| Title: |
CSS&SB Baldwin-Westinghouse 900 |
| Description: |
CSS&SB Baldwin-Westinghouse Class E 900 at Michigan City, Indiana on February 16, 1964, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. Number 900 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in 1929 for the Illinois Central as number 10000 as a result of the City of Chicago's smoke abatement ordinance in the downtown area (requiring the IC to electrify its suburban service by 1927) and was acquired by the South Shore in 1941 when the IC dieselized its Congress and 31st Street Yards in Chicago. The construction of the four IC Class E's (Class E is a Westinghouse designation) followed the South Shore's intiial order for four Class E's (road #'s 1001-1004) in 1926, specifically designed by Westinghouse to meet the South Shore's specifications. During 1927 the South Shore followed up on it's initial order with an order for two more Class E's in 1927 (#'s 1007-1008), and again during 1928 for two more (#'s 1009-1010). Baldwin designed an outside equalized truck for the South Shore orders, but for the IC order, it used its traditional steam locomotive tender truck design. The following is from Joseph Strapac's book, "Interurban Electric Locomotives": One of the reasons that there was a Baldwin-Westinghouse at all was because Baldwin was so successful as an integrated manufacturer. Baldwin had sufficient capacity in its tender shop in downtown Phildelphia that it could easily underbid any proposed assembly by Westinghouse's own forces out in East Pittsburgh. Baldwin built the structure of each locomotive riveting together and empty box with trucks and couplers (and at least rudimentary train air brakes) based on the familiar technology of locomotive tenders. The frame itself was assembled from standard steel shapes, with heavy Baldwin castings at each end to tie everything together. Even the trucks themselves were adapted from tender trucks used beneath thousands of Baldwin-built steam locomotive tenders. Windows and a host of other appurtenances would be installed, then the locomotive-to-be would be shunted out to the interchange track. It would be handed off to a line-haul railroad and waybilled (as if it were a freight car) across Pennsylvania to the East Pittsburgh Works of Westinghouse. Westinghouse installed and tested electrical gear at East Pittsburgh. The locomotives would be finish-painted (they left Baldwin in primer), tested and otherwise prepared for delivery. A short stretch of adjustable-voltage overhead behind the Works allowed road testing (and publicity photographs) when the locomotive was complete. This track was historically "pantograph country", so locomotives destined for customers who used only trolley poles or third rail were often pictured at this site fitted with pantographs - which would be removed prior to shipment. |
| Photo Date: |
2/16/1964 Upload Date: 10/16/2010 12:52:21 PM |
| Location: |
Michigan City, IN |
| Author: |
Chuck Zeiler |
| Categories: |
Roster |
| Locomotives: |
CSS 900(Steeple Cab) |
| Views: |
1337 Comments: 0 |
