View source for GE U36B

{{Infobox locomotive
| name             = GE U36B
| image            = CSX 5701 at Atlanta, GA on June 10, 1987 (22146019343).jpg
| alt              = 
| caption          = CSX {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 5701 in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1987
| powertype        = Diesel-electric
| designer         = 
| builder          = [[GE Transportation Systems]]
| ordernumber      = 
| serialnumber     = 
| buildmodel       = 
| builddate        = January 1969 &ndash; December 1974
| totalproduction  = 125
| rebuilder        = 
| rebuilddate      = 
| numberrebuilt    = 
| website          = 
| aarwheels        = [[AAR wheel arrangement#B-B|B-B]]
| uicclass         = 
| Britishclass     = <!-- e.g. [[Bo-Bo]] [[1Co+Co1]] -->
| driver           = <!-- e.g. 1st, 2nd  or 3rd coupled axle -->
| gauge            = {{track gauge|ussg}}
| trucks           = 
| bogies           = 
| leadingdiameter  = 
| wheeldiameter    = 
| trailingdiameter = 
| minimumcurve     = 
| wheelbase        = 
|  engine total    = 
|  leading         = 
|  drivers         = <!-- USA terminology -->
|  coupled         = <!-- British terminology -->
|  trailing        = 
|  truck           = <!-- USA terminology diesels and electrics -->
|  bogie           = <!-- British terminology diesels and electrics -->
|  tender total     = 
|  tendertruck     = <!-- USA terminology -->
|  tenderbogie     = <!-- British terminology -->
| pivotcentres     = <!-- Garratts, diesels and electrics -->
| wheelspacing     = <!-- bogies or coupled wheels with asymmetrical wheel spacing --> 
| length           = {{convert|60|ft|2|in|m}}
|  over couplers   = 
|  over bufferbeams= 
|  body            = 
| width            = 
| height           = 
| axleload         = 
|  leadingbogie/pony= <!-- load on leading bogie or pony wheel -->
| weightondrivers  = 
| trail bogie/pony = <!-- load on trailing bogie or pony wheel -->
| locoweight       = {{convert|270000|lb|kg}}
| fueltype         = 
| fuelcap          = 
| lubecap          = 
| coolantcap       = 
| watercap         = 
| sandcap          = 
| powersupply      = 
| consumption      = 
| watercons        = 
| primemover       = GE FDL-16
| rpmrange         = 
|  rpmrange low    = 
|  rpmrange idle   = 
|  rpmrange max    = 
| enginetype       = 
| aspiration       = 
| displacement     = <!-- per cylinder -->
| alternator       = 
| generator        = 
| tractionmotors   = 
|  t/m amps 1 hr   = <!-- Power output rating per motor -->
|  t/m amps cont   = <!-- Power output rating per motor -->
| headendpower     = 
| cylindercount    = 
| cylindersize     = 
| transmission     = 
| gear ratio       = 
| multipleworking  = 
| trainheating     = 
| locobrakes       = 
| dynamicpeakeffort= 
| locobrakeforce   = 
| trainbrakes      = 
| reservoircap     = 
| compressorcap    = 
| exhaustercap     = 
| coupling         = 
| maxspeed         = {{convert|75|mph}}
| poweroutput      = {{convert|3600|hp|MW|abbr=on|lk=on}}
|  poweroutput start= 
|  poweroutput 1 hr= 
|  poweroutput cont= 
| tractiveeffort   = 
|  t/e starting    = 
|  t/e 1 hr        = 
|  t/e continuous  = 
| factorofadhesion = 
|  f/adh starting  = 
|  f/adh 1 hr      = 
|  f/adh continuous= 
| safety           = 
| operator         = 
| operatorclass    = 
| powerclass       = 
| numinclass       = 
| fleetnumbers     = 
| officialname     = 
| nicknames        = 
| axleloadclass    = 
| locale           = Eastern and southeastern [[United States]]
| deliverydate     = 
| firstrundate     = 
| lastrundate      = 
| retiredate       = 
| withdrawndate    = 
| preservedunits   = 
| restoredate      = 
| scrapdate        = 
| currentowner     = 
| disposition      = 
| notes            = 
}}

