I want to congratulate the folks over at the B&O Railroad Museum for this phenomenal restoration of an EA. This in my eyes has got to be one of the most beautiful pieces of rolling stock to ever grace the rails! Looking forward to seeing this beauty in 2027 for the Bicentennial. Kudos to all involved[Y][Y]
It’s stunning! I think it looks better than new!
I wonder, did they get it running?
My understanding was that it was just the body shell and trucks, the generators and traction motors having been traded in to EMD. They have No 50 as well, which is more historic if significantly less attractive…
Peter
According to Preston Cook, it still has both Winton engines. Remember that the original generators and traction motors in this locomotive were Westinghouse, and I suspect even locating correct replacement components would be fantastically difficult – please tell me I’m wrong.
It would be fantastically expensive to get the Winton engines running, as some of the parts required special metallurgy and fabrication, and the engine not the most perfect design to keep running even with maintenance.
My understanding is that 50 has its original engines as well, but there is significant environmental damage inside the carbody. Discussion on RyPN about how much of the ‘cosmetic work’ will be on the inside.
Engine room photos, pre-restoration of course:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127696208@N08/sets/72157651668416061/with/16804132859/
While it is far from an empty shell, it does lack the generators and traction motors as I believed and it is almost certainly not worth trying to run the Winton 201As which were hard to maintain when brand new.
Peter
The 51 was traded to EMD in the early 1950’s to become a E8m as were its brothers except for 52. EMD used the Main Generators and traction motors in the ‘remanufactured’ units that were rated at 2000 HP instead of the normal E8 at 2250 HP. EMD returned the unused parts to the B&O so the carbody could be used for display in the B&O Museum that was created in 1952 (or thereabouts) as a part of the B&O
The present day B&O Museum is a standalone organization. B&O 50 and 52 were sent to the Alton while it was under B&O ownership and stayed there after the B&O sold the Alton to the Mobile & Ohio in 1942 (or thereabouts). In addition to those diesels the Alton kept the lightweight train sets the B&O secured in the mid 1930’s. One set was secured for the B&O Royal Blue and the other for the Alton’s Abraham Lincoln. B&O did not like the ride qualities of its lightweight set and it was shipped to the Alton and ran as the Ann Rutledge as both Abe & Ann made daily round trips between St.Louis and Chicago. I believe #50 was donated to the National Museum of Transportation in St.Louis at the end of its days.
Yes, it is stunning. But think of all of the Brazilian carnubas that had to be sacrificed to make it look that way?
Absolutely fabulous! I can’t wait to see her in person.
I would’ve loved to be the hogger on this unit. I was born 45 years too late…
Well this might not be B&O related, but I couldn’t resist… EMC had some really talented folks back int the day. Santa Fe E1 is essentially the same loco as the EA. Not sure why the change in nomenclature.
What a magnificent engine! Wow. Gorgeous. [bow]
The present day B&O Museum is a standalone organization. B&O 50 and 52 were sent to the Alton while it was under B&O ownership and stayed there after the B&O sold the Alton to the Mobile & Ohio in 1942 (or thereabouts). In addition to those diesels the Alton kept the lightweight train sets the B&O secured in the mid 1930’s. One set was secured for the B&O Royal Blue and the other for the Alton’s Abraham Lincoln. B&O did not like the ride qualities of its lightweight set and it was shipped to the Alton and ran as the Ann Rutledge as both Abe & Ann made daily round trips between St.Louis and Chicago. I believe #50 was donated to the National Museum of Transportation in St.Louis at the end of its days. - (Balt ACD)
I am probably confusing B&O 50 with the smaller but vaguely similar CNJ 1000. I have a clear recollection of a boxcab standing inside the B&O roundhouse.
I think the small side windows on 51 upset the balance a little, and that Santa Fe’s E-1s which were othervise similar looked better as a result. But we are lucky to have 51…
The stainless steel headlight surround seemed to vary on the different EA units, and possibly at different times, but I think that on 51 is what it had in 1937.
Peter
50, along with ATSF’s Amos and Andy (1A and 1B of 1935) were beautiful in their own way (not so much when they got mongrellized into transfer locomotives later in life.)
The Santa Fe E1s had GE electrical gear, the B&O EAs used Westinghouse electrical gear. That may be the major difference between those units.
Ingersoll-Rand 1000 is, in fact, next on the list to get the beauty treatment – with C&O 490 after that.
I saw CNJ 1000 several years ago myself. What struck me was “up close and personal” I could smell the diesel fuel even after all the years it’s been on display! I couldn’t help but wonder if 1000 was still operable.
“Beauty treatment?” It looked to be in a pretty good state of preservation to me and not needing any restoration at all, but I’m not the best judge of that. It’s their unit after all.
I tend to favor preservation over restoration, but certainly not in all circumstances.
As an aside, the Henry Ford Museum also has an AGEIR boxcab, Ingersoll Rand 91, which is older than the C&O Allegheny also on display.
EMD built twos sets of E3s E2s for the UP, IIRC the set of the City of LA used GE electrical gear and the set for the City of SF used Westinghouse electrical gear.
The six contemporary UP SF 1,2,3 and LA 1,2,3 units were E2s
UP did get two E3s, an A+B, initially numbered LA 4 and 5 but soon renumbered.
The later triple units LA 4, 5 and 6 and SF 4, 5 and 6 were model E6.
Peter