I know some railroad shops built some one off type engines,both steam and diesel,but wonder how many the manufactures built over the years ?
Does anyone know where any of these are today ?
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
I don't know how many one-of-a-kinds there are there have been Demonstrators units that didn't sell a single Production model. Example, EMD SD89MAC, BL20-2, AND GE B36-8, C36-8, C39-9, and a smaller than U18B(don't remember designation.) that was catalogued but never built. Don't know where the SD89MAC is, it wasn't even painted(primer). The BL20-2s were leased to BN for a while are now working for Rail link out in California. The B36-8 was retained in the GE test fleet and has been rebuilt into at least two other models. The other GE I am not sure about.
In the steam era, one-of-a-kinds were not that unusual since building an experimental was often the only way of seeing how well a new development (such as superheat or piston valves) actually worked.
In the diesel era, such experimentation was less necessary and one-of-a-kinds usually represented commercial flops, a well-known example being the Ingalls 4-S. GE has recycled and rebuilt its testbeds and demonstrators regularly, so a specific locomotive might have held several model designations over time. One demonstrator that may still be around is MPI 6201, which is an MP2000C six-axle switcher.
This bugger is sitting out in the San Luis Valley:
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
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