True "corridorial classics". Big, box-like body on six axles, mesh screens over the cab windows, and those odd-ball pantographs.
Rode the Cardinal in the 80's with a E60 each way. Always wanted to ride them on NJT and experience the shuffle and engine change.
Stories appreciated, please post.
Posted by gct29 (Member # 1551) on :
Haven't done much reading on them, but I heard they had a bad run because they were too hard on the rails - kinda like their Western contemporaries, the SD40s. They were ubiquitous on Amtrak before the AEM7, though. Don't remember seeing so many on NJT, except on the NY&LB. They could often be seen layed over at South Amboy when that was the southern end of the line's electrification.
I'll miss the bulkiness of the E60, but I have to say, they couldn't hold a candle to the GG1.
Posted by transit383 (Member # 1488) on :
Those E60s are monsters! I often see them running through New Brunswick on the NEC. Interestingly enough, the E60s still pull the longer trains (the ones with the Viewliners, baggage cars, and boxcars- usually a 12-16 car train), while the largest consist I have seen with an HHP-8 was about 10 cars. They have a very distintive horn, and when they are approaching the station (usually on NJT tracks), the horn blares, and one can see this massive locomotive swaying from side to side (from what I heard, they are limited to a certain speed because of this). Recently though (about the last two weeks), they have been downgraded to running the local Amtrak trains, they pull the 2:18PM into New Brunswick with three cars (one of four Amtrak Trains to serve this station), a run once done with the HHP-8s (probably to break them in). I have some photos of these classics on my site. http://www.geocities.com/transit383/ Posted by gct29 (Member # 1551) on :
It may be early senility, but I seem to remember Conrail having a few for their corridor freights, painted in in their typical blue with white lettering. Can anyone veryify this?
Posted by transit383 (Member # 1488) on :
You are probably thinking of the E44 Electrics. Conrail had several of them painted in the Can Opener Logo. They also had a few E33 Electrics. In addition to these electrics, they had several GG1s. However, only one (#4800) was painted in the Conrail blue scheme.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Oh, the E-60 again? Basically the SDP40F of the electrified territory, if you like. The biggest problem with them was hunting, which was one problem they shared with the SDP40F (I've seen E-60s hunting at speed myself, on a northbound Amtrak train at Rahway, NJ; it was swaying from side to side quite violently and I was wondering how the engineer was putting up with it). Since, also like the SDP40F, they were derived from a freight loco design, they were able to pull the longer trains by themselves, but were far less stable at speed than the GG-1 (the GG-1 had those leading trucks, I'm sure people recall, which eliminated the hunting).
I remember when E-60-hauled Comet II trains would stop at Elizabeth late at night; I believe that they were Bay Head direct trains which would change engines at South Amboy. I'm not sure whether or not they ever solved the problem of not being able to run push-pull (they may have, because I seem to recall some E-60/Comet II consists running backwards), but NJT just found them too troublesome.
All that said, they weren't too bad of a looker; their horsepower output is in the 6,000 range, which is more than merely respectable...but high weight and poor distribution of same is what did them in as far as keeping the AEM-7 from reaching our shore, I suspect. Too bad...
Posted by gct29 (Member # 1551) on :
Thanks for clearing that up, transit383. Don't know how I confused the hooded E44 with the E60, but evidently I did.
It's funny--Like many railfans, I had always despised the E60 becuase it signalled the end of the GG1, a signal that came in the form of a bland box in contrast to the GG1's classic lines. But now, with the E60's own demise, it's becoming clear how handsome they were. If they had entered in the era of Tuscan Red and pinstripes, they would have made quite a sight.
It begs an old question: is a railfan doomed to hate everything until it's gone?