GENERAL ELECTRIC
8438 May 1921 B-B 820 hp GE-251A (4) GE RM63B 125 200 lbs
36 000 lbs 37 ft 4 in 9 ft 7 in 25 ft 5 in 1200 VDC (later 1500 VDC)
builder..
builder number.. built.. wheel arrangement.. horsepower.. traction motors.. trucks.. operational weight.. starting tractive effort.. length.. width.. wheelbase..
operational power..
Steeplecab electric 106 was ordered from General Electric on November 1, 1920, at a cost of $51,090. The engine would augment wooden body electric 100, allowing the railroad to handle the growing traffic of the 1920's. It was delivered in May of 1921 and immediately put to work on the electrified line north of Modesto.
When purchased, the 106 represented the state of the art in small electric locomotives. The GE steel
steeplecabs were among the most common and successful electric locomotives ever built and could be found on lines across North America, including sister road Sacramento Northern. The 106 worked for the Tidewater for 27 years, first in
mainline Stockton to Modesto service, then solely in Modesto after most of the line was de-electrified. On a few occasions, it leased to, or borrowed by, the Sacramento Northern. The longest period was during World War II when,
from mid 1942(?) to late 1945, the SN used the 106 while the TS received SN motors 601 and 602. Unlike the SN, which first repaired its own electric motive power at its shops in Chico, then later sent them to the WP's Jeffrey Shops, the
TS contracted its juice jack maintanence to Stockton neighbor Central California Traction Company. TS 106 would be a ragular guest at the Cherokee Road shops until the end of its Tidewater service. When built, the locomotive was
equipped with four 750/1500 volt DC traction motors. The Tidewater used 1200 volt DC overhead, but envisioned a planned increase in power. A single 69:17 reduction gear drove the wheels. On 1500 volts, this gave the 106 a
14,500 lb. continuous tractive effort at 22 miles per hour. Power was supplied through a trolley pole. The locomotive's appearance underwent several changes while in service. When delivered, the carbody was painted black with the
full roadname, Tidewater Southern Railway, spelled out under the cab windows in two lines and the number beneath that. The cab had two full windows on each side and only one end had side handrails. At some point, side rails were
added to the opposite end and one side cab window was blanked an each side. The roadname soon lost the "Railway" and, about 1945, the locomotive was relettered with a larger font similar to that used by Sacramento Northern. During
its World War II stint on the SN, a pantograph was applied to the 106, an appliance that was removed when it made its brief return to Modesto. On March 31, 1948, the 106 was officially sold to the SN for $14,197.82 as TS electric operations
were closing down, although the motor had been transferred to Oakland a few months earlier. Renumbered SN 670, she served until November 1954, when the motor logged her last miles. SN 670 was sold for scrap on either December 13,
1956 or February 26, 1957 (some records contradict each other) to National Iron and Metal (a dba of Essee Iron and Metal Company). Used mostly on SN lines south of Sacramento, including regular service over the Oakland Hills, the engine
also switched the car ferry "Ramon". As the 670, the engine was never fully repainted into SN's standard electric scheme, retaining its TS black body but wearing no orange "scare" stripes as found on other SN motors. One
trolley pole was replaced by a pantograph and a second brake air tank was installed. Christened "Blackwidow" by the SN crews, it worked in concert with similar GE steeplecabs SN 650-654 as well as the SN's remaining Baldwin
steeplecabs. Although it often run in multiple locomotive consists, the 106/670 was never documented to have never received MU systems, requiring a seperate crew to run the motor "helper-style". It appears that, at one point after the
end of SN service into Oakland, the stored 670 was considered for reactiviation for the lines in Marysville and Yuba City. However, SN workers had given a local railroad museum permission to strip some brake parts from her for a
restoration. The SN foreman who inspected the engine found her minus some critical components and rejected returning her to service, sealing the engine's fate. The 106/670 was scrapped by Essee Iron and Metal Company of Oakland,
CA, sometime in late 1957/early 1958, however its trucks were removed and were placed under SN 654, which still rides on them today at the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Jct.
General Electric Steeplecab Electric 106
Tidewater Southern Railway
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