Remember most locomotives these days are electric. The diesel engine merely runs an alternator or generator to produce electricity to run the traction motors that turn the wheels. Subtract the diesel, add a third rail shoe or pantograph and you have a straight electric.
GM recently sold off the locomotive business (EMD) to a finance outfit. EMD (Electromotive Division) was part of GM since the 1930's and for decades was the largest locomotive manufacturer in the world. General Electric supplied electrical gear such as traction motors and alternators to several manufacturers of locomotives over the years and was Alco's partner in the locomotive business of the 1950's.
GE got into the large locomotive business in the early 1960's with it's own line and it was usually the #3 builder behind EMD and the now defunct Alco. After Alco called it quits GE usually ran a distant second behind EMD until the 1990's.
During the 1990's several factors came into play that vaulted GE into a commanding lead in the domestic locomotive business. Poor quality control and performance from GM's 50 and 60 series locomotives and EMD's higher costs and longer wait times made the GE line look better. GE was able to produce more locomotives faster and at lower costs, meeting more stringent enviornmental guidelines and with better fuel economy.
There were rumors floating around that GE would buy EMD but that would not likely pbutt anti-trust review.
GE electrical gear can be found on some older EMD models that had trade-in parts, but the majority of EMD locomotives had EMD built alternators and traction motors. GE did sell it's electrical gear to other builders such as Alco and Baldwin.
-- Rich Carlson, N9JIG rich#n9jig*com
