Amtrak AEM-7 #915 & #906

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In the mid ’70s, Amtrak (unsatisfied with the E-60s just built by GE) looked to Europe for the design of their next electric locomotive. Two slightly modified units were brought over for a series of trials, a French CC 21000 class given number X996, and a Swedish Rc4, X995. These test unis soon aquierd the nicknames "The French Fry" and "The Swedish Meatball"
The Swedish design was judged the most favorable, and arrangments were soon made to manufacture simialr units under license. EMD had a previous association with the Swedish electrical corp. ASEA, when designing the 10,000hp freight motor, the GM10, and the two cooperated on the design of the new passenger motor, called the AEM-7 (ASEA, EMd – 7000hp)
These units were the first e-locs in the US to use silicon rectifiers (thyristors). All eralier types used motor-generators or Ignitron rectifiers.
Though the meatball nickname carried through to the production units, they also came to be known as "Toasters", because of their boxy shape, stainless steel construction, and the banks of hot resistors on the roof.
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