BC Rail GF6Cs

I had gotten wind of BC Rail electrics on their way for maintanence and that they would be in New Westminster, BC.Where I didn't know so I decided to go bt the BNSF yard in New West and there they were.GF6C 50 Kilovolt electric locomotives, built 1982.
Apparently these are the most powerful electric in the world.Take a look.




Theodore Webster
Port Moody,BC
CPR Cascade SubdivisionAmateur Photographer,Railfan,Train-SimmerWhen near the tracks expect the unexpected.

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RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, CP_5731, Feb-11-04, 03:28 AM, (1) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, sd70mac666, Feb-11-04, 05:41 AM, (2) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, Chessie SD50 8563, Feb-11-04, 09:28 AM, (3) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, West_Coast_Railroader, Feb-11-04, 11:26 PM, (5) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, smallspy, Feb-12-04, 00:14 AM, (6) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, ronson, Feb-13-04, 08:58 PM, (7) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, ssw, Feb-13-04, 10:35 PM, (8) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, ronson, Feb-14-04, 10:21 AM, (10) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, Erick_Cantu, Feb-11-04, 06:49 PM, (4) RE: BC Rail GF6Cs, erniep, Feb-14-04, 01:02 AM, (9)

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Yeah they were pretty powerful. I remember seeing them haul coal trains up the grades through tumbler ridge. It's to bad the don’t use them anymore And I think they are for sale.....But im not sure, someone will have to correct me on that.
Ryan
Revelstoke Bc
(Mile 125.7 CPR Mountain Subdivision)
CPR Conductor trainee

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It's called the scrapline
Dr. SatanI'm otherwise known as the SatanTrain

High on the booze
fade to blue
nine inch howl brave tonight
chopper coming in you hope
Orange Crush: R.E.M.

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LAST EDITED ON Feb-11-04 AT 09:32 AM (EST)

>GF6C 50 Kilovolt electric locomotives, built 1982.
>Apparently these are the most powerful electric in the
>world. Not 100% true....The most powerful North American Electric locomotive is the GM10B built in 1976 (stats in signature) In Europe they're exsist single unit electrics that produce 15000HP, and tractive effort and adhesion levels that are equal to 2 and 3 times that of a AC6000CW or a SD90MAC. Granted though, the GF6C and they're GM6C predicessor are VERY powerful electric locomotives. The 7 GF6C's are now owned by CIT finacal, and are heading to CEECO for storage. They are for sale and valued at $25,000 a piece, there are no immedate plans to scrap them. So if action is to be taken to save one, DO IT NOW, as it is not likely they will sale to anyone else. They're too large for many oversea's electrical operations, and not many electric roads in North America use the 50,000KV 60hz AC system (commonly refered to as the "Western Standard Electrification")

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>>GF6C 50 Kilovolt electric locomotives, built 1982.
>>Apparently these are the most powerful electric in the
>>world.
>
>Not 100% true....
>
>The most powerful North American Electric locomotive is the
>GM10B built in 1976 (stats in signature)
>
>In Europe they're exsist single unit electrics that produce
>15000HP, and tractive effort and adhesion levels that are
>equal to 2 and 3 times that of a AC6000CW or a SD90MAC.
>
>Granted though, the GF6C and they're GM6C predicessor are
>VERY powerful electric locomotives.
>
>The 7 GF6C's are now owned by CIT finacal, and are heading
>to CEECO for storage. They are for sale and valued at
>$25,000 a piece, there are no immedate plans to scrap them.
>So if action is to be taken to save one, DO IT NOW, as it is
>not likely they will sale to anyone else. They're too large
>for many oversea's electrical operations, and not many
>electric roads in North America use the 50,000KV 60hz AC
>system (commonly refered to as the "Western Standard
>Electrification")
>
>
OK I stand correctedAnyway you slice it its gonna be sad to see them go.Theodore Webster
Port Moody,BC
CPR Cascade SubdivisionAmateur Photographer,Railfan,Train-SimmerWhen near the tracks expect the unexpected.

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>OK I stand corrected
>
>Anyway you slice it its gonna be sad to see them go.
>
>Theodore Webster I'm sorry, but this has to be said....and I'm not singling you out either Theodore, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time...Why is everyone lamenting their passing???When they ran, no one cared. Now that they're gone, everyone all of a sudden is saying "Oh my god, I can't believe it" or "It's such a shame", and other useless blather.First off, if anyone really cared, they would have been there firing through rolls of film during their last days of service. And from what I've thus far seen, this is simply not the case.Second of all, it was extremely obvious that this was going to happen anyways. The mines on the line had been wrapping up production for the past 3 or 4 years...there was no point in running the electrification if only one mine was going to be producing *maybe* one trainload a day...I really think that they should have died in obscurity, just as they lived...it was a great concept, but one that was ill-concieved at best...DanMaking a mockery of serious business for 23 years.

www.greatlakesrail.com

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Yes the mines lifespan was short but it still was a great way to do what they needed to get done. The tunnels are why they needed the electics. This was to cut the cost of the airing out of the tunnels with vent shafts and the like. As soon as they entered chetwynd sub they changed over to CN Diesels for the trip to Prince George.You have to admit that they did there job effectively. There aren't that many electrics still running and to see one more end isn't a cause for celebration. Tumbler Ridge is nearly a ghost town now. Like boom towns of bygone areas when the main industry leaves that is as they say that. This too is not a cause for celebration.Name the last time tunnels nearly 9 miles long were blasted through the rockies. The obscurity comes from it's local. It was very remote even for BC so it's not that hard to think of them as just a passing idea. Would they have been able to get the coal out any other way?I myself think of them as a great piece of Canadian Technology. A Canadian solution to a Canadian problem. Designed built run in Canada. How could you think of that in any way other then great.They are headed for scrap most likely. There just aren't any 50KV lines waiting for heavily used equipment out there. If you look at what BCR did to the alco's you will see that even though engines of a reviered heritage can be scrapped with the best of them well that is not in and of itself a problem for the TR electrics but of all the stock not currently being used.It's a great piece of Canadian Technology that should be looked at with pride not dismissed into obscurity.Ronson2k

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How many standard gauge class one electrifications do you know of west of the Mississippi?

Bradley Linda
Waco, Texas

Paint Shop Department
Sounder Commuter Rail
Everett-Tacoma
Coming Fall/Winter 2004

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The only other electrics that I have scene have been the BHP units. The deliver coal to the the Four Corners Generation Station. Not class one but an industrial shortline. I think they are still in operation. There on a 30KV line.Ronson

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An electric locomotive that doesn't look horrid? Must be a rare sight...

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It reminds me of the CPR's testing of catenary around The Nelson area of BC for winter conditions in the seventies. Nothing really came of it, but action red electrics would have been something else. cheers,
Ernie

Old switchmen never die, they just pull the pin

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