EMD GM6C

The GM6C was a solitary testbed electric locomotive for freight duties built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of the United States in collaboration with ASEA of Sweden. It was rolled out from EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant on May 1, 1975.[1] Equipped with close to standard C-C HTC trucks and traction motors, it was designed for lower-speed drag freight service.

EMD GM6C
Type and origin
Power typeElectric
BuilderGM-EMD
Serial number75605-1
ModelGM6C
Build dateMay 1, 1975
Total produced1
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
 • UICCo'Co'
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
TrucksEMD HTC
Wheel diameter42 in (1,067 mm)
Length68 ft 10 in (20.98 m)
Width10 ft (3.05 m)
Height14 ft 9+1⁄2 in (4.51 m) (over locked-down pantographs)
Loco weight365,000 lb (165,561 kg)
or 182.5 short tons (162.9 long tons; 165.6 t)
Electric system/sSwitchable: 11 kV 25 Hz,
25 kV 60 Hz,
Northeast Corridor Catenary
Current pickup(s)Pantograph
GeneratorEMD D79MA75
Traction motors6 × EMD E88X
Performance figures
Power output6,000 hp (4.47 MW)
Tractive effortStarting: 126,000 lbf (560.5 kN);
Continuous: 44,000 lbf (195.7 kN) @ 46 mph (74 km/h)
Career
OperatorsPenn Central (later Amtrak and Conrail)
Numbers1975 (later 4975)
LocaleNortheast Corridor electrified lines
DispositionScrapped

Motives

At the time, high oil prices had a number of large US railroads contemplating electrification of their most heavily used lines, while the only major US railroad with freight-hauling electrification, the Penn Central, had a fleet of aging locomotives needing replacement.

Circumstances changed after the GM6C and GM10B locomotives were developed; oil prices declined, which wiped out the interest freight railroads had in electrification, while diesel locomotive power and adhesion were improved.

Meanwhile, the bankruptcy of Penn Central led to the division of the railroad's physical plant between Amtrak, which inherited much of the electrified region, and Conrail. Increased access charges on the part of Amtrak led to Conrail ceasing electric operations in 1982, dismantling the electrification on its lines and avoiding Amtrak-owned rails. The two locomotives were now surplus to requirements and were returned to EMD, remaining in the LaGrange plant's yard until scrapping in the mid 1980s.

The BC Rail GF6C locomotives used similar technology to the GM6C but had a wide-nose cab and carbody.

References
  1. Graham-White, Sean (2007), "EMD's Freight Electrics", Diesel Era, Withers, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 48–54, ISSN 1049-5622
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