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Little Joe (electric locomotive)
Encyclopedia
The Little Joe is a type of railroad electric locomotive
built by General Electric
for export to the Soviet Union
(USSR) in 1946. The locomotives had twelve axles, eight of them powered, in a 2-D+D-2 arrangement. They were originally designed to operate on Soviet Railways (SZhD) 3,300 volt DC overhead line system
.
. Fourteen were built to the Russian gauge
(broad gauge
) of and the final six were built to standard gauge
.
, the Milwaukee needed more locomotives on their Transcontinental mainline, so the Board of Directors returned to GE to discover that eight locomotives and all the spares had been sold, and that the price for the remaining twelve locomotives was $1 million. Of the eight sold, three had gone to the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (the South Shore), and five to the Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro of Brazil
.
Performance
As originally tested, The Milwaukee Road was not impressed with these locomotives, finding them prone to wheelslip
. The World War I
vintage General Electric motor-generator substations
had difficulty supplying more than two EF-4s under heavy load, which meant that their true ability could not be demonstrated. Additionally, the controls were labelled in Russian. After being modified with increased weight, and provided with adequate power, the EF-4s were excellent performers and very reliable. Some substations were later modified to supply up to 3,400 volts to take advantage of the high power of these locomotives.
Modifications
Later modifications included the removal of driving controls and windows at one end to allow the relocation of some troublesome electrical equipment into a cooler environment. The most important and final major modification was the provision of multiple unit controls
for trailing diesel-electric locomotives. This system was designed in-house. It was not uncommon to see several diesel-electric locomotives being led by, and controlled from, an EF-4 (or a Boxcab
) in the 1960s and 70s.
Usage
The Milwaukee Road used two for passenger service, designated class EP-4 (2-D+D-2), and the remaining ten for freight, designated class EF-4. They were used on the railroad's electrified Rocky Mountain Division in Montana
and Idaho
to take the place of older GE boxcab
electrics that had been operating there since the 1920s. Three had been delivered in standard gauge, while the rest were converted to standard gauge in the Milwaukee's shops. They lasted until the end of electric operation on the Milwaukee in June 1974. The Milwaukee's operating employees referred to them as Little Joe Stalin's
locomotives which was eventually shortened to simply Little Joe.
, used them in freight service. They had to be modified to operate on 1500V DC catenary. In service on the South Shore the “Little Joe” name was not generally used; the locomotives were referred to as “800s”. Two of the three lasted until 1983, making them the last electrics in regular mainline freight service on a US common-carrier railroad. Today, freight trains are pulled by diesel-electric locomotives.
(IRM). South Shore #802 is preserved and on public display at the Lake Shore Railway Historical Museum in North East, Pennsylvania
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away from Erie
, where the GE Locomotive Assembly Plant that constructed the Little Joes is located.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
built by General Electric
GE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine...
for export to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(USSR) in 1946. The locomotives had twelve axles, eight of them powered, in a 2-D+D-2 arrangement. They were originally designed to operate on Soviet Railways (SZhD) 3,300 volt DC overhead line system
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
.
History
GE built 20 locomotives of this type, but they were prohibited from delivering them to the Soviet Railways (SZhD) due the relations between the US and USSR deteriorating into what became known as the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Fourteen were built to the Russian gauge
Russian gauge
In railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
(broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
) of and the final six were built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
Milwaukee Road
The Milwaukee Road's Electrical Engineer had offered to buy all twenty, plus the spare parts inventory for $1 million, little more than scrap value. However the Milwaukee's Board of Directors would not release the money. After the start of the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the Milwaukee needed more locomotives on their Transcontinental mainline, so the Board of Directors returned to GE to discover that eight locomotives and all the spares had been sold, and that the price for the remaining twelve locomotives was $1 million. Of the eight sold, three had gone to the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (the South Shore), and five to the Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Performance
As originally tested, The Milwaukee Road was not impressed with these locomotives, finding them prone to wheelslip
Locomotive wheelslip
Locomotive wheelslip is an event that affects railway motive power when starting from stationary.The greatest effort is required from a locomotive when starting...
. The World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
vintage General Electric motor-generator substations
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
had difficulty supplying more than two EF-4s under heavy load, which meant that their true ability could not be demonstrated. Additionally, the controls were labelled in Russian. After being modified with increased weight, and provided with adequate power, the EF-4s were excellent performers and very reliable. Some substations were later modified to supply up to 3,400 volts to take advantage of the high power of these locomotives.
Modifications
Later modifications included the removal of driving controls and windows at one end to allow the relocation of some troublesome electrical equipment into a cooler environment. The most important and final major modification was the provision of multiple unit controls
Multiple-unit train control
Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...
for trailing diesel-electric locomotives. This system was designed in-house. It was not uncommon to see several diesel-electric locomotives being led by, and controlled from, an EF-4 (or a Boxcab
Boxcab
A boxcab, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a box-like superstructure . It is a term mostly used in North America while in Victoria , such locomotives have been nicknamed "butterboxes"...
) in the 1960s and 70s.
Usage
The Milwaukee Road used two for passenger service, designated class EP-4 (2-D+D-2), and the remaining ten for freight, designated class EF-4. They were used on the railroad's electrified Rocky Mountain Division in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
to take the place of older GE boxcab
Milwaukee Road class EP-1, EF-1, EF-2, EF-3, and EF-5
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad classes EP-1 and EF-1 comprised 42 boxcab electric locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company in 1915. Electrical components were from General Electric. The locomotives were composed of two half-units semi-permanently coupled...
electrics that had been operating there since the 1920s. Three had been delivered in standard gauge, while the rest were converted to standard gauge in the Milwaukee's shops. They lasted until the end of electric operation on the Milwaukee in June 1974. The Milwaukee's operating employees referred to them as Little Joe Stalin's
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
locomotives which was eventually shortened to simply Little Joe.
South Shore
The South Shore, while primarily a commuter railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and northwestern IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, used them in freight service. They had to be modified to operate on 1500V DC catenary. In service on the South Shore the “Little Joe” name was not generally used; the locomotives were referred to as “800s”. Two of the three lasted until 1983, making them the last electrics in regular mainline freight service on a US common-carrier railroad. Today, freight trains are pulled by diesel-electric locomotives.
Brazil
The Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro converted its locomotives to its gauge. They became known as Russas, and stayed active through each re-organization of the Brazilian railways, finally ending up with FEPASA in 1971. They continued to operate until 1999, becoming the last representatives of their class in revenue service. It was at this point that FEPASA was privatized, and electric operation was immediately ended.Original Buyers
| Owner | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P RR) Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names... |
12 |
| Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB RR) | 3 |
| Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro | 5 |
South Shore
South Shore #803 is preserved at the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
(IRM). South Shore #802 is preserved and on public display at the Lake Shore Railway Historical Museum in North East, Pennsylvania
North East, Pennsylvania
North East is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Erie. Fruit growing was an early economic endeavor, and is still to this day, as this is a popular area for especially cherries and grapes. There is an annual Cherry Festival in the summer and an annual in the fall. It contains...
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away from Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, where the GE Locomotive Assembly Plant that constructed the Little Joes is located.