GE E60
Encyclopedia
The GE E60 is a C-C electric locomotive
made by GE Transportation Systems
. The E60's were based on existing locomotives designed for freight service. There are several versions of E60's: E60C, E60CP, E60CH, and E60C-2.
Railroad (BM&LP) ordered 6 E60C's between 1972 and 1976 to transport coal 78 miles from the Black Mesa Mine near Kayenta, Arizona
to the Navajo Generating Station power plant at Page, Arizona
. These E60C's have only single cabs and single pantograph
s. The E60C's collect the power via 50,000 volt
overhead catenary
supplied by their power plant at Page, Arizona
. The road numbers are between 6000 and 6005. Deseret Power Railway has 7 secondhand ex-Amtrak E60C's converted from E60CH's and E60MA's
ordered 26 E60's between 1974 and 1976. The E60's were split between 7 E60CP units (950-956) with steam generators
for older passenger equipment, and 19 E60CH units (957-975) with newer head-end power
(HEP) generators for the Amfleet
and rebuilt Heritage Fleet
equipment. These E60s had a cab and pantograph at each end.
Their initial weight was 193.5 tons, more than double the optimum for passenger service, which contributed to poor running during testing. The locomotives had a tendency to yaw sideways when accelerating, placing high stress on the rails. The Federal Railroad Administration
only allowed the E60’s to operate at 90 mph, not the intended 120 mph, after they derailed twice during testing. (Amtrak limited them to 80 mph after 1978; after their rebuilding they reverted to 90.)
By 1984, with the arrival of AEM-7 electrics, most of the E60 fleet went into storage. Ten of the E60's (958-963, 967, 971-973) were sold to the New Jersey Transit
corporation in 1984. Two additional units, 966 and 968 were sold to the Navajo Mine Railroad. In 1995, New Jersey Transit sold E60 961 to the Navajo Mine Railroad. All New Jersey Transit E60's were scrapped by 1998 except 958 for preservation. In 2003, the Navajo Mine Railroad scrapped all of its E60's.
Between 1986 and 1988, those E60's that remained with Amtrak were rebuilt, reclassified and renumbered. All E60CP's had their steam generators removed and four of these had HEP fitted. Those with HEP, both the E60CH's and the converted E60CP's, were rebuilt and renumbered as E60MA in the 600 series, where MA stood for Motor Alternating set. The road numbers of the E60MA's were between 600 and 610. The two remaining E60CP's without HEP were renumbered as 620 and 621. The E60MA's weighed 183 ST (163.4 LT; 166 t), 10.5 ST (9.4 LT; 9.5 t) less than their original weight. The conversions between the old numbers and the new numbers are shown below.
When the E60's returned to service, they were used mainly on heavy, long-distance trains, such as the Crescent
, Silver Meteor
, and Broadway Limited
, in addition to Clockers and special movements including circus and mail trains, or maintenance of way runs.
All Amtrak E60 units were retired in 2003. In April 2004, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
acquired Amtrak E60 603 for preservation. NJ Transit 958 was also preserved. All others were scrapped.
The table is based on Amtrak Locomotive and Car Notes by Geoff Sarbutt.
(NdeM) ordered 39 E60C-2 locomotives built between September 1982 and December 1983. They were numbered EA001-EA039. These E60C-2's have double cabs and double pantographs.
These locomotives were intended for use on a new double-track electric line between Mexico City
and Irapuato, but economic conditions delayed the project and prevented its completion as planned. On February 24, 1994, 28 of the locomotives finally went into operation by NdeM on a shortened version of the project, but six of these soon wrecked. Eleven others remained in storage. When the electric line was privatized in 1997, the 22 operating E60C-2's passed to Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana
(TFM), and the unused 11 remained in storage in government ownership. Most of the catenary was soon removed for increased vertical clearance.
All of the E60C-2's have been offered for sale since, and 22 of them were sold back to GE for more GE AC4400CW
s. Three E60C-2's were sold to Texas Utilities (TXU
) to serve the company's Martin Lake Line in 1999. BM&LP
acquired several E60C-2s to replace their own aging E60C's. The Deseret-Western Railway
acquired 7 E60C-2's to ship coal over the 35-mile stretch from the Deserado Coal Mine located near Rangely, Colorado
to Deseret's Bonanza Power Plant located near Bonanza, Utah
. Seven were acquired in 2006 by the Montréal Agence Métropolitaine de Transport, in Québec.
