GE locomotive rolls into Shingle Springs depot

News release

The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation of Santa Clara County has transferred ownership of a GE 65-ton center cab diesel locomotive to the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation of El Dorado County.

The locomotive, which arrived at EDWRR’s Shingle Springs Depot May 18 after a long journey from the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, features the center cab full-view design, two Cummins Diesel six-cylinder engines power electrical generators and traction motors geared to all four of the wheel axles. This powerful set up is designed for slow-speed pulling and movement of heavy rail cars. The locomotive is equipped with its own air brake system, a mechanical hand brake system and automatic train air brake system.

Built by General Electric in 1941, this locomotive was sold and delivered to Kaiser Cement at its Permanente Ridge aggregate mine near Cupertino to assist in developing concrete materials for Kaiser Steel and Shipbuilding infrastructure sites. The locomotive worked at the Permanente Ridge plant between 1942 and 1997, was stored in a secured location and then moved in 2015 to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

El Dorado Western crews will clean, inspect, service and prepare the locomotive for operation in passenger excursion operation, historical rail operations interpretation and fire fuel management safety along the rail corridor. The El Dorado Western Railroad is a program of the El Dorado County Historical Museum.