In 1982-1983, Nacionales de México purchased 39 new 6,000-horsepower E60C electric locomotives from GE. They were intended for use on a new double-track electric line, but economic conditions prevented completion of the project. In 1994, 28 of the locomotives went into operation on a shortened version of the electric line, but six of these were soon wrecked. Eleven more were stored indoors at Tlalnepantla, Estado de México. When the electric line was privatized in 1997, the 22 running E60C's passed to TFM; but the catenary was soon removed for increased veritcal clearance, and most of TFM's E60C's have been sold to power plants in the USA. The eleven stored at Tlalnepantla were sold by the government to a firm called Petromarin. In September 1999, they were moved to two storage sites in southern Texas, where they are again for sale. These locomotives are still brand-new. They have never moved under their own power since they left GE!

This series of photos was taken at Mercedes and La Feria, Texas, USA, on a dark, rainy October 10, 2000, by Jorge Luna Helú.

Note: As of late January 2001, the E60C's previously stored at La Feria had been moved to a spur between McAllen and Mission.

For the next photos in this series, click here.

Photo © 2000 Jorge Luna Helú