What was the first diesel locomotive ever built?
The first gas-powered railcar was built in 1910 by General Electric. The first commercial diesel locomotive was built, also by GE, in 1918 for the Jay Street Connecting Railroad in New York. Although not particularly successful, it sparked further interest that led to the construction of a diesel locomotive demonstrator in 1924. Later that year, GE, in cooperation with the American locomotive Company(Alco), began marketing diesel yard switchers to the railroads. Thus, quietly and with little fanfare, the diesel locomotive made its first appearance on the nation’s railroads. Who could have guessed that those little switchers would start a revolution that would forever change the face of railroading?
