The GE 70-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel locomotive

Diesel locomotive

A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...

 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

New York Central Railroad

The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...

 in November, 1942. These units differ from the later end cab versions. Locos exported to Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 were known as GE 64T (70 short ton

Short ton

The short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...

s equals 64 tonnes) and nicknamed "scooters".

Survivors

The Modesto and Empire Traction Company used nine of these reliable 70-ton locomotives (MET No. 600–609) on their railroad along with two former Southern Pacific EMD SW1500

EMD SW1500

The EMD SW1500 was a diesel locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new...

s. They have since retired and sold all of these locomotives except no 600. The GE locomotives are also used by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad

Santa Maria Valley Railroad

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a 14.8 mile shortline railroad that interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's Coast Line at Guadalupe, California. It is owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation.-Traffic:...

.

The Oregon Pacific Railroad

Oregon Pacific Railroad

Oregon Pacific Railroad or Oregon Pacific Railway may refer to:* Oregon Pacific Railroad , railroad from Yaquina Bay to Santiam Pass* Oregon Pacific Railroad , shortline railroad on the east side of Portland...

 owns the former Southern Pacific 5100 and is painted in the historic Southern Pacific scheme. It is currently out-of-service.

Ex-Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–1982) 703, GE builder #30015. ex-Southern Rwy #703, to Naporano Iron & Metal (5/78); to Lake Ontario Steel 5/78; now presently at South Simcoe Railway

South Simcoe Railway

The South Simcoe Railway is a steam heritage railway in Tottenham, Ontario, north of Toronto. Operating excursions since 1993, it is the oldest operating steam heritage railway in Ontario and features the oldest operating steam locomotive in Canada....

 now powered by a Cummins VTA1710 V12 engine. http://www.steamtrain.com/, Tottenham, Ontario, Canada

Preservation

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

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

Only one of the center cab locomotives exists, former Ellwood Engineered Castings 6114B preserved by the Tod Engine Foundation in Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

.

External links