General Electric Data Sheets - MagnumMacKivler/RLCPT2 GitHub Wiki

the fourth word on the general electric wikipedia page

GE Transportation was a corporation that specialized in producing heavy industrial equipment. Originally founded in 1907 as an offshoot of American General Electric, GE Transportation became a titanic mega corporation producing wind turbines, stationary generators, energy storage systems, and marine, mining, drilling, and (most important for our purposes) rail equipment. Following an under-performing quarter in 2018, shareholders of General Electric cannibalized the company and consolidated all efforts into becoming a defense contractor. GE Transportation was promptly sold to and consolidated into Wabtec, who have continued to produce GE Transportation's products virtually unchanged.

GE Transportation's first serious foray into the rail market was as a member of a cooperative ALCO - GE - IR consortium which produced the first production diesel electric locomotive in the United States; GE provided the electrical gear (vocabulary word- the traction motors, generator, and wiring) towards the project. Following the dissolution of the partnership, GE continued to work with Ingersoll-Rand until IR departed from the rail market in the mid-30's. GE then signed on to a partnership with ALCO, providing first choice electrical gear towards ALCO's diesel-electric products. GE was allowed to make locomotives of their own, but only of specific power ratings and size; GE capitalized on this by producing various critters and small industrial locomotives for customers in the US.

A disastrous board meeting in 1952 led GE to dissolve their partnership with ALCO and strike out on their own. GE immediately set to work producing various export locomotives (these would become the foundation for the Universal series) and approached Cooper-Bessemer about engine technology, purchasing the FWL engine and refining it. Throughout the 1950's, GE produced various "export test beds" that slowly morphed into a 2400 horsepower road locomotive; in 1959 GE publically announced that they had entered the domestic rail market with the U25. From there, GE's massive capital and solid backing made them a formidable opponent to EMD, and while their early locomotives were not as successful as their competitors, they were ultimately successful in toppling EMD as the dominant locomotive maker. Beginning in the 1990's, GE held the market with an iron fist, producing the lion's share of new build locomotives for both the domestic and export markets. Today, under Wabtec, they still produce most new cars and locomotives for the domestic market.

📄 Denotes a "paper" engine: something that was designed and catalogued, but never built.

GE/Wabtec Locomotive Models

Pre-Universal (1939-1956)

These are a lot harder to categorize than the others. There were many, many locomotives built during this era and most were unique; I have included the most common models here. This list also includes all the pre-Universal locomotives that would eventually become the foundation of the domestic Universal line. This list is incomplete.

  • B-B 88/88-4GE733 330 HP [44 ton domestic locomotive. John Centercab. 2x CAT D17000.]
  • B-B 100/100-2GE763 300 HP [45 ton domestic locomotive. 2x Cummins HBI-600.]
  • B-B 140/140-4GE748 600 HP [70 ton domestic locomotive. Cooper Bessemer FWL6T at full rated HP.]
  • C-C 140/140-6GE747 600 HP [70 ton export locomotive. Functionally identical to the above 4 axle, but with lighter axle loading.]
  • A1A-A1A 110/165-4GE756 985 HP [The actual, honest to god grandfather of the entire Universal line. Cooper Bessemer FVL12T derated to 985 bhp, 900 traction.]
  • C-B-C 240/240-8GE747 1200 HP [Massive 3ft monster. 12-244 derated to 1200 hp.]
  • C-C 200/200-6GE756 1400 HP [Belgian Congo shovelnose. 12-244 derated to 1400 hp.]
  • C-C 224/224-6GE731 1400 HP [Uruguayan double ended shovelnose. 12-244 derated to 1400 hp.]
  • C-C 200/200-6GE756 1320 HP [QR 1150 class road switchers. Cooper Bessemer FVL12T rated at 1320 bhp, 1100 traction.]
  • C-C 192/192-6GE756 1200 HP [Follow-up order of shovelnoses for Argentinian broad gauge. 12-244 rated at 1200 for traction.]
  • C-C 230/230-6GE731 1400 HP [Meter gauge shovelnoses for Argentina. 12-244 rated at 1400 for traction.]
  • B-B 110/110-4GE747 [Little Giant! Narrow gauge endcab. Could be ordered with several variants of the CAT D397 engine.]
  • C-C 220/220-6GE761 1600 HP [Brazilian meter gauge road switcher. 12-244 at full rated hp.]
  • C-2-C 158/211-6GE761 1600 HP ["The Yankee". Indonesian idler truck shovelnose. 12-244 at full rated hp.]
  • C-C 255/255-6GE731 1600 HP [Chilean shovelnose. Closely related to the Argentinian meter gauge shovels. 12-244 at full rated HP.]
  • C-C 162/162-6GHM842 [White Pass and Yukon's shovelnoses. 90 and 91 equipped with 6-251A rated at 800 hp, 92+ equipped with 6-251B rated at 900 hp.]
  • A1A-A1A 90/134-4GE731 600 HP [QR 1170 class. Miniature 1150's! Cooper Bessemer FWL6T at full rated hp.]
  • C-C 182/182-6GE761 1325 HP [This is actually two models of locomotives built for Manila Railroad; one is a derivative of the rolling laboratory, and the other is a proto-Universal. Cooper Bessemer FVBL8T at 1325 bhp, 1200 for traction.]
  • C-C 236/236-6GE761 1600 HP [NSW 43 Class. 12-244 at full rated hp.]

Export Universal: 1956-1976

This list is incomplete.

  • U4B
  • U6B
  • U9B
  • U9C
  • U12B
  • U12C
  • U18B
  • U18C
  • UD18

Domestic Universal: 1960-1976

For the sake of clarity, I have added dates to these, since they were not all available concurrently.

  • U25B/U25C [1960-1965 U25B, 1963-1965 U25C]
  • U28B/U28C [1966]
  • U30B/U30C [1967-1976]
  • U23B/U23C [1968-1976]
  • U33B/U33C [1968-1976]
  • U36B/U36C [1968-1976]
  • U18B/U18BT📄 [1972-1976]
  • U50/U56📄 [1963-1965 U50, 1966 U56]
  • U50C [1969-1971]
  • U30CG [1967](1)
  • U34CH [1970-1973]
  • P30CH [1975]

(1) ATSF's U30CG. Electrically and mechanically identical to a normal U30C of 1967 heritage, but in a really wacky carbody.

1977 New Series and New Series 7: 1976-1983

Does not include export only models.

(2) Not the same model as the later B36-7/C36-7. These models would be virtually identical to the U36B/U36C and would not have SENTRY creep control.

(3) Available post-1980.

New Series 8: 1984-1987

  • B23-8📄
  • B32-8/C32-8
  • B39-8/C39-8

Dash 8: 1987-1994

(4) Unlike other parts of this article, the various names in the brackets are other names for these models and not different iterations.

Dash 9/AC Models: 1994-2004

Evolution Line: 2004-Present

(5) Early models were called AC44EV.

Lab Rats and Miscellaneous: (various)

Place to put testbeds and weird oddities GE's made that don't really fit anywhere else.

  • Rolling Laboratory/UM20
  • MATE
  • C39-8CF
  • C39-9
  • BEL44C4D/FLXdrive