I honestly thought the guy who told me this was late with an April Fool's joke when he told me this, but he assures me it's real. And he's in a position to know.

When the issue of GE 44-tonner Cat D17000 parts came up here a while back (October 2012), I told the passenger agent of the Walkersville Southern, which recently acquired possession of former PRR 44-tonner 9339 from the South Carolina RR Museum in August 2011. I suggested that they might want to consult with the Strasburg with regards to spare parts.

They got a spare 44-tonner instead.

The loco was built by General Electric Corp., Schenectady, NY (c/n 29964) in June 1948 for the Pennsylvania Railroad as class GS4 (GE-Switching-400hp) 44-ton 380 h.p. diesel-electric switcher No. 9331. It was assigned as East Altoona Shop switcher prior to 1961, according to Strasburg's unofficial historian Kurt Bell. It was delivered to the Strasburg June 29, 1961, and leased to the Strasburg at a yearly rent of $2,100.00 from 1961-66 as No. 9331, according to Bell. The loco was brought to the Strasburg through the efforts of SRC V.P. and PRR official Max Solomon II and nicknamed "Max's Taxi," according to Linn Moedinger via Bell. The railroad purchased the engine in October 1966 as No. 33, and its engines were rebuilt about 1967 by PRR staff from Enola, including cylinder lines, piston rings, valve guides, and other work needed to restore compression, according to Fred Schneider (via Bell). The loco was repainted into a red Strasburg scheme using experimental DuPont paint in May 1971, then repainted back to PRR colors/number in September 2006.

A private owner connected with the WSRR has purchased the 9331 to supplement the 9339. Plans are for the railroad to pick up the locomotive later this week, and transport it down in time for the Railfan Weekend with the Gramlings' Lehigh Valley Coal 0-6-0T 126.

It should be noted that the WSRR is operated on part of the former PRR Frederick, Md. branch, which was one of the few locations where the PRR's 44-tonners were actually assigned on a regular basis (due in no small part to light rail, light traffic, and street running in Frederick). This acquisition brings TWO PRR locomotives to home rails where they actually operated!

I'm normally a big fan of steam and wouldn't pay too much attention to diesels, but the idea of multiple locomotives in their proper heritage environment is a plus no matter what the type; maybe we'll even see them in proper paint (well, here we go with that again!)

Anyway, I wish the Walkersville Southern the best with their "new" power, and I also thank the Strasburg for keeping this little critter around to be reunited with a sister all those years later.

I was not aware that the PRR actually used the 44 tonners in Frederick!

That does indeed make this good news then.

That's what happens when railroad history starts in 1976, as it does for you. >;-D

Are they going to install Multiple Unit equipment on the pair, so they won't have to double head them? A very few 44 ton GEs came that was from the factory.

Two of the 44 tonners with factory installed MU are Maines Aroostook Valley #10 & 11, surviving at the Passupsic Railroad Museum in Vermont. They are both out of service.

Alan

The subject of 44-tonners has been extensively discussed on this forum in the past. Search.

Specifics: Only 7 of the 46 PRR units got MU capability, and only at one end per loco, as I understand it. The issue probably won't be discussed until/if both locos are operable and in service. It's not bloody likely that the proposition would be worth the effort.

Notice that Strasburg, while perhaps tempted to hang onto an original Pennsy locomotive, did something rather savvy. In the face of a diminishing parts supply, with no real need of this locomotive, made a business decision that benefits themselves and Walkersville Southern. The 44T is a cute little locomotive, but few people will travel to Strasburg to see it. With two on Walkersville Southern, people will go out of their way to catch two PRR locomotives working as they might have on the home road.
Interesting business move.

.

General Electric claims that their 44 ton locos can do 35 m.p.h., and I know that some (like Hoboken Manufacturers' RR - Hoboken Shore RR 700 / McHugh Bros. Line - Tyburn RR 400) have. Most other small critters are limited to 20 m.p.h.

The GE 44 ton loco was a light "real" (aka not "industrial") loco with 4 traction motors and things like traction motor blowers to cool motors and electrical panels designed to be loaded for extended periods of time.

The 44 ton weight was a result of a union rule which allowed one man crews on locomotives of less than 45 tons.

The more common 45 ton GE was an industrial beast with only 2 traction motors, the second axle connected by side rods. As an industrial engine it was not subject to Brotherhood rules, and was not likely to be loaded to the limit of the electrical system for extended periods of time.

The 44 ton and 70 ton GE locomotives were especially suited to replace interurban electrical freight service... 60 ton GE and BLH steeple cabs were close equivalents...

Randy

Here are pictures of the move from Strasburg to Walkersville.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=91327

Looks like the same truck that moves the Gramlin's engines around. Did it actually get driven up onto and off the trailer under it's own power?

I wasn't actually there, but:
That was supposed to be the same truck that delivered Lehigh Valley Coal 126 to Walkersville that morning (that was part of how and why it happened when it did), and
That was the plan, to run it on and off.