Flatback Electric. When the Pennsylvania Railroad was seeking to replace its P5a electric freight motor fleet, they looked at a number of options. The order for 66 of the General Electric E44s was an upgraded design based upon the 12 E33 or EL-Cs built for the Virginian Railway. They would ultimately serve PRR, Penn Central and Conrail before the latter stopped using electric motors for freight in 1981, and were acquired by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit before retirement. The "bricks" were utilitarian and reliable, but hardly compared to the GG-1 in sleekness of design or versatility. After the limited production of the E50C, General Electric would go back to the drawing board for the E60 class, a double ended electric motor design that served in both passenger and freight service, finally producing the E42C and E60C-2 before exiting the electric motor market. Built in 1963, Pennsylvania Railroad 4465 is the sole survivor of its class and the final E44a model produced. It was cosmetically restored and is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, as seen on December 30, 2016.
