#662 Panama Canal Locomotive

The Panama Canal Locomotive is one of a fleet of 40 built by General Electric in Schenectady, New York in 1914. It's operators referred to it as a "lock mule" or "mule". At one time, more than 100 of these mules operated at Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores lock stations.

Three locks at each end of the canal raised and lowered the ships 85 feet as they passed through the Panama Canal. Four engines were used per ship. Each engine held 80 feet of one inch steel hawser used to control the movment of the ship thorugh the lock.

The engine operated at the west end (Pacific) of the canal at the Pedro Miguel locks until July 1964. It has dual electrical and mechanical controls, permitting operation from either end. It was powered by a three-phase, 220-volt, 25-cycle motor geared to traction equipment later changed to 440-volt 60-cycle. The gearing provided a speed of 5 miles per hour, with a manual gear shift for two miles per hour, for rack and pinion operation while towing ships. A special electrical connection enabled motors to operate at 1 mile per hour when towing larger ships.

The towing capacity of the complete unit was 25,000 pounds. The engines were operated on rails parallel to the canal, with one or more on each side to control and center the movement of the ocean-going vessels.

This mule is one of only three known survivors. It is 32' long, 8' wide, and weighs 42 tons. It has a wheelbase of 12 feet and operates on a track gauge of 5 feet. Others are at the Virginia Museum of Transportation and in Panama at the Miraflores Lock.

#662 - Panama Canal Rack & adhesion

With winch for towing ships through locks

5' gauge

Engine is complete

Donated August 15, 1964 to NMOT by the US Goverment on the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal