4FF4Em10 Class

The 4FF4Em10 Class is a class of freight-only electric locomotives designed by Conan Diedrich at the Eastern & Atlantic's Richmond Works.

History
Though the Eastern & Atlantic uses steam still today, there was a time after the Second World War when company management had thought that completely replacing the fleet of steam locomotives, similar to other roads, was the best idea. This would eventually prove to not be true, but a large amount of electric locomotives were built after the Second World War.

For inter-city freight transportation, a medium powered boxcab locomotive was decided on. The 4FF4Em10 Class had a 4-wheel idler truck at each end surroudning two sets of six driving wheels. The class did well pulling medium-size freight trains, but was not powerful enough to handle huge coal trains coming from Virginia and West Virginia. In 1953 the complete electrification plan was canceled, and only 30 of this class were built, most going to work on the main line in Georgia and South Carolina. The class were built between 1948 and 1950.