E-60CP locomotive No. 975, late 1970s.

By the mid-1970s, the GG-1 electric locomotives Amtrak had purchased from the Pennsylvania Railroad were nearing the end of their useful lives. Amtrak began the search for a replacement, eventually deciding on the General Electric E-60. Based on existing freight locomotives, the boxy design gave the 70 foot long unit a solid, heavy appearance. Each of the 26 locomotives ordered weighed in at 193.5 tons and could achieve approximately 6000 horsepower. Like the GG-1, the E-60 was also a dual cab design, meaning that it could be operated in either direction for a quick turn-around.

The E-60s were later joined by the AEM-7s, which became the new "workhorse" of the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. Some of the heavy E-60s were sold to other railroads at that time while the remaining units operated primarily on long-distance trains between New York and Washington until the last E-60s were retired in 2003.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak.