Extra Board
Welcome to Extra Board! This section is updated periodically with short features contributed by our readers, as well as some recent favorites straight from the pages of Diesel Era Magazine. Check back as we continue to add new articles!
Trans-Global Solutions/Econo-Rail Locomotive Lessor and Third-Party Contractor
Trans-Global Solutions/Econo-Rail Locomotive Lessor and Third-Party Contractor
LS&I’s Cascade Green Machines
Built by General Electric for Burlington Northern in the early 1970s, these U30Cs have a half-century of service on their resumes as they run off their final miles on Lake Superior & Ishpeming.
They Were Big in Wyoming: Burlington Northern U30Cs
Burlington Northern began buying General Electric’s six-axle U30C diesel locomotives in 1972, adding 180 units to the fleet.
They Weren’t Exactly Burlington: Colorado & Southern U30Cs
Before Burlington Northern’s arrival in 1970, Burlington subsidiary Colorado & Southern purchased four General Electric U30Cs (890–893) in 1968.
VIA Rail’s F40PH-2D, Part 1: 6400-6429
VIA Rail’s fleet of 59 GMD F40PH-2Ds were delivered by General Motors Diesel between November 1986 and April 1989.
Battery Era? Wabtec’s FLXdrive Debuts
Wabtec, Genesee & Wyoming, and Carnegie-Mellon University are working together to develop new fleets of alternative energy locomotives.
Penn Central’s Alco C-636 and GE U33C
This survey focuses on two of Penn Central’s six-axle diesel locomotive acquisitions that were ordered before the merger and almost served Pennsylvania Railroad.
General Electric’s Landmark U25: Union Pacific
Union Pacific’s collection of four-axle U25Bs wasn’t large but included good variety and variations among the roster members.
Burlington Northern GP38X ex-Conrail (Penn Central) GP38s
Responding to a traffic increase in 1985, Burlington Northern acquired 35 former Conrail EMD GP38s originally built for Penn Central.
Norfolk & Western 1970s F-Unit Survivors
Norfolk & Western did not purchase F-units, but they inherited more than 100 cab units when they acquired the Wabash Railroad in 1964, working throughout the expanded system into the late 1970s.
