Locomotives 2015 - Kalmbach Publishing Co.

LOCOMOTIVE
BY BILL BADURSKI
Closing a chapter in history
An era ends as Electro-Motive Diesel’s domestic engine line faces Tier 4 environmental standards
The world of railroading is about to
witness a historic and rather poignant
event. On Jan. 1, 2015, the most famous
and popular locomotive diesel engine ever
produced will likely cease to be built for the
production of new locomotives destined
for rail customers within the United States.
I’m speaking of the Electro-Motive
two-cycle 567-, 645-, and 710-series prime
movers. Approximately 50,000 locomotives
were produced new for the U.S. market
with these engines, and many more export
models were built for customers around
the world, making it the most popular locomotive engine of all time.
The brilliant yet simple design of this
engine, combined with its ruggedness and
reliability, propelled it to this lofty position.
From a design concept in the 1930s, the architecture changed little for generations of
production in the LaGrange, Ill., plant,
headquarters for Electro-Motive Corp. The
company later became the Electro-Motive
Division of General Motors, and after its
sale to an investor group, is known today as
Electro-Motive Diesel, a division of Progress Rail and Caterpillar.
This speaks volumes for the original
layout and design of the engine by General
Motors research chief Charles F. Kettering
and his design team. Originally developed
in 1938 as a 567 (the number referring to
cubic inches per cylinder), it underwent
turbocharging in the 1950s, then grew to
645 status in 1965, and evolved into the
710 in 1984.
With each change, the engine grew in
terms of horsepower and development. Its
popularity with railroads, as well as in marine propulsion and stationary generator
applications, was spurred on by an unprecedented ease of maintenance, durability,
and reliability. As a matter of fact, most of
these engines remain in service around the
world today. As I write this, the company
where I work still relies on a 75-year-old
switcher in daily yard service.
Alas, ever-tightening exhaust emissions
regulations have laid claim to the future of
this exceptional engine. Although exhaustive development work allowed the engine
to comply with Tiers 1 through 3, the stringent Tier 4, which goes into effect with new
locomotive production on Jan. 1, 2015, has
sounded the death knell for continued use
of this engine for U.S. customers. Despite
extensive investigation and testing, it appears that the current 710 configuration
cannot be made to comply with the regula
18
tion. Although these engines were made
notably cleaner with modifications to Tier
1 through 3 levels, Tier 4 apparently could
not be achieved.
The engine will likely continue to be
popular in other parts of the world, and in
repower operations where the remanufactured, older locomotives will not be held to
such demanding standards. The used locomotive market will see fresh activity as interest in rebuilding units arises as an alternative to unproven, more costly, and more
maintenance-dependent new equipment.
Fortunately, and as a direct result of the
engine’s popularity and longevity, the familiar sound of a passing EMD will remain
with us for a long time. Whether it be the
shriek of a turbocharged SD40-2, or the
whine of a GP9, there are enough of these
veterans still out there to ensure that the
greatest locomotive engine of all time will
not fade quietly into the night.
BILL BADURSKI worked for EMD in the
1970s and 1980s as an instructor in its
training center and served as a technical engineer in a 40-plus-year career in locomotives that is ongoing.
An Electro-Motive Diesel employee latches
the access doors on the 710 engine inside
EMD’s Caterpillar yellow demonstrator
SD70ACe No. 1201. Tr a i ns : Jim Wrinn
>> RJ Corman units damaged in fire
This was what remained of three units inside the R.J. Corman engine house at Guthrie,
Ky., after a fire broke out on the evening of Oct. 5, 2014. Burned were GP16
No. 1605, left; GP38-3 No. 3814, center; and GP38 No. 7918, rear. All three units
were set to be scrapped. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. Doyle Massey
© 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any
Trains JANUARY
2015
form without permission from the publisher. www.TrainsMag.com
LOCOMOTIVE
BY CHRIS GUSS
Inside the wired locomotive
The unseen electronics behind today’s motive power
Today’s modern locomotive cabs are filled with electronics, from the smart displays in front
of the engineer to the PTC display (top left) above the electronic brake equipment. Chris Guss
The basic look of today’s modern locomotive has been essentially unchanged for
more than a quarter of a century, since the
introduction of the comfort cab design in
the late 1980s.
