Bye Bye “Electric Diesels”. On November 5, 2020, MTA NYCT Subway R77Es E01 (EL01) and E02 (EL02) were moved to the South Brooklyn Railway interchange at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, loaded onto trucks, and shipped to Montreal, Quebec, for rebuilding. These 10 motors (Model SL50E electric locomotives) were built by General Electric in 1983 for non-revenue use on the New York City Transit Authority (now MTA NYCT Subway) system. The pejorative term “Electric Diesels” was, of course, a misnomer; while they looked similar to the R77 diesels, they lacked internal combustion engines and were powered entirely by third-rail shoes. They had limited use becuase of their single mode of electric operation and limited crew capacity, and sat out of service for many years. Around this time, the remaining locomotives of this class joined them at CAD Industries, where they are being rebuilt into Tier 4 diesels under the R257 contract. Recent photos and videos show the modified units testing at the CAD facility.

Full resolution pics and prints:
https://www.riverrailphoto.com/nyctsubwaydivisionc/e686cc726