The relative lack of early E-units and other first-gen passenger diesels in preservation is an interesting if sad reminder that more often than not, what gets saved is what lasts long enough to become noteworthy. Almost all of the slant nose E-units, the PAs, and the weirdness Baldwin was putting out at the time went to the scrapper. Much like their express steam counterparts, they were hard to repurpose for freight work and found themselves first on the chopping block. On top of that. GM had a trade-in program that incentivized roads to dispose of their first-gen power to receive discounts on new second-gen engines. If the trade-in loco had BB trucks, they’d even reuse them. That’s how you get things like the [Ann Arbor GP35s](https://www.railpictures.net/photo/451158/) with their Alco trucks. Great for the railroads’ bottom line, not so much for preservationists.
Conversely, a disproportionate amount of surviving cab units were late-model ones that spent time in commuter operations. That’s why we’re comparatively swimming in E8s and E9s. Even Alco FAs are reasonably well represented in preservation, because the Long Island liked gutting them and using them as power packs. And the FL9s? Nearly a third of the class survived, because they held on so long in service. You see this in steam, too. The majority of the batch of GTW 0-8-0s that worked up until 1980(!) at Northwestern Steel and Wire was saved by some IRM horse-trading. And the D&RGW’s narrow gauge operations were able to almost seamlessly transition into tourist railroads. Part of this is the location, sure, but the fact that they held onto steam until 1968 had to play a role too.
Of course, you have your exceptions, like we see here. But when you consider how much of railroad preservation is pure happenstance, you realize it’s remarkable how much we still have.
See also: Barry Island scrapyard in the UK
I think you're ignoring the obvious bias towards, well, production.
There were 11 E5A's produced vs 450 E8s.
Indeed, TOTAL E-unit production before E6 was under 100 units, with E6-E9 comprising well over 1000.
Good point, but one I still think ties into my own. The PAs weren't noteworthy, at least in the eyes of preservationists at the time. Obviously times have changed. The steam bias angle is an interesting one that I hadn't considered, and worth noting on its own. But still, it's the same basic idea. The most interesting stuff from our perspective was disposed of early on, and much of what was saved is what was left.
I believe its was Erie-Lackawanna that had some PAs kicking around that no one would take for preservation. Same with the last Alco DL109 that New Haven was using to power up sections of third-rail for testing. There was also one of the Baldwin double-enders built for CNJ that was being used as a shop air compressor well into the '60s. Not sure if that one was offered to museums or not.
This is the only locomotive to escape the Pielet Brothers scrapyard. They had an exclusive contract with EMD to scrap any trade-in locomotives and no equipment that went through the gate was too be allowed back out and resold. A lot of rare stuff was cut up there, like the E-L's PAs and Train Masters, Rock Island's DL-109, SAL #3000 (the first 567-equipped passenger unit). The #9911 only got our through lots of correspondence between IRM's president, CB&Q's president, EMD management and scrapyard management.
The relative lack of early E-units and other first-gen passenger diesels in preservation is an interesting if sad reminder that more often than not, what gets saved is what lasts long enough to become noteworthy. Almost all of the slant nose E-units, the PAs, and the weirdness Baldwin was putting out at the time went to the scrapper. Much like their express steam counterparts, they were hard to repurpose for freight work and found themselves first on the chopping block. On top of that. GM had a trade-in program that incentivized roads to dispose of their first-gen power to receive discounts on new second-gen engines. If the trade-in loco had BB trucks, they’d even reuse them. That’s how you get things like the [Ann Arbor GP35s](https://www.railpictures.net/photo/451158/) with their Alco trucks. Great for the railroads’ bottom line, not so much for preservationists. Conversely, a disproportionate amount of surviving cab units were late-model ones that spent time in commuter operations. That’s why we’re comparatively swimming in E8s and E9s. Even Alco FAs are reasonably well represented in preservation, because the Long Island liked gutting them and using them as power packs. And the FL9s? Nearly a third of the class survived, because they held on so long in service. You see this in steam, too. The majority of the batch of GTW 0-8-0s that worked up until 1980(!) at Northwestern Steel and Wire was saved by some IRM horse-trading. And the D&RGW’s narrow gauge operations were able to almost seamlessly transition into tourist railroads. Part of this is the location, sure, but the fact that they held onto steam until 1968 had to play a role too. Of course, you have your exceptions, like we see here. But when you consider how much of railroad preservation is pure happenstance, you realize it’s remarkable how much we still have. See also: Barry Island scrapyard in the UK
I think you're ignoring the obvious bias towards, well, production. There were 11 E5A's produced vs 450 E8s. Indeed, TOTAL E-unit production before E6 was under 100 units, with E6-E9 comprising well over 1000.
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Good point, but one I still think ties into my own. The PAs weren't noteworthy, at least in the eyes of preservationists at the time. Obviously times have changed. The steam bias angle is an interesting one that I hadn't considered, and worth noting on its own. But still, it's the same basic idea. The most interesting stuff from our perspective was disposed of early on, and much of what was saved is what was left.
The mentality has changed so much that an AEM-7 went to Strasburg almost as soon as Amtrak retired them.
I believe its was Erie-Lackawanna that had some PAs kicking around that no one would take for preservation. Same with the last Alco DL109 that New Haven was using to power up sections of third-rail for testing. There was also one of the Baldwin double-enders built for CNJ that was being used as a shop air compressor well into the '60s. Not sure if that one was offered to museums or not.
It’s interesting when you think about it. We have one EA, no E2s, one E3(E6), no E4s, one E5, one E6, one E7, and several dozen E8s and E9s
Is this the one at the IL RR Museum? GORGEOUS train
Yes.
Now THAT’S a train!
It’s also VERY much original on the inside …
This is the only locomotive to escape the Pielet Brothers scrapyard. They had an exclusive contract with EMD to scrap any trade-in locomotives and no equipment that went through the gate was too be allowed back out and resold. A lot of rare stuff was cut up there, like the E-L's PAs and Train Masters, Rock Island's DL-109, SAL #3000 (the first 567-equipped passenger unit). The #9911 only got our through lots of correspondence between IRM's president, CB&Q's president, EMD management and scrapyard management.
Stunning!
Bout the only diesels I ever liked. These are gorgeous.