Click on each picture for a closer look!
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In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) developed a commanding share of the diesel locomotive marketplace in North America. General Electric’s “GE Rail” (now their Transportation Division) did produce locomotives for export but wanted a much bigger piece of the North American market. So they secretly launched a project to build a “better locomotive”. In 1960, they released the first of what became nicknamed the “U-Boat” series of locomotives beginning with the U25B. The series eventually encompassed and array of diesels big and small which were produced until 1977. By 1983, GE had dethroned EMD as the number one builder in North America.
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The TRHA is please to announce that we have acquired a GE “U-Boat” Diesel Cab which has an operational full size simulation interface built into it. This simulator was developed by an avid railway enthusiast in upstate New York who I have known for many years and who is a pioneer in the development of truly authentic full-size replicas of diesel locomotives.
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Here is his introduction to the project at his website:
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“I am constructing a full-size locomotive simulator based on the cab, nose and 10 feet of rear hood sections (under construction,) of an early to mid 1970’s era, Delaware & Hudson, General Electric model U33C locomotive. My fascination was sparked with the U33C’s when I was growing up near the D&H’s yard in Oneonta, New York, USA. The U33C’s were used as helper units on the various grades between Oneonta and Albany, NY and Oneonta and Binghamton, NY during the 1970’s and early 80’s. At the time, Oneonta was the central classification yard for all freight, north and south, and became a regular congregation point for the U33’s.”
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For more information on the labour of love that went into its development visit his website devoted to this simulator by clicking here.
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This past week, Maersk Lines’ Bridge Terminal Transport group carefully moved this diesel cab in several components to Roundhouse Park arriving on Saturday morning on a 34′ step deck trailer as shown in the pictures. Our TRHA volunteers quickly assembled to help move these into the Roundhouse. The trickiest part of the process was figuring out how to unload the components without the use of a crane as Elwell the Crane was not readily accessible and the Pyke Crane awaits the installation of its new radiator. However, our intrepid Michael Guy, working in an elegant “pax de deux’ with Dave Wetherald used a pair of forklifts to effortlessly make it happen as can be seen in the attached pictures. We then used our three horsepower locomotive (three volunteers) to push the cab components into the Roundhouse.
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Posting and pictures by Russ Milland
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