EMD GM6C

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	GM-EMD
Serial number	75605-1
Model	GM6C
Build date	May 1, 1975
Total produced	1

Specifications
AAR wheel arr.	C-C
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)
Trucks	EMD HTC
Wheel diameter	42 in (1,067 mm)
Length	68 ft 10 in (20.98 m)
Width	10 ft (3.05 m)
Height	14 ft 9 ¹⁄₂ in (4.51 m) (over locked-down pantographs)
Loco weight	365,000 lb (165,561 kg) or 182.5 short tons (162.9 long tons; 165.6 t)
Electric system(s)	Switchable: 11 kV 25 Hz, 25 kV 60 Hz, Northeast Corridor Catenary
Current collection	Pantograph
Generator	EMD D79MA75
Traction motors	6 × EMD E88X

Performance figures
Power output	6,000 hp (4.47 MW)
Tractive effort	Starting: 126,000 lbf (560.5 kN); Continuous: 44,000 lbf (195.7 kN) @ 46 mph (74 km/h)

Career
Operators	Penn Central (later Amtrak and Conrail)
Numbers	1975 (later 4975)
Locale	Northeast Corridor electrified lines
Disposition	Scrapped

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.

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

↑ Graham-White, Sean (2007), "EMD's Freight Electrics", Diesel Era, Withers, 18 (5), pp. 48–54, ISSN 1049-5622

Limited production, export and EMD engined locomotives by Electro-Motive Diesel

Electrics

Industrial, military, export
and narrow gauge

Streamliners

EMD-engined and
license-built units

British Rail	Class 57 Class 67

Córas Iompair Éireann	Class 001 Class 071 Class 121 Class 141 Class 181

CFL (Luxembourg)	Class 1600

Danish State Railways	Class ME Class MX Class MY Class MZ

Iarnród Éireann	Class 201

Indian Railways	Class WDM-4

Israel Railways	JT 42BW JT 42CW

Northern Ireland Railways	Class 111

Norwegian State Railways	NSB Di 4

NJ Transit	Alstom PL42AC

RENFE (Spain)	Class 310 Class 319 (early versions) Class 319 (later versions) Class 333 Class 334

SNCB (Belgium)	HLD 51 HLD 52 HLD 53 HLD 54 HLD 55 HLD 61 HLD 62 HLD 65

Swedish State Railways	T41 T43 T44

Vossloh	Euro

Experimentals

See also: List of GM-EMD locomotives

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