Predating this visual change by only a
few years was the beginning of a massive
evolution under the hood and in the cab to
modernize the electrical systems that operate and control a locomotive. Electro-Motive
Division’s 60 series and General Electric’s
Dash 8 series both debuted in the early
1980s, introducing microprocessor control
to their product lines.
Electronics since then have become better, faster, smaller, and cheaper, which has
allowed the builders to increase the usage of
computers and integrated electronics in almost every part of the locomotive. This also
has allowed builders and railroads to eliminate extra equipment such as distributed
power and end-of-train control units that
typically were mounted on the top of control
stands or elsewhere in the cab. Information
from these devices has been placed into the
main display screens on the locomotive’s
control stand.
In the last two decades, a local area network, also known as LAN, has been employed inside new locomotives, allowing
systems to easily talk to one another directly
14
or via other systems connected to the network. A local area network is an interconnected network of cabling that connects various devices in a specific area. Builders
briefly used fiber optics to create networks
on locomotives, but eventually reverted back
to copper wire. The network allows the loco-
motive to monitor thousands of parameters,
feeding the information back to the necessary systems within the unit.
EMD’s FIRE (Functionally Integrated
Railroad Electronics) screens and GE’s
Smart Displays located in front of the engineer are actually self-contained computers
and coordinate locomotive systems, support systems, and third-party equipment. A
second display is added when additional
equipment such as distributed power is installed to allow more information to be displayed simultaneously during operation. In
the event of a failure of one of the displays,
the information can be consolidated on
one screen. Railroads have the option of
placing display screens on the conductor’s
desktop on the opposite side of the cab,
which typically features a limited amount
of control to certain features, with the remaining information presented in readonly format.
The increase in the last decade of wireless communication has enabled locomotives to keep in contact with the railroad
or locomotive builder 24/7 if necessary.
This connectivity allows a locomotive to
report in real time alerts, failures, or other
preset parameters.
Builder-installed systems such as EMD’s
Intellitrain and GE’s RailConnect 360 Monitoring & Diagnostics primarily monitor the
various aspects of the engine, control system, and related components. Third-party
systems from companies such as Wi-Tronix,
>> ACes on the former Milwaukee Road
Tacoma Rail got a 5-year lease on former EMD SD70ACe-P4 demonstrators Nos. 1211
and 1212 and repainted and renumbered them as Nos. 7001 and 7002. The units work
the 3.5-percent grade on the Fredrickson job without doubling the train. Steve Car ter
Trains FEBRUARY
2015
© 2015
Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any
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IONX, Lat-Lon, MotivePower, and ZTR,
can provide similar monitoring while also
providing additional features that compliment EMD’s or GE’s offerings.
These builder and third-party systems
can monitor such things as fuel level, brake
pipe pressure, throttle position, train location, engine state, train overspeed, impending dangerous weather in the direction of
the train’s movement, potential track issues,
and wireless event recorder downloading.
Access and notification to the railroad or
builder is typically available in the form of
Web access, smartphone apps, email, or text
alerts. Many of the third-party systems can
also be installed on older locomotives without microprocessor-based systems.
A form of “cruise control” has also been
introduced within the last decade that can
operate the train automatically across a territory. Information such as a train’s loads,
empties, length, and tonnage are entered
into the computer and integrated with the
track profile, speed limits, slow orders, etc.,
of the territory along with the destination to
allow the train to operate itself in the most
efficient manner possible as it moves across
the line.
Intervention by the engineer is rarely
needed when the train is operating on clear
(green) signals. New York Air Brake’s
LEADER and GE’s Trip Optimizer are two
such systems in use today by railroads in
North America.
With the upcoming implementation of
positive train control, the equipment needed
to operate PTC is adding another level of
complexity to the existing electronics on a
locomotive. As time goes on, new locomotives will certainly become more intelligent,
allowing for greater productivity, utilization,
and less downtime.
