what do ya know bout the 44 ton center cabs
They weigh about 44 tons.
In other words, ask a vague question, get a generic reply.....
I think most of them had a center cab as well.
And the 90K agreement allowed a one man crew, no fireman.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
From my 4-5th grade classroom at Cinnibar School, in Petaluma, CA (1947-'49), I could watch the de-electrified Petaluma & Santa Rosa 44-tonners at work. They seemed to pull a substantial number of cars. Don't remember if they were ever double-headed. Cool! Farther in the distance, an occasional Northwestern Pacific train went by (in steam). Cool, again! Never saw any other trains, from the classrooms in NY, which is why I became such a poor student! Lack of "Self-Espeesteam" is as good an excuse as any. Har! Shouldn't have said that.... Up in my new home of Vermont, the GE 70-tonners were ubiquitous on the St.J&LC and the M&B. I even got to ride in some.
Hays
In the early 70's (and before) the B&O had a yard job that went on duty in the vicinity of the B&O Museum at Baltimore and used a GE 44 ton center cab to service the customers that were located on Pratt Street in Baltimore. The track the job operated on was in the middle of Pratt street and to those that didn't know any better, was believed to be trolley car trackage, except there was no overhead trolley wires. The job serviced 10/15 customers between the Museum and President Street. For the most part, loads were taken to the customers and empties were pull from the customers. The grade was descending from the Museum to President Street so this traffic flow worked well, except if the number of cars to go back to the Museum exceeded 10 empties (roughly 300 tons) the the 44 toner would have to double its train to get all the cars back to the Museum area.
In the area that is now Harbor Place in Baltimore....back in the early 70's one could view two B&O yard crews actively servicing their customers between Light Street and President Street as another yard job from Locust Point using a EMD 600hp yard engine would shove it's way from Locust Point, down Key Highway and Light Street to Pratt street and on down to a Interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad at President Street with a caboose leading the way and generally using a case of fusees a night to highlight the caboose to street traffic.
Sights that will never be seen again.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
GE also made "45-tonners". Dunno why. Maybe they came along after the unions relaxed their rules. Some of them had side-rods. Maybe the 44's did, too. Anyone got definitive references? Tnx.
Hays.
Check out the "SIMS/Hugo Neu" 44-tonner on the "Ugly Locomotive" thread. I don't think it is ugly....
BNSFwatcher GE also made "45-tonners". Dunno why. Maybe they came along after the unions relaxed their rules. Some of them had side-rods. Maybe the 44's did, too. Anyone got definitive references? Tnx. Hays.
The 45-tonner was strictly an industrial design. There were some internal differences, too. The 44-tonner had two double-reduction traction motors on each truck, each hood extended to the end of the frame. The 45-tonner had one traction motor per truck, with the axles connected by side rods or chains. The hoods did not extend to the end of the frame.
The 44-tonner and the 70-tonner were the only light switcher models that GE specifically intended for the common carrier market.
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