Locomotives go to highest bidder

By Jennifer Maddox Parks (1515)
jennifer.parks@albanyherald.com

As of Wednesday, April 18, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Two retired locomotives from MCLB-Albany will go to the highest bidder.

ALBANY — ALBANY — The two 80-ton retired locomotives aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany featured on the government surplus auction site, www.govliquidation.com, attracted a good bit of attention from bidders.

The Department of Defense auctioned off the diesel electric locomotives to the public via the website from midnight Monday through 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Bidding for each locomotive started at $150. Immediately after closing, the site had one locomotive’s lot price at $55,550 with the other at $43,000.

The locomotives were built in 1955 by General Electric Co. and were used exclusively by the Marine Corps for switching trains on military bases around the country, a history provided by Government Liquidation officials stated.

The locomotives served as pickup units that took rail traffic into base perimeters from mainline rail freight. In so doing, they moved freight from the rail receiving area to the warehouses populating the installation, officials said.

The locomotives were remanufactured in 1988. Each is powered by two Cummins diesel engines, and come with two GE generators and two air compressors.

They were still in working order when they were parked on MCLB-Albany last year.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID

Albany Herald