>> LOCOMOTIVE BRIEF
New leased power
for East Penn
Kennett Square, Pa.-based East Penn
Railroad is leasing two GP38-2s from
GATX Locomotive Group. GMTX
Nos. 2800 and 2801 are former WAMX
(Watco) Nos. 3811 and 3812, and were
repainted at Metro East Industries in
East St. Louis, Ill. East Penn operates
114 miles in southeast Pennsylvania
and Delaware. Mark Mautner
www.TrainsMag.com
15
LOCOMOTIVE
BY CHRIS GUSS
Keeping it cool
Big, high-horsepower locomotives generate a lot of power and a lot of heat. Radiators take care of it
3
11
1
2
9
8
10
1 Radiators (for engine cooling)
2 Air to air heat exchangers
(for manifold air)
3 Water to air intercooler
(for manifold air)
5
6 7
4 Lubricating oil cooler
5 Water storage tank
6 Lubrication oil pump
7 Water pump
4
(not pictured - behind oil pump)
8 Radiator cooling fan
9 Turbocharger
10 Cooled intake air path
(to manifold)
11 Air to air heat exchanger fans
(on roof)
A BNSF ES44C4’s radiator assembly in the plant at Fort Worth, Texas. Both GE and EMD
radiator sections are prebuilt and set onto the frame during assembly. Chris Guss
Locomotive engine heat, left uncontrolled, can damage engine parts and shorten the life of the engine and its attached
components. An effective radiator system
keeps the engine and components at the optimum operating temperature, regardless of
whether the locomotive is operating in
mountains or flatlands or hot or cold. A locomotive radiator system primarily cools air,
water, and oil. The air is used in the combustion process; the water for cooling the engine and turbo (if equipped); and oil for lubricating the engine components.
The radiator system is intended to keep
the engine operating at nearly the same
temperature, regardless of the ambient air
outside the locomotive. This allows maximum horsepower to be available at all
times and extends the life of the engine and
its lubricants.
Electro-Motive Diesel and General Electric differ in radiator system design. EMD
uses a “wet” radiator system in which fluid is
cycled through the radiator system constantly while the engine is operating. GE on
the other hand employs a “dry” system
where fluids are routed through the radiator
system only as conditions warrant. Each
builder uses a system of valves to route fluids to banks of radiators to achieve the level
of cooling needed at any given time. While
both builders use fans on the main radiator
banks to assist in cooling, EMD’s system
also uses a shutter system to control the flow
of air across the radiators.
18
Modern EMD and GE locomotives use
a split cooling system with separate paths
to reduce the coolant temperature to the
levels required.
In split cooling on a GE locomotive, a
majority of the fluid cooled in the radiator
is sent back to the locomotive at one temperature while a portion of the coolant is
routed through additional radiator banks
called sub-coolers (or aftercoolers) for further temperature reductions. Once passed
through these additional cooling banks, the
fluid travels to various devices such as the
air to water intercooler to assist in cooling
the engine intake air. The combustion air is
first drawn in and compressed in the turbocharger. Compression heats the air and
must be cooled before being used for combustion. Cooler air is denser and is more
oxygen-rich, making it a preferred manifold
air temperature for increasing power, controlling emissions, and reducing fuel consumption. After passing though the intercooler, the intake air passes through a heat
exchanger where additional cooling occurs
if conditions warrant before going to the
engine for combustion.
Another path from the sub-coolers is to
the oil cooler, prior to the coolant returning
it to the engine. Lubricating oil absorbs heat
while inside the engine and needs to be
cooled before returning. Subjecting lubricating oil to high heat shortens the life of the
oil and would force more frequent oil
changes to maintain the engine in good
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2015Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any
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working order. Higher temperatures lower
the viscosity (thickness) of oil, which increases the wear of internal components.
EMD utilizes a slightly different layout,
with two separate loops from the engine,
one for the radiator and oil cooler and another for the aftercooler. Various connections between the two loops allow the onboard computer to utilize excess cooling
capacity in the aftercooler loop if needed.
