McHugh Locomotive & Equipment supplied a replacement power plant for a 1944 built GE 44-ton diesel locomotive.
The reconditioned Cummins 855 diesel engine and reconditioned GE 558 main generator are shown prior to installation.
A Railroad Museum in Georgia found themselves spending a lot of money with various other locomotive repair firms trying to keep the obsolete Caterpillar D-17000 diesel engines operating in their GE 44-ton diesel locomotive #7069. That approach proved to be an extreme challenge with parts no longer being manufactured and when qualified used parts where available the prices for those rare items were exorbitant.
The museum began a search of the locomotive industry and found that most rebuilders were not interested in their one-off vintage diesel locomotive project. McHugh Locomotive & Equipment was contracted to perform specific repairs to locomotive #7069 and it arrived at our facility in November 2016.
The original contracted work scope for locomotive #7069 was for McHugh Locomotive & Equipment to provide a power plant with reconditioned Cummins 855 diesel engine and reconditioned GE 558 main generator, to reconditioned two GE 733 traction motors, upgrade of the electrical equipment, and completely rewire the locomotive.
The reconditioned Cummins 855 diesel engine and reconditioned GE 558 main generator are shown after installation.
A number of other defects beyond the scope of the project were found as the project progressed. McHugh Locomotive & Equipment provided discounted pricing to help the Museum with the additional cost of those items. To accommodate the Museum’s budget constraints, McHugh Locomotive & Equipment also agreed to spread the cost of the project out over a period of time.
In 2017 the Georgia State Railroad Museum decided to have the McHugh Company perform the following additional services and repairs as an extra to the original contract.
These items included a replacement air compressor, updated air brake equipment, air brake gauges, new fuel tank with piping, new batteries, and to change out the rubber seal gaskets on the FRA window glazing. To accommodate the Museum’s budget restrictions, they provided many extra items that were accepted and installed by our technicians resulting a cost savings for the project.
The McHugh Locomotive & Equipment also assisted on the total overall cost of the GE-44 ton locomotive restoration by providing a $6,000 donation of parts and services towards the project. The #7069 arrived back at the at museum complex on May 23, 2018. The locomotive was painted by the Museum staff over the next 5 months and the 7069 returned back to service on October 30, 2018.
The finished locomotive is shown sitting on shop trucks at the McHugh shop prior to shipping back to Georgia. Shipping locomotives is never a problem for McHugh Locomotive & Equipment. We have shipped more locomotives and rail equipment than most anyone in the business.
