The British Class 73 electro-diesels are now in the twilight of their careers with just a handful of daily workings. The only regular booked service is the daily Willesden-Dover travelling post office with two EWS locomotives in top-and-tail formation, although most days still see one or two Class 73 -hauled 'Gatwick Express' sets in operation. Many people believe these former Southern Region EDs and their now-withdrawn Class 74 relatives to be an unparalleled form of main line traction, but 3,500 miles to the west is a family of relatively unknown cousins. This 'other' fleet of electro-diesels, known as the FL9s, were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) between 1956 and 1960 - thus pre-dating Britain's Class 73s, which didn't appear until 1962 to 1965. They operate commuter trains to the north-east of New York City, but are now in the twilight of their careers and some have been replaced by a newer generation of EDs. Interestingly, the British term 'electro-diesel' is not used in the US, where the description 'dual-mode' is applied instead.
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