The vast majority of locomotives on the
road today utilize simple tap water for coolant in their radiator systems. Water is much
more efficient at transferring heat than a
mix of water and antifreeze that’s typically
found in your car’s radiator system. Benefits
of using water allow the overall size of the
radiator system to be smaller due to its higher efficiency, the lower cost of water compared to antifreeze/water mixture, and water’s ubiquity. Any garden or water hose that
can reach a locomotive can add fluid to the
radiator system in a pinch. There are also
environmental concerns with using antifreeze since the water system needs to be
drained occasionally for maintenance. To
keep the radiator system in top shape, a corrosion inhibitor is added to the water. This
additive protects the system from developing rust, corrosion, and scaling.
With Tier 4 emissions regulations in effect on Jan. 1, 2015, the radiator systems for
both builders will change again. Further
cooling will be necessary to achieve the new
environmental standards. Trains will cover
those changes after more Tier 4 locomotives
are on the road.
LOCOMOTIVE
BY CHRIS GUSS
Layers of locomotive coatings
The fine art of wrapping 4,400-hp inside a metal jacket
Altoona (NS)
Homewood (CN)
Centralia (CN)
Huntington (CSX)
Chattanooga (NS)
North Little Rock (UP)
Shreveport (KCS)
Waycross (CSX)
Class I railroad
paint shops
CN and CP have no active paint shops in Canada
Work at Shreveport performed on-site by contract company
Not to scale
© 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson
A rebuilt SD40-2 awaits paint inside Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa., in
May 2014. Juniata is one of eight Class I railroad paint shops (see map, right). Dustin Faust
sidiary Progress Rail’s Muncie, Ind., and
The paint on a locomotive is an imBombardier’s Sahagun, Mexico, plants
portant visual feature of a railroad. From
while General Electric uses Axalta at its
employees to the public, it’s observed evErie, Pa., and Fort Worth, Texas, plants.
erywhere from trackside, on promotional
Railroads use qualification testing to enmaterial, and corporate websites. Paints’
sure a particular brand of paint meets its
application, durability, and ability to prostandards for locomotive coatings. Envitect the metal carbody from corrosion is
important to railroads to ensure their loco- ronmental impact and performance are
two of the most important factors when semotives are well protected from the elelecting paint. During the environmental
ments while conveying the corporate importion of the review, a railroad looks for
age. Paint must also be able to withstand
humidity, salt spray, and detergents used to low VOCs, which are volatile organic compounds that are released as the paint dries.
clean a locomotive, as well as being stone
A railroad needs paint to perform well durand chip resistant.
ing application to achieve high throughput
Four paint manufacturers have the majority of the locomotive finishing business in of locomotives through a paint shop.
Tightening environmenNorth America. They are Axtal regulations at paint
alta (formerly DuPont), PPG
Painting or
booths over the years and
Industries, Sherwin-Williams,
repainting
the cost to equip paint shops
and Strathmore. Axalta’s Ima typical diesel
to comply have pushed sevron line as well as PPG’s
locomotive
eral Class I railroads to close
Spectracron HSL paints and
takes about 4 to 7
their own paint shops in faSherwin Williams and Strathdays. Big factors in
vor of using one or more
more’s lines of industrial coathow long it takes:
third-party shops. Class I
ings each have important
• Body condition
railroads that still paint locoroles in the market.
• Number of colors
motives in-house tend to use
Locomotive builder Elec• Complexity of
a single paint manufacturer,
tro-Motive Diesel uses PPG
the scheme
while those that use thirdon locomotives built at sub
18
2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any
Trains APRIL©
2015
form without permission from the publisher. www.TrainsMag.com
party shops can have more than one paint
manufacturer used on their fleet, depending on the shop that performed the work.
Smaller shops have the ability to use whatever paint is requested by a customer, but
they prefer to use a single manufacturer if
possible. Painting is a personal endeavor
and every paint acts differently when applied. A paint shop is most efficient when it
uses the same material consistently, allowing employees to be their most productive.
Painting a locomotive is typically done
in one of two ways. The majority of painted/repainted locomotives receive what is
called a “base clear” paint job. This includes
three layers of product: a primer, color, and
clear coat. Less frequently applied is a “single stage” paint job which only uses the
primer and color coat. This is typically
done when cost is a factor and can occasionally be seen on lease and industrial locomotives.
While labor to paint or repaint a locomotive is the largest cost involved, quality
paint, primer, and clear coat can be costly.
