File:Amtrak - 603 electric locomotive (E60) 1 (27061027186).jpg

This is a General Electric E60 electric locomotive that was built in June 1976. It was used for several decades by Amtrak to pull passenger trains. The unit now on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in the town of Strasburg. It saw service as Amtrak # 964 and Amtrak # 603.

Electric locomotives do not burn wood or coal or diesel fuel. Instead, they use electricity to operate the motors in the engine. Electric power is delivered via a pantograph atop the engine that connects with wires running above the railroad tracks. In the above photo, the pantograph is folded down.

Info. from rgusrail.com: "When Amtrak started operations on 1 May 1971, it initially utilized an aging fleet of GG1 locomotives for its electrified passenger service between New York, New York, and Washington D.C. Looking to replace these, however, the company ordered a set of new E60 units. Twenty size of these 6,000 horsepower units were built by General Electric at their works in Erie, Pennsylvania between 1974 and 1976 (# 950-# 975). Seven (# 950-# 956) were fitted with steam generators to heat older passenger cars and designated E60CP. The other nineteen had head end generators for newer passenger cars and were designated E60CH (# 957-# 975).

The E60 was based on existing locomotives General Electric had designed for freight, but their 387,000 pound as-built weight was more than double the optimum for passenger service and caused poor running during testing. The engines tended to yaw when accelerating, placing high stress on the rails, and the Federal Railroad Administration refused to let them operate at their designed speed of 120 miles per hour after they derailed twice during testing.

After further refinements and tests, the units entered service at slightly reduced speeds, but then encountered new problems when turning on the tight radius return loops at Sunnyside Yard, New York.

They had been designed for close coupling with passenger equipment, but actually coupled so closely that the diaphragms on the coaches would shear the headlights off the locomotive's nose. All headlights were subsequently moved above the cab windows.

The E60s ran until 1984, when most were put into storage. With the arrival of tis new AEM7 electrics in 1984, Amtrak then began to dispose of the units. Ten were sold to New Jersey Transit in 1984, and two to the Navajo Mine Railroad in New Mexico.

From 1986 to 1988, the remaining E60s were rebuilt. The E60CPs had their steam generators removed and four had head end heating fitted. The original E60CH and converted E60CP units were then redesignated E60MA ("MA" stood for Motor Alternating set), and were renumbered in the 600 series.