See a locomotive being built

Shaners · December 21, 2004

Tuesday night (12-21-04) at 9:00 PM on the Travel Channel.

Alot of you know that I've spent over 16 years working for General Electric. I work in the Transportation division where our main product line is Diesel Locomotives. I actual work in the engine plant, where we manufacture 8, 12 and 16 cylinder diesels for stationary power, the marine industry, and locomotives.

If you are at all curious as to how these behemoth locomotives are assembled, you can catch a rare glimpse inside the Erie PA plant on Tuesday night...

The show is called "Made in America", and it will air at 9:00 PM on The Travel Channel.

Greg · December 21, 2004

Thanks for the tip. But, we'll have to put up with John Ratzenberger's lame jokes.

CMNTMXR81 · December 21, 2004

Just go take a tour at a REAL locotmotive plant run by GM and their ElectroMotive Division!

blue2kzr2 · December 22, 2004

I get to tour a turbine/generator facility every day at work. See jet engines, steam turbines, electric generators in different states of assembly. I work for the same company as Shaners, on a Power Systems plant, but I do IT stuff.

Shaners · December 22, 2004

Well, the show wasn't as good as I hoped... but you really can't put building a locomotive into a 10 minute segment!!!

After 16+ years of locomotive diesel engine experience, my documentary of the diesel engine itself would probably be 3-4 boring hours!!!

Actually I have never been inside the Erie, PA plant. The engines are made and assembled in the Grove City plant which is about 90 miles away. Every engine is tested and run in before it is shipped from our facility. When all the test cells are running, we can create enough electricity to run our facility, plus sell excess back to the power comany.

blue2kzr2 · December 22, 2004

I was also disappointed. I thought it was gonna be a whole show about them.

CMNTMXR81 · December 22, 2004

Don't you hate that. They'll spend three weeks touring your plant, getting every last bit of info, then the show comes on and it amounts to a brief glance over of about 10 minutes.

Jerks!

Greg · December 22, 2004

... Every engine is tested and run in before it is shipped from our facility. When all the test cells are running, we can create enough electricity to run our facility, plus sell excess back to the power comany.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now that is cool.

I agree, the show was rather content-free. Then again, I think the goal of the show is to celebrate the American worker and their products rather than go into any depth.

CMNTMXR81 · December 22, 2004

When you think of the electricity (amps) that are needed to generate 200,000+ pounds of starting drawbar force with roughly 20% tractive effort to move all that mass, then maintain 180k'ish pounds of continous drawbar force at the roughly same 20% tractive effort, ya need a big generator/alternator.

RHainey · December 24, 2004

Shaners,

I sent you an email message regarding the GE Locomotive episode on the Travel channel. I didn't get a reply, so maybe it didn't get to you. I watched the program and enjoyed what I say. Ratzenberger wasn't that bad.

Shaners · December 25, 2004

Shaners,

I sent you an email message regarding the GE Locomotive episode on the Travel channel. I didn't get a reply, so maybe it didn't get to you. I watched the program and enjoyed what I say. Ratzenberger wasn't that bad.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't get the message... I'm not sure if the PM's are working quite right. Sorry.

RHainey · December 26, 2004

Shaners,

Just emailed myself to see if I could receive message through GM Trucks and it worked ok.

My message thanked you for the heads up concerning the segment on the Travel Channel about GE Locomotives. I have a great interest in class 1 railroads and their operations.

If you receive this, maybe we can communicate more concerning your work at the GE plant.

Roland