General Electric entered the railroad industry in the early twentieth century and this collection of history explores all types of electric locomotives with a stunning collection of archival black-and-white, period, and modern color photography. Depicting a broad cross-section of American railroads in a variety of regions both urban and remote, Brian Solomon leads us through GE’s entire locomotive history, from the first electric S motors to today’s colossal, 6,000-horsepower diesel-electrics. Witness electrical legends such as the Pennsylvania Railroad’s E44s, Amtrak’s E60s, and Milwaukee Road’s “Little Joes”, just to name a few. All in all, Solomon gives us a brilliant explanation of the locomotives, the terrain they covered, pioneering GE efforts, and even the marketplace competition and the power race that fueled the development of these awesome machines.
Brian Solomon is one of today's most accomplished railway historians. He has authored more than twenty-five books about railroads and motive power, and his writing and photography have been featured in the world's top railfan publications, including Trains, Railway Age, Passenger Train Journal, and RailNews. He divides his time between Massachusetts and Ireland.
