Letting Out Steam

The Pennsylvania Railroad was making up for lost time. Though it was one of the last major U.S. railroads to dieselize, it was finally retiring steam locomotives at a fast clip and stepping up its purchase of diesel-electric equipment. Last week it took its biggest step yet: it ordered 226 locomotives, costing some $38 million, from six manufacturers.* The new order will give Pennsy the largest number of diesel locomotives (820) of any U.S. railroad.

* American Locomotive, Baldwin Locomotive, General Motors, Fairbanks Morse, General Electric and Lima-Hamilton.

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