Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific E70




Facts and Figures


Current NumberE70
Railway RepresentedChicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific
BuilderGeneral Electric
Built In1948
Builder's order id29927
Currently in (State)Montana
--(Locality)Deer Lodge
Totally out of svc date1974
(Initial retirement date)
Car Typelocomotive
-subtype"Little Joe"
-designationClass EF-4
Statusdisplayed inoperable
More info
Gauge4'8.5"
Constructionsteel
Roof typeAR
EndedSE
Length87'10"
Width10'7"
Height14'5"
Weight586800
#Seatsn/a
#Wheels/Conf.24
Total HP5110
TrucksGSC
Brakes
Compressor
ControlGE P
Motors[GE 750 (8)]
Voltage (if not 600DC)3000vDC
NotesOriginally built for Russia

Locomotive E70 on display in Deer Lodge, Montana, in 2023
Flickr
photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/henrysrailwaygallery/52999810863/

Locomotive E70 on display in Deer Lodge, Montana, in 2018
Flickr
photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwittyphotography/52199346482/

Car History by


Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific E70
This locomotive is the only survivor of the series of twelve units the Milwaukee Road nicknamed "Little Joes." In 1946, following World War II, the Soviet Union decided to extend the electrification of its railroad line across Siberia. From General Electric it ordered 20 prototype models of a 3000-volt, 5' gauge modern electric locomotive. Unfortunately, by the time the first of the 20 locomotives was completed in early 1948, the cold war had begun and the sale of railroad equipment - deemed "strategic material" - to the USSR was prohibited. GE was left with 20 virtually unsaleable units, but decided to equip the 15th unit off the assembly line as a demonstrator for the dubious Milwaukee Road. Numbered GE750, it arrived on the Milwaukee Road in 1949 for a series of tests. Railroad officials were not impressed, and no orders were forthcoming until, in late 1950, an upsurge in Korean War traffic brought with it a motive power shortage. The Milwaukee Road, desperate for locomotives, bought from GE its last twelve GE750-type units (eight had already been sold), suitably rebuilt for standard gauge operation. The former demonstrator, GE750, became Milwaukee Road E70 of class EF-4. It operated in freight service for nearly a quarter of a century, until the electric divisions of the Milwaukee Road were dieselized in June 1974; after retirement it was donated to the City of Deer Lodge, a terminus of the Mountain Division electrification, where it was put on display in the parking lot of the state prison.


Ownership History


OwnerCar NumFromToPreservation?Loan?
General Electric (Pennsylvania, Erie)GE7501948 1950 NO NO
Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific (Wisconsin, Milwaukee)E701950 1974 NO NO
Powell County Museum (Montana, Deer Lodge)E701974 present YES NO


Additional Media

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Walkaround tour of locomotive E70 from 2020
YouTube
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2WySnGoh8