| In 1946, the Soviet Union ordered twenty Little Joe Electric locomotives from (specifications) the General Electric Company. The locomotives got their nickname “Little Joe” after Joseph Stallin. These 273-ton locomotives had an overall length of 88’ 10”, were rated at 5,500 horsepower, and had a continuous tractive effort of 75,700 pounds. The maximum permissible speed was 68 mph, and the engine collected 3,300 volts DC from the centenary by means of a pantograph. The specifications called for one cab on each end of the locomotive, and a 2+D+D+2 wheel arrangement for operation on the 5’ gauge track in the Soviet Union. In October 1948, the US Department of State banned strategic shipments to the Soviet Union, and the order was cancelled. This order, series number 29913-29932, sat at the General Electric plant in Erie, Pennsylvania, while the company looked for another possible sales outlet for these locomotives. |
