Equipment

The locomotive was equipped with two 150 hp Cummins diesel engines, each driving a generator which, in turn, drove one of the two traction motors, one per truck. In early models, the second axle on each truck was driven with side rods. Later models had chain drives inside the trucks that served the same purpose.

A traditional train air brake was optional, but all came with two compressors (one per engine) and a straight-air independent (locomotive) brake. The cabs were spacious for the size of the locomotive, and both the engineer's seat and the fireman's seat were raised two feet on platforms (under which was the brake equipment, if applicable), so as to afford better views during switching.

Uses

The GE 45-ton was extremely versatile and many variants existed. It has a high weight to power ratio, and has excellent traction, rated to be able to pull 20 loaded freight cars on level track. They were built with a short wheelbase for use in industrial plants, yards, and other places where clearances were tight. Although intended as switchers, they sometimes served mainline duties, although nearly all had an imposed speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) due to the double reduction gearing of their traction motor

Traction motor

Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....

s.

Current owners and operators

The Old Colony and Newport Scenic Railway operates two of these locomotives on a regular revenue basis. The Lake Superior And Mississippi railroad of Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

 also owns and operates one. Nearby Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Lake Superior Railroad Museum

The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...

 also has a former Minnesota Power 45-tonner, which is now used for switching rolling stock around the museum. Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting operate two of these for slag operations in the smelter. Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

's on-campus T. B. Simon Power Plant

T. B. Simon Power Plant

T.B. Simon Power Plant is a multi-fuel cogeneration facility located on the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University. With a peak electrical output of 99.3 megawatts and a pressurized steam generation capacity of 1.3 million pounds per hour, it is one of the 500 largest power plants and the...

 uses a 45-tonner painted in school colors to position coal hoppers under a Carhoe II unloader.

They can also be found in museums such as the NC Transportation Museum and the Fox River Trolley Museum of South Elgin, IL. The Texas Transportation Museum also owns a 45-ton, (listed on their website as a 44-ton). The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

The Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is an operating railroad museum located in Industry, New York. The museum started in 1971 with the leasing of a former Erie Railroad Depot from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...

 is currently restoring #1941, a demonstrator used by GE at Lee, MA, it was donated to the museum in 1991 by Rochester Gas and Electric. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has one numbered LM-2 used as a maintenance of way (MOW) and rescue locomotive for its Broad Street Subway line. Edmonton Transit also uses one of these locomotives, numbered 2010, for MOW tasks. The South Carolina Railroad Museum has a siderod equipped GE, number 82. It was built for and used in the Charleston Naval Yard prior to the museum. It is currently being restored to full operation. The Delta Valley and Southern 50 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. Its present location is unknown. The Henry Ford Greenfield Village operates one, Charlston Naval Weapons Station No 1. It is used to shuttle supplies for their steam locomotives from the Canadian National tracks to the village rails. The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association owns and operates a former US Marine 45-tonner.