Locomotive Facts & History

Locomotive Trivia
  • Fully-serviced locomotives weigh up to 440,000 pounds.  
  • The longest locomotives are 74-76 feet.  
  • Locomotives average 15 feet and 5-1/4 inches in height.
  • The total number of unique parts is approximately 13,000. 
  • Freight locomotives travel up to 75 miles per hour.  
  • Passenger locomotives travel up to 110 miles per hour.
  • Fully-serviced locomotives carry up to 6,150 gallons of fuel, 580 gallons of lube oil, and 530 gallons of water.  
  • The life expectancy for locomotives is approximately 20 years depending on its service and maintenance schedule.  
  • The standard 16-cylinder FDL engine develops 4500 gross hp and the new 16-cylinder HDL engine develops 6250 gross hp.
  • The maximum revolutions per minute for either HDL or FDL engines is 1050 rpm.  
  • The typical crew size for a cab is 3 people: the engineer, the helper, and a conductor or head brakeman.  
  • GE sells locomotives to the following major railroads in North America: Amtrak,Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, BC Rail, TFM, and Ferromex. 
  • North American freight makes up 85-90% of the Erie-built locomotive business.  
  • In the Erie plant it takes 25-26 days (92 days in 1993) to make a locomotive and 11-12 days in locomotive assembly (Building 10) based on the type of locomotive and paint scheme.   
  • The GE locomotive business is currently 50% a direct current (DC) and 50% alternating current (AC).  
  • GE Expert On-Alert™ diagnostics technology limits road failures through patented expert failure predictive capabilities.   
  • GE locomotive services programs range from technical support to training to full service maintenance.  
Fascinating Facts
  • The longest section of straight track (no curves) is a 297-mile (478 km) track in Australia.  
  • The longest mainland railroad tunnel goes through the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. It is more than 13 miles (19 km) long.
  • The longest railroad bridge is the Huey P. Long Bridge in Louisiana. It is 4.4 miles (7 km) long.  
  • The world's longest train route, traveled by the Trans-Siberian Express, runs 5,800 miles (9,300 km) across Siberia.  

History & Milestone Events
Most people don't realize that we're one of GE's oldest businesses. We have a long and exciting history.

  • 1880 - Thomas Edison develops the first experimental electrical locomotive. This and other inventions by Edison lead to the formation of the General Electric Company. 
  • 1911 - GE's Pennsylvania property is renamed General Electric Company - Erie Works.  
  • 1913 - GE builds its first commercial gasoline-electric locomotive. 
  • 1918 - The first diesel engines for railroad use are built at the Erie Works. 
  • 1924 - The world's first diesel-electric switcher locomotive is placed in service. (It is retired from service in 1957.) 
  • 1936 - GE builds the first single-engine 2000 hp diesel-electric locomotive. 
  • 1954 - A prototype Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) is built by Unit Rig & Equipment Co. with a GE propulsion system. 
  • 1956 - The Universal Series of mainline diesel-electric locomotives is introduced into worldwide service. 
  • 1958 - The world's largest internally-powered locomotive, a 10,000hp gas turbine electric locomotive, is shipped to Union Pacific.
  • 1963 - the first diesel electric drive 85T truck (OHV) is produced.
  • 1977 - The new DASH 7 DC propulsion locomotive is introduced, with design changes proposed by 15 major railroad operators and as many as 60 other improvements.
  • 1979 - STATEX I system is used in a 170T truck (OHV).
  • 1984 - The Grove City diesel plant is built .
  • 1987 - The DASH 8 line of locomotives was introduced, with electric drives and a new, modular design. The new GE791 diesel drive truck is also introduced.
  • 1990 - The 1000th Dash 8 is manufactured.
  • 1993 - The first Dash 9 is delivered to CSX. The first US-designed and US-built passenger locomotive in over 40 years is delivered to Amtrak.
  • 1994 - The first AC4400 horsepower locomotive is delivered to Union Pacific. This year also marks the introduction of three new locomotives: the DASH 9, an advanced DC propulsion locomotive with microprocessor controls, the GENESIS Series passenger locomotive, and the AC4400CWTM, Transportation's first AC propulsion locomotive.
  • 1995 - The first AC Dual Mode locomotives, with the ability to operate both on diesel and electric rail, are delivered to Amtrak and Metro North.
  • 1996 - Transportation delivers its first AC6000CWTM AC propulsion locomotive to CSX Transportation. As the world's most powerful single-engine locomotive, the AC6000 ushers in a new era in locomotive power, performance, and productivity. The Blue Tiger, a lightweight locomotive designed for international applications, is developed by GE - Transportation and Adtranz and introduced in Kassel, Germany. AC wheel is also introduced in a 300T Truck (OHV).
  • 2001 - Transportation's Off Highway Vehicles introduces the new 150AC Drive System. BHP Iron Ore operates the world's longest and heaviest train powered by GE's AC6000 locomotive along a 275km section of its Newman to Port Hedland railway in Western Australia's Pilbara Region.
  • 2003 - Transportation develops the Evolution® Locomotive, which exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's 2005 tier II emission standards while improving fuel efficiency.

To learn more about our past, visit the Museum of GE History, on the grounds of our Erie, Pa., facilities.