General Electric Dan Patch Electric Locomotive

General Electric Erie Works and Dan Patch Electric Train postcard courtesy of Jim Peters.

The sprawling GE Transportation Systems Erie Works campus is shown in the top picture on this postcard. GE is bordered by Franklin Avenue, East Lake Road, Water Street and the Conrail railroad tracks on the south.

The center photo shows a gas electric motor car made by General Electric for the Dan Patch Electric Lines, run by the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester & Dubuque Electric Traction Company.

The bottom photo, billed as the Largest Electric Locomotive in the World, shows the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company locomotive No. 10203. This 3,000 volt engine was GE locomotive No. 5028. Go train spotting for more C.M. & St. P engines in General Electric promotional photographs.

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GE Built 3,000 Volt Locomotives

Old Time Erie GE publicity still contributed by Jack Sheehan.

The train pictured above packed a lot of power when it was completed on November 3, 1927. This 3,000 volt electric locomotive was made at the General Electric plant in Lawrence Park. This workhorse was made for the Paulista Railway Company in Brazil. There are more than two dozen men pictured with the final product, each one playing a part in its design and assembly. It would have taken a mighty crane to set the parts of this 150 ton behemoth up on blocks, and then to roll it off onto the railroad tracks.

Tom Sheehan is on top of the cab, the fifth man from the right. Tom lived at 1052 Rankine Avenue in Lawrence Park with his family. He rose to the rank of foreman and died in 1947 following an illness. GE made quality products in Erie County, Pennsylvania that were sold to customers all over the world. There was a time when two or three generations from the same family worked at GE. This photo may have been taken in Building 10. GE Transportation Systems is on Eastlake Road between Water Street and Franklin Avenue. Its one of the largest employers in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

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