Pennsylvania Railroad class E3b

Pennsylvania Railroad E3b class
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Serial number 75482, 75483 Build date November 1951 Total produced 2
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B-B  • UIC Bo'Bo'Bo' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Loco weight 378,000 lb (171,000 kg) Electric system/s 11 kV, 25 Hz AC Current pickup Pantograph (2 off) Traction motors Westinghouse 370 (6 off) Transmission AC fed via a transformer tap changer through 12 Ignitron (Mercury arc) rectifier to DC traction motors.
Performance figures Maximum speed 63 mph (101 km/h) Power output 3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
Career Operators Pennsylvania Railroad Class E3b Numbers 4995, 4996 Scrapped 1964

Pennsylvania Railroad class E3b was an experimental electric locomotive supplied by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. The locomotive was of the two unit design, with each unit having a B-B-B (AAR) or Bo-Bo-Bo (UIC) wheel arrangement. The bodywork and running gear was produced by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton while the electrical equipment was provided by Westinghouse, who also acted as the main contractor.

In 1952 and 1953 the Pennsylvania Railroad took delivery of ten experimental locomotives, six from General Electric and four from Westinghouse. While GE's were all of the same class (E2b), the Westinghouse locomotives were split into two classes. Two locomotives had two three-axle trucks (E2c), while the other two had three two-axle trucks (E3b).

The locomotives were scrapped in 1964.

References

• Middleton, William D. (2002). The Pennsylvania Railroad - Under Wire (1st ed.). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-617-7.
• Staufer, Alvin F.; Pennypacker, Bert (1962). Pennsy Power: Steam and Electric Locomotives of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1900-1957. Research by Martin Flattley. Carollton, Ohio: Alvin F. Staufer. pp. 300–301. OCLC 8029613.
• Volkmer, William D. (1991). Pennsy Electric Years. Edison, New Jersey: Morning Sun Books, Inc. pp. 31, 126. ISBN 978-1-878887-01-6.