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Why did diesel go to passenger first?
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The first diesel locomotives were switchers and were mandated by law. New York City enacted a law about 1920 banning steam locomotives from New York City and any adjoining city. This was meant to force electrification but was interpreted to permit the substitution of diesel electrics. Thus CNJ 300 was born, along with many of the other Ingersol Rand electrics. Not to mention the tri powered and bi powered hybrids. This also was the reason the Westinghouse "Mike and Ike" twins appeared on the Long Island, along with a few other Westinghouses. And the reason a Brill manufactured diesel electric, lettered for the Long Island, tested on the Philadelphia docks for months before being refused by the Long Island's parent, the PRR. <br /> <br />Chicago enacted a similar law which pushed the IC into electrification, and NYC and IC to purchase IR-GE-Alco locomotives. And Santa Fe to purchase the very first commercially sold Baldwin Diesel Electric locomotive. Chicago backed off because of the Great Depression and no other railroads there were forced to change by fiat. <br /> <br />The first diesel passenger locomotive did not appear until years later. It was an ALCO-GE-M&S locomotive that was used for passenger service on New York Central's Putnam Division. The entire Putnam Division was covered by the New York City statute but had low enough traffic that New York Central did not think electrification was justified. The locomotive was reasonably successful, but the complexity of its air injection engine, not to mention fiscal problems due to the Great Depression that followed its construction caused it to not be repeated.
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