Another manual online

[Allen Hazen]

Just to report-- George Elwood's "Fallen Flags" rail image site gets better and better. Another GE locomotive manual, GEJ-3866, an "Educational Manual" for the U33B and U33C models, is now up (it's a sizeable pdf, and takes a few minutes to download), indexed under Operator's Manuals on the front page.
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There's a "7/69" in one corner of the title page, which I suppose might be the date of issue-- the lists of components include the GTA-11 traction alternator, so this manual wouldn't have covered the earliest U33 types, which had the GTA-9: the changeover was apparently made in early 1969 (Erie Lackawanna's first order of U33C had GTA-9, the second had GTA-11... according to the E-L locomotive diagram book, which is ALSO available at "Fallen Flags").
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I move a vote of thanks to George Elwood from all of us!

[Eliphaz]

Yes indeed, George Elwood has created a wonderful resource. Many thanks for many long hours of browsing.

[Typewriters]

The 7/69 is the date when that particular manual was published. You can find multiple publication dates for a number of GE manuals published in this format - that is to say, you can find multiple publications of the exact same manual, having different dates, as the need for further copies of an edition became apparent. (Usually, the number of copies is also right by the print date - an example being 1M or "1000.")

The really important number on a GE locomotive manual is the GEJ number at the top right. Not the top right of the front cover, but the top right of the front (title) page of the manual. The manual numbers are sublettered as changes are made, but frequently this letter is NOT seen on the front cover of the manual.

Mechanical changes on the locomotives are NOT always included in these (small format) GE operators / educational manuals. As time wore on, the manuals were less likely to be altered to reflect smaller changes on the locomotives. In case this isn't clear, I'll add that there are many many manual variations of all ranges of the manuals (operating, diesel engine/mechanical, electrical/air, educational) during the span of the U25. The U30 is represented by two quite different Educational manuals, while the U33 has only one and the U23/36 none.

What this points up for researchers, primarily, is that the publication date of any given manual is less relevant than the publication number. The dedicated researcher has to search widely for a long time to discern the first publication date for a given manual number. Many have been, actually.

I published a GE manual catechism a while back that detailed the known GE manual variations. I've been meaning to refresh that as there have been quite a number of additions. Just one of many unfinished projects.

-Will Davis