The General Electric (GE), 70-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built between 1942 and 1955. During that time, a total of 238 examples would be produced.
History[]
The first 7 "70-Tonners" would be center-cab units for the New York Central Railroad. These differed greatly from the later "end-cab" variant, which is the most common. The first end-cab version would be delivered in January 1947. A few locomotives would end up in Brazil, where they were classified as the GE 64T, (Meaning 64 Metric Tons). In Brazil, they were nicknamed "Scooters", though most railfans simply refer to them as "70-Tonners". These locomotives proved to be rather popular with short lines and industries, thanks to it's ability to haul a good amount of tonnage on lightweight-capacity rail. Some class 1's, including the Southern Pacific and Canadian National, would use in a similar capacity for branchlines and yard work. The last example would be delivered in December 1955.
Preservation[]
Several Members of the class have survived into preservation. Notable examples include:
- Southern Pacific #5100 at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, Oregon
- Southern Pacific #5119 at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association in Campo, California
- High Point Thomasville and Denton Railroad #202 at the Denton FarmPark in Denton, NC
- Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad #50 at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
- Canadian National #30 at the Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant, Quebec
- Norfolk Southern No. 703 at the South Simcoe Railway in Tottenham, Ontario
Trivia[]
- A Model of this locomotive is produced Bachmann Trains in HO Scale, and in 3-Rail O Scale through their "Williams" Line.
Gallery[]
