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The GE U50

(Please note that the models featured here are not U50s.)

The GE U50 was one of the most powerful single unit road switchers the company ever produced. During the horsepower race that was sparked by Union Pacific in the 1960s all three locomotive builders at the time, EMD, GE, and Alco built experimental massive road switcher units for the railroad, all of which featured roughly the same horsepower rating (5,000 - 5,500 hp, although EMD's later DDA40X of the late 1960s reached 6,600 hp). Unfortunately, most of these models, including the U50, were hampered by reliability issues since they were essentially two locomotives under one hood (i.e., they featured dual prime movers) and had never been given ample research and development time before being manufactured. Today, all U50s built for UP, and the few Southern Pacific purchased, have been scrapped.

The GE U50 was essentially an experimental, high horsepower diesel locomotive, originally requested by Union Pacific in the early 1960s, who likewise asked competing builders Alco and EMD to produce similar models. Union Pacific was attempting to reduce operating costs by using high horsepower locomotives, which would reduce the number of units needed per train. UP's interested in high-horsepower locomotives dated well back into the steam era with the incredibly powerful 4-8-8-4 "Big Boys" from the American Locomotive Company. In 1952 Alco collaborated with GE to construct the gas turbine electric locomotive (GTEL) that offered phenomenal horsepower and tractive effort.

(The above video is an example of an HO Scale GE U50.)

However, the GTELs were too expensive to operate and UP looked for other alternatives. Still asking for 15,000 horsepower, three unit locomotive set GE designed the U50 in 1963. The design featured two 4-cycle model FDL16 prime movers which could produce a combined 5,000 horsepower(it was more or less two U25Bs stuck together). A gigantic locomotive in terms of both length and weight it stretched to over 83 feet and weighed 557,000 pounds. Of course, similar models built by EMD and Alco at the time featured similar dimensions. With the locomotive's massive weight its tractive effort rating was off the charts; 160,000 pounds starting and 139,500 pounds continuous.

Similar to Alco's C855 model, the GE U50 rode on four B-B trucks (i.e., two axles per truck) giving it a B+B-B+B wheel arrangement. The model is sometimes referred to as a U50D, which technically is not accurate, as it utilized four-axle trucks. GE delivered its first three U50s to Union Pacific in October, 1963 and the railroad was pleased enough with the models that it ordered two more batches totaling twenty units in July, 1964 and May, 1965. In total, UP would own 23 U50s. In May, 1964 Southern Pacific ordered a batch of three U50s but was not satisfied with the units and had scrapped them before 1975. Interestingly, in the late 1960s GE would again build a high horsepower experimental design for UP known as the U50C, which was slightly different but featured the same horsepower.

While the GE U50 did have some mechanical issues perhaps its biggest drawback was simply its weight. At 278.5 tons the locomotives were very heavy making them very hard on the track structure. Union Pacific continued to operate their U50s for a few more years but by 1977 all had been scrapped or traded in to GE for newer, more reliable locomotives (by that time GE was offering models like the C30-7 and B30-7, both of which were quite reliable and sold, combined, more than 1,500 examples). For a total production roster of GE U50s please click here. Lastly, for more information about the GE U50 and all of the builder's U-boat models please refer to the chart below.

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GE U-Boat Road Switchers

Model Type	Units Built	Date Built	Horsepower
U18B	163	1973-1976	1,800
U23B	481	1968-1977	2,250
U25B	478	1959-1966	2,500
U28B	148	1966	2,800
U30B	296	1966-1975	3,000
U33B	137	1966-1975	3,300
U36B	125	1969-1974	3,600
U23C	223	1968-1976	2,300
U25C	113	1963-1965	2,500
U28C	71	1965-1966	2,800
U30C	606	1966-1976	3,000
U33C	375	1968-1975	3,300
U36C	238	1971-1975	3,600
U50C	40	1969-1971	5,000
U50/D	26	1963-1965	5,000

For more information on the General Electric Universal series consider Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives, which looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic GEs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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