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  • GE 70 Tonner Dimensions

  • Discussion of General Electric locomotive technology. Current official information can be found here: www.getransportation.com.
Discussion of General Electric locomotive technology. Current official information can be found here: www.getransportation.com.

Moderators: MEC407, AMTK84

 #413699  by EDM5970
 
I hate to nitpick someone's honest attempt to provide information, but there are a few things wrong here, from just a quick scan. The data lists TWO FDL-6T engines, and TWO main generators. Only a single FDL-6T (and one main gen.) was used on the end cab 70T.

Also, the gear ratio and top speed are wrong. 74:18 was the usual gear ratio for just about everything from the RS-2s and FA-1s up through the Centuries and U-boats, and allowed a 65 or 70 MPH top speed, not the 20 as listed here. IIRC, the end cab 70T had a double reduction gearing which allowed 55 MPH operation. The end cab 25T and center cab 45T/50T (siderod or chain drive) industrial models were usually 20 MPH units. The end cab 70Ts were also available with MU; St. J and PGE had this option, as well as others.

One of the problems here is the fact that GE built both single engine, end cab locomotives as well as two engine, center cab units; many railfans and historians only consider the weight. I think specs from a few models are mixed up on this data table.

Another related problem is that any center cab GE (or Whitcomb, Davenport, Porter) is automatically a 44 tonner; right? Just look at many of the units on Fallen Flags that are not really 44Ts. (And I'm not picking on George Elwood, either; he has to have some element of trust in the accuracy of what is submitted, or he simply would never get anything put up on his site.)

 #413727  by pablo
 
Along these lines, I've been to GE's planbt in Erie for a training a year or two ago, and I have heard stories separately about how little GE cared about their history when they did things like scrap the first U-boat.

Does GE have a set of archives that anyone knows about where such things as these specs, or builders photos/specs for each unit made are housed?

Dave Becker

 #414745  by dsrc512
 
Truck wheel base - 6' 10"
Source- Kalmbach Diesel Locomotives plan book

Alex Huff