Five units, EA011, EA016, EA014, EA025, and EA019, part of the Montréal Agence Métropolitaine de Transport group, were seen in transit on CSX on April 13, 2008, in Syracuse NY. The train hauling the units operates from Montreal to Selkirk (near Albany) NY. The units were delivered to the Susquehanna Locomotive and Car Shops located in the former NYS&W shops in Utica, NY. They were bought by a Mexican oil company for the electrical components. What was not taken by the oil company was parted out by SL&C and the balance of the units scrapped. Some of these locomotives had never been used and still had the desiccant bags stuffed in the control cabinets.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
made by GE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine...
. The E60's were based on existing locomotives designed for freight service. There are several versions of E60's: E60C, E60CP, E60CH, and E60C-2.
E60C
Black Mesa and Lake PowellBlack Mesa and Lake Powell
The Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad is a electrified private railroad operating in Northern Arizona, USA within the Navajo Nation which transports coal from the Peabody Energy's Kayenta Mine near Kayenta, Arizona to the Navajo Generating Station power plant at Page, Arizona...
Railroad (BM&LP) ordered 6 E60C's between 1972 and 1976 to transport coal 78 miles from the Black Mesa Mine near Kayenta, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
to the Navajo Generating Station power plant at Page, Arizona
Page, Arizona
Page is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, near the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 6,794.-Geography:Page is located at ....
. These E60C's have only single cabs and single pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
s. The E60C's collect the power via 50,000 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
overhead catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
supplied by their power plant at Page, Arizona
Page, Arizona
Page is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, near the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 6,794.-Geography:Page is located at ....
. The road numbers are between 6000 and 6005. Deseret Power Railway has 7 secondhand ex-Amtrak E60C's converted from E60CH's and E60MA's
E60CP and E60CH
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
ordered 26 E60's between 1974 and 1976. The E60's were split between 7 E60CP units (950-956) with steam generators
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
for older passenger equipment, and 19 E60CH units (957-975) with newer head-end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
(HEP) generators for the Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
and rebuilt Heritage Fleet
Heritage Fleet
Heritage Fleet was a program started by Amtrak in 1977 to convert its older, mainly streamlined, cars from steam heating to head end power. Head end power conversions were performed at Amtrak's heavy repair center in Beech Grove, Indiana, outside of Indianapolis...
equipment. These E60s had a cab and pantograph at each end.
Their initial weight was 193.5 tons, more than double the optimum for passenger service, which contributed to poor running during testing. The locomotives had a tendency to yaw sideways when accelerating, placing high stress on the rails. The Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
only allowed the E60’s to operate at 90 mph, not the intended 120 mph, after they derailed twice during testing. (Amtrak limited them to 80 mph after 1978; after their rebuilding they reverted to 90.)
By 1984, with the arrival of AEM-7 electrics, most of the E60 fleet went into storage. Ten of the E60's (958-963, 967, 971-973) were sold to the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
corporation in 1984. Two additional units, 966 and 968 were sold to the Navajo Mine Railroad. In 1995, New Jersey Transit sold E60 961 to the Navajo Mine Railroad. All New Jersey Transit E60's were scrapped by 1998 except 958 for preservation. In 2003, the Navajo Mine Railroad scrapped all of its E60's.
Between 1986 and 1988, those E60's that remained with Amtrak were rebuilt, reclassified and renumbered. All E60CP's had their steam generators removed and four of these had HEP fitted. Those with HEP, both the E60CH's and the converted E60CP's, were rebuilt and renumbered as E60MA in the 600 series, where MA stood for Motor Alternating set. The road numbers of the E60MA's were between 600 and 610. The two remaining E60CP's without HEP were renumbered as 620 and 621. The E60MA's weighed 183 ST (163.4 LT; 166 t), 10.5 ST (9.4 LT; 9.5 t) less than their original weight. The conversions between the old numbers and the new numbers are shown below.
When the E60's returned to service, they were used mainly on heavy, long-distance trains, such as the Crescent
Crescent (Amtrak)
The Crescent is a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. It runs daily from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana as train 19 and returns, on the same route, as train 20. Most of the route of...
, Silver Meteor
Silver Meteor
The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...
, and Broadway Limited
Broadway Limited
The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad's premier named passenger train, operating daily in each direction between New York City and Chicago, via North Philadelphia. It replaced its predecessors, the Pennsylvania Limited and the Pennsylvania Special...
, in addition to Clockers and special movements including circus and mail trains, or maintenance of way runs.
All Amtrak E60 units were retired in 2003. In April 2004, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...
acquired Amtrak E60 603 for preservation. NJ Transit 958 was also preserved. All others were scrapped.
