Originally built in 1976 by GE as E60CH 964, this unit, along with its sisters, were intended to replace all of Amtrak's former PRR GG-1s in passenger service. However these units could never match the legendary Juniata built motors in terms of speed, something that the EMD AEM-7 would later accomplish. One thing that the E60s did have was pulling power, making them an ideal choice for the longer trains on the Northeast Corridor. With the arrival of the AEM-7 some were sold off to other roads, such as NJ Transit. Most of the rest were rebuilt into as E60MA and renumbered into a 600 number series. 603 is the only one remaining of this group, having been purchased by the Museum in 2003, and is one of two Amtrak E60s to survive today. |