by Allen Hazen
A question was asked on the Locomotive Enthusiasts forum a while back, and hasn't so far been answered there. The MLW M420 (and apparently also its M424 variant for Mexico and the H412) had, as its traction alternator, a GTA-17, supplied by Canadian General Electric. Does anybody know what this is? CGE supplied GTA-9 and GTA-11 alternators for six-axle MLW units, so my guess is that this is something smaller and cheaper. (Not MUCH cheaper, since GE was happy to use the GTA-11 on AC/DC transmission U23B and B23-7!)
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Now a similar but slightly earlier case. U.S. built Alco switchers with six-cylinder 251 engines (S-6, T-6) had GT-584 traction generators. (This generator was also used on at least some Alco export locomotives with 6-251 engines: for example, the first series of New South Wales (Australia) Class 48 units (these locomotives were built in Australia with some imported components; later series substituted non-GE electricals).) But MLW-built switchers (and ??RS23?? light roadswitchers) with this engine got a GT-740. ... My initial suspicion was that this was the same thing as a GT-584 but with a different serial number, but since the GT-581 supplied for larger MLW power were called "GT-581" it doesn't appear that CGE gave different model from those used in the U.S.
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Now a similar but slightly earlier case. U.S. built Alco switchers with six-cylinder 251 engines (S-6, T-6) had GT-584 traction generators. (This generator was also used on at least some Alco export locomotives with 6-251 engines: for example, the first series of New South Wales (Australia) Class 48 units (these locomotives were built in Australia with some imported components; later series substituted non-GE electricals).) But MLW-built switchers (and ??RS23?? light roadswitchers) with this engine got a GT-740. ... My initial suspicion was that this was the same thing as a GT-584 but with a different serial number, but since the GT-581 supplied for larger MLW power were called "GT-581" it doesn't appear that CGE gave different model from those used in the U.S.