association in Campo, California. It is maintained in operational condition and is regularly used in excursion service over a section of the San Diego & Arizona Railway.

Modified GE 70-ton switcher #703 built for southern railway operates heritage excursions in Tottenham, Ontario at the South Simcoe Railway, It is currently painted in the Tuscan, Gray and Yellow Canadian pacific paint scheme. #703 was modified in 1979 and now is powered by a Cummins VTA1710 V12 engine, weighs 80 tons, has a snowplow but most notably Canadian National GP9 spark arrestor.

Canadian National 70-ton #30 resides at the Canadian Railway Museum / Exporail, in Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada.

British Columbia Electric Railway 941 resides at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, British Columbia.

A GE 70-ton in metric gauge and C-C trucks is in operation at the railway museum line of Brazilian Railway Preservation Association (ABPF)^[6] in Campinas - SP. It is painted in Mogiana Livery and carries ABPF Nº 03

High Point Thomasville & Denton Railroad #202 resides at the Denton FarmPark in Denton, NC.

Only one of the center-cab locomotives exists, former Ellwood Engineered Castings 6114B preserved by the Tod Engine Foundation ^[7] in Youngstown, Ohio.

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to GE 70-ton locomotives.