Yesterday, the PA Turnpike Commission
celebrated the completion of the new
Susquehanna River Bridge by allowing
the public to walk - or run - on the
westbound span. It opens to vehicular
traffic on May 16.
This gave me an opportunity to photograph
the former Bethlehem Steel Pipe Mill from above.
I have to disagree with Ed (put that on the calendar, everyone!)–it does look like a GE 44-tonner to me. The 44-tonners are center-cab units, and that boxy cab is a giveaway. You usually see cabs and hood ends like those on GE 70-tonners, but those are single-hood end-cab locomotives.
It looks more like a 45-tonner. The hoods on 44-tonners extend all the way to the end of the frame. Also, a 45-tonner has only one traction motor on each truck, the axles on each truck are connected by a chain drive or siderods. It is definitely a center-cab in the picture, note the length of the walkways on the far side of the cab.
Paul may have something–can’t see whether this unit has side rods, but I’ve seen a 45-tonner often enough to know that this might be one.
I know it doesn’t look much like a 44-tonner, which is why I mentioned the hoods. But those hoods and the cab are definitely GE, as opposed to Plymouth or Whitcomb.
…Carl…I’ve pulled up another photo in looking around about this discussion and found a little center cab engine with 2 small diesel engines and the caption indicates it’s a “44 ton GE unit”…and 400 of them were built under the above lable and it appears to me to not have side rods.
The cab and hoods and verticle exhaust pipes seem very similar…Only the headlight fixture appears a bit different, but suppose that could be very possible in different build lots. From this picture it appears to me the engine in this post question very well could be of GE origin. Also the railing and steps around the edges of the engine are very similar in this comparison.
The picture I pulled up was of this one working in a Cuban sugar cane Mill…Says GE built the majority of 44 tonners between 1940 and 1956.
Gents, thanks for the interest, I am Adam Norris and the Steelton mill is my families business, i happened to stumble upon your question looking some things up, and if you are still interested i can give you an answer! thanks for the interest
Odd little switch engines are kinda like mutt puppies, everyone has a favorite, and everyone wants to take one home…[:D]
In all seriousness…I would like to know…we have several pipe dealers down here in Houston, (duh) and there is a wide range of power used, everything from old SW9s to GEs to a Plymouth and a Withcomb running around here, would like to know the pedigree of this one.
Old Plymouth running around a pipe yard…and its cousin which is always just out of full view…has two real long hoods with a center cab, and radiators on each end…will try to get a photo to post.
Although I can’t identify the locomotive, I’d bet anything that the pipe company is run by Pennsylvania Dutch. No one else would be that clean and neat.
We have a lot of Dutchmen, (actually Germans, as are the Pennsylvanians) in our town and you’d be amazed at some of the neatly kept industries. Even the MoPac kept their ROW neat and clean going through the south side or they’d have gotten complaints.