General Electric had long been touted as a company that supplied parts for other manufacturers. That would all change with GE’s entry into a road-switcher market dominated by EMD and Alco. In the late 1950s, GE’s engineers were developing a new V16 engine. What followed was the creation of the U25B road switcher. Available in both high-nose and low-nose variants, GE would sell over 450 U25Bs to a variety of Class I railroads. The U25B would pave the way for future Universal series locomotives.
Many U25Bs lasted into the early 1980s on some Class I railroads. A few ex-L&N versions would continue on to the early 1990s on CSX! A notable user of the U25B was Rock Island, which equipped a few of theirs with “frog lights” on the sides of the cab roof. These lights could alternate or shine steady. Get ready for a new run with new schemes on the popular U25B locomotive!
