History
In the mid-1970s. Amtrak began to look for a successor to the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric locomotive and ordered 26 General Electric E60 units. Unfortunately, the E60s proved unable to safely achieve speeds over 90 MPH leaving Amtrak without a practical replacement for the GG1. Amtrak then turned to existing European high-speed designs. Two European locomotives were brought over for a series of trials in 1977. One was a French CC 21000 class given number X996, and the other was a Swedish Rc4, X995. Amtrak favored the Swedish design, which became the base for the AEM-7. Amtrak first ordered 30 AEM-7s in 1977 (Order Number: 776073), then ordered an additional 17 AEM-7s in 1980 (Order Number: 806004).
Read more about this topic: EMD AEM-7
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“When the history of guilt is written, parents who refuse their children money will be right up there in the Top Ten.”
—Erma Brombeck (20th century)
“The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relation to the universe? Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs?”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The history of this country was made largely by people who wanted to be left alone. Those who could not thrive when left to themselves never felt at ease in America.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)