Operator and auxiliary cabs

A completed locomotive weighs in at 440,000 pounds, and the platform it's built on alone weighs 120,000 pounds.

Here, GE staffers work to assemble a locomotive. The platform has been mounted on the trucks (wheels) and they've added the operator cab and the auxiliary cab -- the section where all the electronics are installed.

Engines

Two giant diesel engines sit on the floor in the Fort Worth assembly facility, ready to be being built into locomotives. The engines are built in Grove City, Pa., and weigh 34,000 pounds. A train pulled by a couple of locomotives can haul a ton of freight 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel.

The finished product

A finished locomotive sits outside the Fort Worth facility. GE delivers to BNSF twice a week, and the locomotives are put into service immediately.

Truck frames

A line of truck frames sit on the factory floor, awaiting their turn to have wheels and other systems installed.

Trucks in progress

Locomotive trucks sit on the factory floor in various stages of build-out. Some have already had sensors and other systems added, while others haven't yet.

Truck with speed sensor

A close-up look at a truck, including its speed sensor (the yellow cable).

Truck assembly

A worker puts together the various elements of a truck assembly.

Painted trucks

Two finished truck assemblies sit on the floor. They've already been painted and are now waiting to be integrated with a platform.