GE U18B
Performance figures | |
---|---|
Power output | 1,800 hp (1.34 MW) |
Career | |
---|---|
Locale | North America |
The GE U18B diesel-electric locomotive was introduced by GE Transportation as a branch line road switcher locomotive in 1973.[1] It was the only North American locomotive powered by the 8-cylinder 7FDL engine.[2] The U18B was not a popular seller with GE only making about 150 of them, and they were mostly purchased by Maine Central and Seaboard Coast Line.[1] Railroads lost interest in specialized road units entering the 1970s.[1] The U18Bs were noted for having reliability issues and being underpowered.[1] The Maine Central referred to their U18Bs as the Independence class and named their units after revolutionary war heroes.[3][1] GE included information about a B18-7 locomotive (which would have followed the U18B) in its 1978 "Series-7 Road Locomotives" service manual, but none of these updated units were ordered, sold, or built.[4][5]
Original Owners
Image | Railroad | Quantity | Numbers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Maine Central Railroad[6] | 10[6] | 400–409[6] | Blomberg trucks;[6] part of a cancelled SCL order |
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México[6] | 45[6] | 9000–9044[6] | AAR type-B trucks[6] | |
![]() | Providence and Worcester Railroad[6] | 1[6] | 1801[6] | FB-2 trucks[6] |
![]() | Seaboard Coast Line Railroad[6] | 105[6] | 250–261, 300–392[6] | 325-392 with Blomberg trucks, all others FB-2.[6] All to CSX. 10 additional units on order but cancelled |
Texas Utilities[6] | 2[6] | 101–102[6] | AAR type-B trucks[6] |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "GE "U18B" Locomotives: Data, Specs, Production Roster". American-Rails.com. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "Origins of the GE FDL engine". RAILROAD.NET. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "Maine Central Roster". trainweb.org. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Miller, T. C. B. (September 1963). "Maintenance of Diesel Electric Locomotives in Service". Journal of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers. 53 (295): 577–661. doi:10.1243/jile_proc_1963_053_055_02. ISSN 0534-283X.
- ^ Kte'pi, Bill (2014), "Electric Diesel Locomotive", Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., doi:10.4135/9781483346526.n177, ISBN 9781452267791, retrieved 2022-03-25
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "U18B Roster". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- v
- t
- e
switch engines