Road Number Conversions of Amtrak GE E60s
| New Road Number | Old Road Number |
|---|---|
| E60MA 600 | E60CH 974 |
| E60MA 601 | E60CP 956 |
| E60MA 602 | E60CH 975 |
| E60MA 603 | E60CH 964 |
| E60MA 604 | E60CP 951 |
| E60MA 605 | E60CH 965 |
| E60MA 606 | E60CH 970 |
| E60MA 607 | E60CH 969 |
| E60MA 608 | E60CP 952 |
| E60MA 609 | E60CH 957 |
| E60MA 610 | E60CP 955 |
| E60CP 620 | E60CP 950 |
| E60CP 621 | E60CP 953 |
The table is based on Amtrak Locomotive and Car Notes by Geoff Sarbutt.
E60C-2
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de MéxicoFerrocarriles Nacionales de México
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 a major railroad controlled by the government that linked Mexico City to the major cities of Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez on the U.S. border...
(NdeM) ordered 39 E60C-2 locomotives built between September 1982 and December 1983. They were numbered EA001-EA039. These E60C-2's have double cabs and double pantographs.
These locomotives were intended for use on a new double-track electric line between Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and Irapuato, but economic conditions delayed the project and prevented its completion as planned. On February 24, 1994, 28 of the locomotives finally went into operation by NdeM on a shortened version of the project, but six of these soon wrecked. Eleven others remained in storage. When the electric line was privatized in 1997, the 22 operating E60C-2's passed to Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana
Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana
Kansas City Southern de México , formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana , is the name of a company dedicated to freight transportation using rail in the North Eastern part of Mexico...
(TFM), and the unused 11 remained in storage in government ownership. Most of the catenary was soon removed for increased vertical clearance.
All of the E60C-2's have been offered for sale since, and 22 of them were sold back to GE for more GE AC4400CW
GE AC4400CW
The GE AC4400CW is a diesel-electric locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems between 1993 and 2004. It is similar to the Dash 9-44CW, but features AC traction motors instead of DC, with a separate inverter per motor. 2,598 examples of this locomotive were produced for North American...
s. Three E60C-2's were sold to Texas Utilities (TXU
TXU
Energy Future Holdings Corporation is an electric utility company headquartered in Energy Plaza in Downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The company was known as TXU until its $45 billion leveraged buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Texas Pacific Group and Goldman Sachs...
) to serve the company's Martin Lake Line in 1999. BM&LP
Black Mesa and Lake Powell
The Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad is a electrified private railroad operating in Northern Arizona, USA within the Navajo Nation which transports coal from the Peabody Energy's Kayenta Mine near Kayenta, Arizona to the Navajo Generating Station power plant at Page, Arizona...
acquired several E60C-2s to replace their own aging E60C's. The Deseret-Western Railway
Deseret-Western Railway
The Deseret Power Railroad, formerly known as the Deseret-Western Railway, is a private railroad operating in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado....
acquired 7 E60C-2's to ship coal over the 35-mile stretch from the Deserado Coal Mine located near Rangely, Colorado
Rangely, Colorado
Rangely is a Statutory Town in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,096 at the 2000 census. The town is home to one of two campuses of the Colorado Northwestern Community College.-Geography:...
to Deseret's Bonanza Power Plant located near Bonanza, Utah
Bonanza, Utah
Bonanza is a census-designated place in southeastern Uintah County, in eastern Utah, United States. The name refers to a rich mineral strike.Near the community is a coal fired power plant owned by Deseret Power Electric Cooperative. Bonanza is also in the area of the Colorado Plateau where oil...
. Seven were acquired in 2006 by the Montréal Agence Métropolitaine de Transport, in Québec.
Five units, EA011, EA016, EA014, EA025, and EA019, part of the Montréal Agence Métropolitaine de Transport group, were seen in transit on CSX on April 13, 2008, in Syracuse NY. The train hauling the units operates from Montreal to Selkirk (near Albany) NY. The units were delivered to the Susquehanna Locomotive and Car Shops located in the former NYS&W shops in Utica, NY. They were bought by a Mexican oil company for the electrical components. What was not taken by the oil company was parted out by SL&C and the balance of the units scrapped. Some of these locomotives had never been used and still had the desiccant bags stuffed in the control cabinets.
External links
- GE E-Series Electrics Roster
- The Locomotive Place - GE Electric Locomotives
- The E60 Page by the RR Museum of PA
- E60 Photos at Railpictures.net and RR Picture Archives
- Amtrak Electrics at Banks of the Susquehanna
- Amtrak Photo Archives
- Stan's Railpix E-60 Photos
- NdeM E60C-2 Photo Gallery by Jorge Luna Helú