The GM10B was a solitary

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

testbed

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...

with a power output of which was intended for use on high-speed freight services on the

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...

. Built by American locomotive builder

Electro-Motive Division Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. The company is owned by Caterpillar through its sub ...

(EMD) at its

La Grange, Illinois ''(the barn)'' , nickname = , motto = ''Tradition & Pride – Moving Forward'' , anthem = ''My La Grange'' by Jimmy Dunne , image_map = File:Cook County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas La Grange Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 26 ...

, plant in collaboration with

ASEA ''Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget'' (English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company; Swedish abbreviation: ASEA) was a Swedish industrial company. History ASEA was founded in 1883 by Ludvig Fredholm in Västerås as ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. It entered service with

Penn Central The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Railroad classes, class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania Railroad ...

in August 1976 and featured a B-B-B wheel arrangement, a first for the North American market, while having a high proportion of Swedish built components and design features created by ASEA.

History

At the time of its conception in 1976, high oil prices had a number of large US railroads contemplating electrification of their most heavily used lines while at the same time the only major US railroad with freight-hauling electrification, the

, had a fleet of aging locomotives which were in need of replacement. As a result, EMD, in conjunction with ASEA, developed the GM10B to provide motive power for high-speed freight trains while at the same time developing the similair GM6C for slow drag freight services. However, after the introduction of the locomotives circumstances changed as the oil prices declined, which wiped out the interest freight railroads had in electrification, all while diesel locomotive power and adhesion were improved. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy of Penn Central led to the division of the railroad's physical plant between

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

, which inherited much of the electrified region, and

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...

. Increased access charges on the part of Amtrak led to Conrail ceasing electric operations in 1982, dismantling the electrification on its lines and avoiding Amtrak-owned rails. Due to this the two locomotives became surplus to operational requirements and were returned to EMD, remaining in the yard at the LaGrange plant until both were scrapped in the mid-1980s.

References

{{EMD misc GM10B Bo-Bo-Bo locomotives 11 kV AC locomotives 25 kV AC locomotives 50 kV AC locomotives Experimental locomotives Electric locomotives of the United States Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1976 Freight locomotives

History

See also

References