EBT Locomotive Roster
AS 1

This unit is one of four GE 45-ton locomotives plus two pair of spare trucks which reportedly came to the railroad November 5, 1993 from Kovanchick Salvage's acquisition of an Algoma Steel plant in Sault Sainte Marie. They are center cab diesel-electric locomotives. They have two 150 hp Detroit 6-71 diesel engines, one under each hood, and one traction motor in each truck directly powering one axle which is chain coupled to the other. The 6-71 engine is rated at 170 HP. They are of the 45 ton class, which refers to a variant of the 44 ton class where there are two traction motors rather than four, with the other two axles driven by chains or siderods from the powered axle. Cosmetically, these differ from GE 44-toners in their undercarriage, which is devoid of tanks and reservoirs and instead has a pair of variable gauge trucks.

The four units were part of a fleet of six at Algoma which pulled the ladle cars of molten slag from the blast furnace to the slag dump. A group of standard gauge 44 ton units also served the plant, dressed in a similar paint scheme. Reportedly the narrow gauge units were ballasted to 50 tons during their service lives at Algoma Steel. Locomotives number 1, 4, 5 and 6 went to the EBT. M-7 was #6. The dispositions of units 2 and 3 are unknown.

These units are classified as "45-ton" not due to their actual weight, but to differentiate them from the more common "44-ton" units. 44-ton units specifically weighed under limit in the railroad union agreement of 1937 that stipulated that all locomotives 90,000 lb (45 ton) and higher be manned by a two man crew, and those less could by by one man. "45-ton" locomotives are so called because they are for industrial use not common carrier use, so are not bound by that stipulation. "45-ton" locomotives differ from the "44-ton" in having only one traction motor per truck rather than two (one on each axle), and no blowers to cool the traction motors. They also tended to be geared for lower speed and higher torque. This was due to their intended role of operating at low speeds for short distances inside industrial plants. Early 45-ton units had siderods to connect the motor-less axle in each truck to the motored one, but the Algoma units, as with later 45-ton units, have chains on the axles inside the trucks connecting the axles together. Differentiating these units from standard gauge 45-ton units are are their narrower frames and cabs and their undercarriage, which is devoid of tanks and reservoirs to make space for variable gauge plate frame trucks. The trucks were connected together at the center of the loco so the body does not bear the full force of pulling a train. Despite the reported ballasting of these units to 50 tons, they are still of the "45-ton" class.

One unit, the best, was resurrected as M-7. The other three unused units sat in the Locomotive Shop, except when one was displayed with what would be M-7 at the 1995 Fall Spectacular, then stored with its sisters. They were stored for possible reactivation or parts supply for M-7, but were never used as such. In 2002 during massive Colorado fires, the Durango and Silverton incurred great losses when they had to cease operations of their steam locomotives due to the fire threat. The D&S started buying some diesels as reserve power. After buying and restoring a nearly identical 45-ton Arkansas Lime GE unit, the D&S purchased the three spare units from the EBT and started the haul to Colorado 9-17-2002. The D&S did not purchase the extra trucks.

This unit was restored to service by August 2005 as "PB-II". PB apparently is the initials of the wife of the railroad's owner, Allen Harper. Overall the diesel units were useful on the D&S as yard switchers only. D&S proved the capability of the units by pairing AS1 (by then called PB-II) and the Arkansas Lime GE unit (now Hot-Shot 1) and pulling a test train to Silverton. However, another run on a loaded train failed after one of the units (PB-II or HS-1) failed on the grade. Generally these units had only limited success at the D&S. As their diesel engines are not turbocharged, they experience a major loss of power at the higher altitudes of the San Juan Mountains. Also they are geared to run slowly (for steel plant service) and have no blowers to keep their traction motors cool, making them unsuited for mainline service or steep grades.

About mid-April of 2006 the D&S acquired two US Steel 90-ton units from the Lorain Works in Ohio through equipment dealer Duffy & Son. With this acquisitions, PB-II/Algoma Steel 1 was resold in late 2006 to the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, CA. The locomotive was spotted there in mid September 2006 in a solid black paint scheme. The locomotive was later renumbered #402.

#402 was out of service for some time at YM&SP until a major truck rebuild returned her to service in April 2025.

s/n 30857 blt 2/51

Related Links

• Yosemite Mountain Suger Pine Railroad
  
• Durango and Silverton Railroad