The '''GE U36B''' is a four-axle {{convert|3600|hp|MW|1|abbr=on}} [[AAR wheel arrangement#B-B|B-B]] [[diesel-electric locomotive]] produced by [[GE Transportation Systems|General Electric]] from 1969 to 1974. It was primarily used by the [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad]] and its successors, although thirteen provided the power for the original ''[[Auto Train]]''. The U36B was the last GE high-horsepower universal series locomotive.

== Design ==
General Electric's "high-horsepower" universal series locomotives were built around improvements to the 16-cylinder [[GE FDL-16]] prime mover.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pinkepank|Marre|1979|p=40}}</ref> The U36B, rated at {{convert|3600|hp|MW|abbr=on}}, was the most powerful of the four-axle universal series and the last such design.<ref name="Wilson-2017-100">{{Harvnb|Wilson|2017|p=100}}</ref> It was visually indistinguishable from the [[GE U33B]], both of which were {{convert|60|ft|2|in|m}} long.<ref>{{Harvnb|Foster|1996|p=44}}</ref> The locomotives rode on [[Blomberg B|Blomberg trucks]] from traded-in EMD general-purpose (GP) locomotives.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pinkepank|Marre|1979|p=43}}</ref> Each locomotive weighed {{convert|270000|lb|kg}}.<ref name="ftu-20171110">{{cite news | last=Strickland | first=Sandy | title=Call Box: Train was 'Spirit of 1776' | newspaper=[[Florida Times-Union]] | date=November 10, 2017 | url=https://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/call-box/2017-11-10/call-box-train-was-spirit-1776 | access-date=November 30, 2019}}</ref> The U36B shared large "bat-wing" radiators with other high-horsepower locomotives of its generation at the back.<ref>{{Harvnb|Solomon|2014|p=87}}</ref>

The Seaboard locomotives had an 81:22 gear ratio, permitting a maximum speed of {{convert|75|mph}}. The U36B and the six-axle [[GE U36C]] were designed to operate with the MATE (Motors for Additional Tractive Effort) [[slug (railroad)|slug]]. The MATE had four traction motors, allowing power from the locomotive to be distributed over a total of eight traction motors for double tractive effort.<ref>{{cite journal | title=More use from high power units | journal=Railway Locomotives and Cars | pages=15–18 | date=September 1970 | issn=0033-8915}}</ref> The Auto-Train locomotives did not have [[steam generator (railroad)|steam generators]] for passenger comfort; this was supplied by a separate steam generator car behind the locomotives.<ref>{{Harvnb|Walker|1972|p=46}}</ref>

== History ==
The primary purchaser of the U36B was the [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad]], which ordered 108 locomotives. The [[Auto-Train Corporation]], whose ''[[Auto Train]]'' ran primarily over the Seaboard, ordered another 17, for a total production run of 125. Four of these would be delivered to [[Conrail]] after Auto-Train ran into financial difficulties. The Conrail U36B locomotives were fitted with AAR Type B trucks.<ref name="Wilson-2017-100" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Pinkepank|1973|p=178}}</ref> The unit price was $285,000.<ref name="ftu-20171110" /> The intended use of the U36B was "high-priority, fast freight services, such as intermodal trains."<ref>{{Harvnb|Solomon|2014|p=102}}</ref>

GE manufactured the U36B between January 1969 and December 1974, during a period when railroads in the United States moved away from high-horsepower designs. There were multiple reasons for this change: rising fuel prices because of the [[1973 oil crisis]], higher locomotive maintenance costs, and poor [[Wheel slide protection|wheel adhesion]], resulting from the primitive state of wheel-slip control at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Resor|1994|p=408}}</ref> With its {{convert|900|hp|MW}} per axle, the U36B was the "ultimate in adhesion-limited locomotives."<ref>{{Harvnb|Resor|1994|p=412}}</ref> GE would not market another such type until the [[GE Dash 7 Series|Dash 7 series]] in the late 1970s.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wheelihan|2002|p=46}}</ref>

