General Electric 44-ton diesel switcher locomotive - 7 wide real world Lego train MOC

[Murdoch17]

This 7-stud wide diesel is modeled after the General Electric (GE) 44 ton switcher locomotive made between 1940 and 1956. The little diesel is bi-directional, and doesn't have much to differentiate between the "front" or "rear" expect for the air horn on one end in real life. My LEGO model lacks these, so it is totally symmetrical.

You may be asking yourself: 'Why 44 tons, what's so special about that number?' I give you the answer from the Wikipedia article on this loco type: "This locomotive's specific 44-short ton weight was directly related to one of the efficiencies the new diesel locomotives offered compared to their steam counterparts: reduced labor intensity. In the late 1930s, the steam to diesel transition was in its infancy in North America, and railroad unions were trying to protect the locomotive fireman jobs that were redundant with diesel units. One measure taken to this end was the 1937 so-called '90,000 Pound Rule' : a stipulation that locomotives weighing 90,000 pounds (41,000 kg) – 45 short tons – or more required a fireman in addition to an engineer on common carrier railroads. (Industrial and military railroads had no such stipulation.) The 44-ton locomotive was born to skirt this requirement. The 45-ton rule was eventually repealed in 1963."

Side view of the loco showcasing the symmetry of the model. In-universe, This diesel is painted as Brick Railway Systems loco 97 in a throwback black / red paint scheme to celebrate the railroad's 130th anniversary in 2024. (In reality, it's my fictional railroad I made up when I was a fourth grader, which is having it's 20th anniversary this year, so I've been feeling a bit nostalgic recently.)

Thoughts?

[zephyr1934]

Easily recognizable

[Ropefish]

Oh I’ve been meaning to make one of these guys but the move really set some of my plans back, I wanna use this lil fella for refrence later for sure! 

[Darkkostas25]

nice and cute engine !

[Murdoch17]

12 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Easily recognizable

Thanks @zephyr1934!

7 hours ago, Ropefish said:

Oh I’ve been meaning to make one of these guys but the move really set some of my plans back, I wanna use this lil fella for refrence later for sure! 

Glad I could help @Ropefish!

2 hours ago, Darkkostas25 said:

nice and cute engine !

Thank you @Darkkostas25!

[Feuer Zug]

Interesting locomotive. You've captured the design well (except for the self-admitted lack of horn). The history is quite peculiar about why it came into being.

[Murdoch17]

3 hours ago, Feuer Zug said:

Interesting locomotive. You've captured the design well (except for the self-admitted lack of horn). The history is quite peculiar about why it came into being.

Thanks @Feuer Zug! The 44-tonners have quite an interesting history for sure.

[JHS_NL]

That's a very cute Loc! 

[Murdoch17]

4 hours ago, JHS_NL said:

That's a very cute Loc! 

Thank you @JHS_NL!