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The GE 80-ton switcher is a
diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover (locomotive), prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conv ...
model built by
GE Transportation Systems GE Transportation is a Division (business), division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the Rail transport, railroad, marine, mi ...
. It is classified as a B-B type locomotive. It was designed for industrial and light switching duties around
railhead In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include, but are ...
s and
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
s.


Military version

The military purchased 80-tonners between 1952 and 1953 for use switching railheads around Continental U.S. (CONUS) military facilities. In the 1990s Rail Equipment Division at
Tooele Army Depot Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) is a United States Army Joint Munitions Command post in Tooele County, Utah. It serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition. The depot stores, issues, receives, renovates, modifies, maintains and demi ...
rebuilt most 80-tonners to have Cummins turbo-charged 6-cylinder engines. The rebuild included a small cosmetic change resulting in end radiator screens and dual headlights. This rebuild gave all Army and some Air Force 80-tonners a much longer lifespan. Less than 27 Army and 5 Air Force 80-tonners are still in service present day. Navy 80-tonners did not undergo this rebuild. Many Navy engines were rebuilt by contracts with locomotive rehab companies.


Heritage Railways

At least five 80-tonners have been known to be in tourist service. These locomotives resided on the
Virginia & Truckee Railroad The Virginia and Truckee Railroad is a privately owned heritage railroad, headquartered in Virginia City, Nevada. Its private and publicly owned route is long. When first constructed in the 19th century, it was a commercial freight railroad ...
. The D-1 was acquired in 2003 and was the mainstay of the fleet while the railroad's two steam locomotives were undergoing rebuild. The Valley Railroad in
Essex, Connecticut Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,733 at the 2020 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton. History The Great Attack Essex is one of the few Am ...
owns five 80-tonners, 0900, 0901, 0902, 0903, and 7145, for use on the
Essex Clipper Dinner Train The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a Heritage railway, heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1 ...
, as well as for yard switching and work train service. Former US Army 1654 is in regular service at the
Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum The Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum (RGVRRM) is an operating railroad museum located in Industry, New York, a hamlet within the town of Rush. The museum started in 1971 with the purchase of a former Erie Railroad Depot from the Erie ...
as their No. 54, along with
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
No. 6. An 80-ton G.E. switcher #7285, built in 1943, is still in operation at th
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
in Campo, California in San Diego County on the San Diego & Arizona Railway. The Nevada Southern Railway located in Boulder City, Nevada, has one of the GE 80 tonners that was used at the Nevada Atomic Test site north of Las Vegas in the 1950s on the Jackass and Western Railroad for the nuclear engine development and testing program. US Navy 65-00310 is privately owned and is used on a recreational railroad at the Denton FarmPark in
Denton, North Carolina Denton is a town in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,636 at the 2010 census. Geography Denton is located in southern Davidson County at (35.632752, -80.111603). It is southeast of Lexington, the county seat. ...
. Image:Sims RichmondVA 2007.jpg, Original 80-Ton with "chopped cab". Image:USAX 1663 Fort Eustis WGrimes 2007.JPG, GE 80-Ton moving cars at the Fort Eustis Railhead. 80-ton switcher B-B locomotives Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States Standard gauge locomotives of the United States {{Diesel-loco-stub