What became of the TA?

[baberuth73]

Thoroughly enjoyed the Summer edition's article on E units.I never knew EMC produced a twelve hundred h.p. unit called a TA. How many were made? Is there a TA residing in a museum somewhere?

[daveklepper]

The 1200HP B - B TA'sa were manufacctured only for the Rock Island's prewar Rockets,  I don't have the exact count, but I believe only A-units were made, no boosters, and they did not have nose couplers or at least no nose mu capability.   (I thinkt hey could mu back-to-back.)  I doubt more the eight or ten were manufactured by EMD.  None were preserved, and they were sent back to EMD as trade-in material on more power ful newer power.   The idea was a lightweight streamlined train, but not articulated light the early Zephyrs.

[rcdrye]

The six (RI 601-606) TA's couldn't even MU back to back.  Most if not all of the TAs were retired and scrapped by 1960.

They were designed to pull short, very lightweight trains with a mix of articulated and non-articulated cars, all with a lowered roofline.