Seaboard Coast Line #1776(2nd) (locomotive originally built as SCL #1813, it traded numbers with original #1776, which had already been released into service wearing the standard SCL Black with Yellow stripe paint scheme--1776(1st) became 1813(2nd and 1813(1st) became 1776(2nd)) was painted in a red-white-and-blue color scheme to honor the [[United States Bicentennial]] and made numerous special trips.<ref name="ftu-20171110" /> The 13 Auto-Train locomotives were painted in that company's distinctive purple-white-and-red color scheme, devised by Carol Settles.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ely|2009|pp=25–26}}</ref> [[Amtrak]] leased car six of Auto-Train's locomotives during the [[Blizzard of 1977#Winter of 1976–1977|unusually harsh winter of 1976–1977]] to provide power for the [[Chicago]]–[[Florida]] ''[[Floridian (train, 1971–1979)|Floridian]]''.<ref>{{cite news | title=Chicago-Florida Train Resumed By Amtrak | newspaper=[[Indianapolis Star]] | date=February 27, 1977 | page=162 | 
url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39849454/chicagoflorida_train_resumed_by_amtrak/}}</ref>

== Preservation ==
* CSX/MCVX #7764 (ex-Seaboard Coast Line #1776) is preserved at the Lake Shore Railway Museum in [[North East, Pennsylvania]].  It is the only known surviving U36B.<ref>{{cite web | last=Sweeney | first=S. | title=Pennsylvania museum secures U36B for preservation | date=August 15, 2018 | url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/08/15-pennsylvania-museum-secures-u36b-for-preservation | work=[[Trains News Wire]] | access-date=November 30, 2019 | archive-date=March 12, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312164852/http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/08/15-pennsylvania-museum-secures-u36b-for-preservation | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Original owners==
General Electric manufactured 125 locomotives between 1969–1975:<ref name="Wilson-2017-100" />
{| class="wikitable"
! Railroad
! Quantity
! Road numbers
|-
|[[Auto-Train Corporation]]
|13
|4000–4012
|-
|[[Conrail]]
|4
|2971–2974
|-
|[[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad]]
|108
|1748–1855
|}

==See also==
* [[GE Universal Series]]
* [[GE B36-7]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{Cite book|last=Ely|first=Wally|year=2009|title=Auto-Train|series=Images of Rail|edition=1st|publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]]|isbn=978-0-7385-6785-3}}
* {{Foster-Field Guide}}
* {{Pinkepank diesel spotters guide 2}}
* {{cite book | last1=Pinkepank | first1=Jerry A. | last2=Marre | first2=Louis A. | title=Diesel Spotter's Guide Update | date=1979 | publisher=[[Kalmbach Publishing]] | location=Milwaukee, WI | isbn=0-89024-029-9 }}
* {{cite conference |title=Innovation and Competition in Locomotive Manufacturing, 1950 - 2000 |last1=Resor |first1=Randolph R. |date=November 3–5, 1994 |book-title=Proceedings of the 36th Annual Meeting |pages=407–419 |location=Daytona Beach, Florida |conference=Transportation Research Forum }}
* {{Solomon-GE and EMD}}
* {{cite journal | last=Walker | first=Warren | title=Auto-Train: A New Transportation Hybrid | journal=Transportation & Distribution Management | volume=12 | date=June 1972 | pages=46–48 | issn=0039-8276 }}
* {{cite magazine | last=Wheelihan | first=Jack | title=10 locomotives that didn't change the world | magazine=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] | date=October 2002 | pages=46–47 | volume=62 | issue=10 | issn=0041-0934 }}
* {{Wilson-Guide}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|GE U36B locomotives}}

{{GE diesels}}

[[Category:B-B locomotives]]
[[Category:General Electric locomotives|U36B]]
[[Category:Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1969]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States]]