All of the Chicago & North Western Box Cab Diesel-electic locomotives spent some of their careers in Wisconsin and it was not uncommon to see one of these units making up name trains at the coach yards of Milwaukee's Lake Front Depot or in switching operations out of the North Green Bay Wisconsin yards. The above image of C&NW #1001 shows the first 60 (66) ton 300 horsepower AGEIR unit constructed with the newly designed fan cooled radiator system developed in 1926 and the end door car body design which began with C&NW #1000. All of the C&NW Box Cab Diesel-electric locomotives arrived from AGEIR and GE/Ingersoll-Rand with an all black paint scheme which was retained for two decades. During 1947 #1001 recieved yellow & green safety stripes overlapping the ends... in keeping with the Chicago & North Western practice of that time. C&NW #1000 received these safety stripes during the same era. In the early 1950s AGEIR 300 horsepower unit #1002 along with 600 horsepower C&NW Box Cab #1200 (built by GE/Ingersoll-Rand) were completely repainted with the hallmark yellow & green of the Chicago & North Western System...
Chicago & North Western Ry #1001 was the first AGEIR 60 (66) ton 300 horsepower Diesel-electic locomotive completed on ALCO Order #S1543 and was assigned ALCO Builders #66753 along with General Electric Builders #10133 and was completed and delivered to the railroad on October 19, 1926. As with all of the 300 horsepower units built on this "Stock Order" #1001 had an actual constructed weight of 66 tons. It was assigned to various locations over its three decade career and was retired during February 1956 and subsequently scrapped...
Chicago & North Western Ry #1002 was the fourth AGEIR 60 (66) ton 300 horsepower Diesel-electric locomotive completed on ALCO Order #S1543 and was assigned ALCO Builders #66755 along with General Electric Builders #10135 and was completed and delivered to the railroad on April 18, 1927. Aside from the Builders Numbers and C&NW Road Number it was virtually identical to sibling #1001. This unit was assigned to various locations over its three decade career and was retired during May 1957 and subsequently scrapped...
During 1927 General Electric decided to outfit a plant at the Erie Pennsylvania Works for producing their own mechanical assemblies for both Straight-electric and Diesel-electric locomotives... which was the first step towards the breaking up of the AGEIR consortium as ALCO would eventually not be supplying mechanical components to GE. This transition took time and the last two AGEIR-built units were completed during March 1930. Meanwhile General Electric produced the first Diesel-electric units using their own mechanical assemblies during December 1928, but maintained their relationship with Ingersoll-Rand to supply Diesel power plants for these locomotives. This was in keeping with the decision not to produce internal cumbustion engines when they closed that production facility at Erie in 1919. The initial Erie-built Diesel-electric locomotives became known as GE/Ingersoll- Rand (GE/IR) units...
Chicago & North Western #1200 was the last 600 horsepower Diesel-electric locomotive to use two Ingersol-Rand 300 horsepower engines and the last of both the 300 horsepower and 600 horsepower models to utilize the Box Cab car body designs begun with the initial AGEIR production units built in 1925. C&NW #1200 was built under General Electric Builders #11241 and was delivered to the railroad during August 1930. Assigned to various locations during its two and a half decades of service this locomotive was retired during June 1957 and subsequently scrapped...
This drawing from the Chicago & North Western Ry Diagram Book indicates the correct dimensions for Diesel-electric locomotive #1200. It was one of twelve 600 horsepower units built by GE/IR under their 110 ton catagory and had a total weight of 216,000 lbs (108 tons). It used a gear ratio of 68:16 activated by four GE 191 horsepower model 287 traction motors powered by GE model DT515-B-2 generators rated 200 kilowatts, 550 rpm, and 600 volts (DC). Most of the related components were manufactured by GE and the Sturtevant multivane radiator systems utilized GE type CD65 roof mounted fan motors. Unlike the C&NW 300 horsepower AGEIR-built units which had ALCO fabricated steel underframes a single piece cast steel frame with provisions for end platforms and steps was used and eliminated the need for car body side doors. The cast steel underframe approach was carried over from the last AGEIR-built 600 horsepower unit (Long Island 2nd #402) and the end platforms were carried over from the last two AGEIR-built 300 horsepower units (ARMCO #745 & #746). All previous AGEIR-built Diesel-electric locomotives utilized fabricated steel frames and lacked end platforms...
It is suggested that folks visit the Don Ross web site to view images of all four of the Chicago & North Western AGEIR and GE/I-R Box Cab Diesel-electric locomotives with images by Don Ross & Tom Wilson. Please click on the small images for a full screen view. Note: The left image of C&NW #1000 was taken by Ed Wilkomen of Wauwatosa Wisconsin. In earlier years the trading of railroad photo image materials was often done with only the date and location included...
Note: There were eleven other siblings of C&NW #1200 - GE/IR 600 horsepower Diesel-electric locomotives produced. Fortunately one is still extant and is currently being preserved at the Portola Railroad Museum of Portola California which is operated by the Feather River Rail Society. This 108 ton unit was constructed for Foley Brothers Construction as their Road #110-1. It was assigned GE Builders #11047 and completed during February 1929...
The author of this AGEIR study was John Campbell, who developed the web pages, and who died in 2005. These pages are dedicated to his memory and to his tireless research. Comments and questions on this AGEIR material should be directed to the C&NWHS, which has assumed the responsibility for this information.
