Penn. E44

The **Penn. E44** is an electric locomotive in the game Railroad Tycoon II. It becomes available in 1960, and is a slow, but very powerful locomotive that is a good option for the majority of freight services operating under wires. However, it’s slow speed means it is far too slow for passenger services, but it can haul 6 cars of any type of cargo comfortably at 55mph.

## Strategy

This locomotive is a great choice for all freight services that run on electric track, especially for more valuable cargos. This is because the Penn. E44 has a much lower running cost than all of the diesel locomotives, and is also considerably quicker and more powerful than the Class 1020. Compared to the Class 1020, the Penn E44. is therefore will better cope on busy railways in terms of not blocking faster locomotives, but the Class 1020’s better reliability and lower costs in general means it’s better on cheaper cargos in more remote parts of a railway. The Penn. E44 is listed as having fast acceleration, but it low top speed means that it’s negligible compared to other locomotives. However, the E44 does have disappointing reliability, especially considering it is an electric locomotive, though again the E44 doesn’t travel at high enough speeds for to be a massive problem. Even though this locomotive can perform admirably with all types of freight, if the route requires more than a little of electrification to run, it’s usually better to stick to a locomotive such as the GP9 or GP18, as any savings in running costs in using the E44 will be cancelled by electrical infrastructure costs and maintenance. The lifetime of the Penn. E44 really is only until the Class E111 comes out in 1974, as the latter locomotive is not only cheaper to maintain, but also is far more powerful and quicker than the E44, with a top speed of 85mph.

If you are playing the "Seattle Metra" map in scenario or campaign mode, this locomotive is not a bad choice for short, quick commuter routes.

## History

The **PRR E44** was an electric, rectifier-equipped locomotive built by General Electric for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between 1960 and 1963. The PRR used them for freight service on the Northeast Corridor. They continued in service under Penn Central and Conrail until Conrail abandoned its electric operations in the early 1980s. They were then acquired by Amtrak and NJ Transit, where they lived short lives; all were retired by the mid-1980s. One is preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania took delivery of 66 E44s between 1960–63 and they quickly displaced the P5s. The Pennsylvania used the E44s on just about any freight assignment imaginable, on all of its electrified lines. They could work both singly or lashed together as multiple units. They quickly proved to be very versatile and could handle just about any train, without helpers. The E44's dynamic braking, a novelty under PRR wires, made them just as sure-footed descending grades as climbing them (although the brakes were not regenerative). They even occasionally hauled passenger trains in emergencies, although they were not very adept in this role, being (officially) limited to 70 mph (113 km/h), having a pronounced oscillating tendency at speed on jointed rail, and of course lacking steam generators for passenger service. All 66 E44s were retired in 1981, though some units were already stored due to economic downturn; no unit had ever been seriously wrecked. Most, though not all, of the E44s got to be repainted blue with Conrail's white "wheel on rail" logo.