High-quality materials can range from $40
to $200 dollars a gallon with a typical locomotive requiring 15-20 gallons of primer,
10-12 gallons of color, and 8-10 gallons of
clear coat.
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is
damaging to a paint job over time. Many
manufacturers incorporate one or more
components to the clear coat to either absorb or reflect these rays. Additional UV
protection is also incorporated into the color coat as well. Applied properly, a good
paint job can last on a locomotive for a decade or more, ensuring the railroad’s corporate image looks its best.
LOCOMOTIVE
BY CHRIS GUSS
An end to the end-cab switcher?
Their numbers dwindle on Class I railroads, but some hang on
A pair of Canadian Pacific MP15ACs work Muskego Yard in Milwaukee, Wis., when the railroad had more end-cab switchers. Today,
CP is the only Class I with no end-cab switchers in revenue service, and their numbers on the big systems are dwindling. Chris Guss
Toiling away in the yards and on indus- equipped with higher-speed Blomberg roadtrial spurs of Class I railroads are a small but switcher trucks, but its design failed to atimportant group of locomotives built several tract the attention of U.S. railroads. Only
one customer, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de
generations ago, the end-cab switcher. Once
México, bought it.
seen in almost every major yard and workThe final line of road-switchers EMD ining back alleys spotting freight cars at custroduced in the early 1970s was the Multitomer’s docks, their importance on a railPurpose or MP line of switchers. This model
road’s roster has diminished over the years.
used Blomberg trucks and had options for
Electro-Motive Division of General Moaccessories such as a toilet to meet crew retors had by far the most successful line of
quirements for service outside of yards.
end-cab switchers. The company built more
Sales of the MP line were modest in the
than two dozen variants during a produc1970s and 1980s, with MP15DC, MP15AC,
tion period that spanned more than a half
and MP15T production collectively failing
century. While all major builders constructto match the totals of other well-known
ed their own style of end-cab/offset-cab and
center-cab switchers, hundreds of which still EMD models such as the SW9, SW1200,
and SW1500.
live on in shortline and industrial roles toThe main difference between the three
day, only EMD models survive in 2015 on
MP models is the MP15DC
the seven Class I railroads.
uses a D.C. main generator
As the need for purpose-built
Class I
while the MP15AC has an
switch engines waned in the
end-cab
AR10 alternator. The MP15T
1960s and 1970s, railroads began
switcher totals uses an eight-cylinder, turboto look for a more versatile lococharged engine instead of a
motive that could perform both
CN 42
12-cylinder engine used in the
road and yard chores.
NS 94
A.C. and D.C. models.
Responding to that need,
BNSF 42
Deregulation of U.S. railroads
EMD constructed a variation to
UP 157
under the Staggers Act in 1980,
its successful 1,500-hp SW1500
KCS 77
however, killed the switcher
switcher introduced in the 1960s
CSX 130
manufacturing business. Under
called the SW1504. The SW1504
CP 1
Staggers, freight railroads were
was essentially a SW1500
16
© 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any
Trains MAY 2015
form without permission from the publisher. www.TrainsMag.com
permitted to radically overhaul their networks, operating procedures, and business
model since they were now free of Interstate
Commerce Commission supervision.
One of the resulting changes was downsizing of unprofitable operations with many
branch lines and local operations either
abandoned or sold off to lower-operatingcost short lines.
That created a surplus of low-horsepower
locomotives, and GM’s EMD subsidiary assembled its last MP15ACs for freight railroads in October 1980 (four for the Katy
and one for the Golden Triangle short line);
several MP15ACs were delivered to U.S.
government facilities and Canadian port operators in 1982 through August 1984 (when
National Harbor Board No. 8406 was
shipped from the London, Ontario, plant to
the Montreal port operator). The final 34
MP15Ts were delivered to Seaboard System
in late 1984 and 1985.
The last models produced by EMD continue to survive in sizeable numbers on
Class I railroads, with the SW1500,
MP15DC, MP15AC, and MP15T models
most prevalent. Other than the standard
maintenance cycles, most fleets are still in
their as-built configuration.
Recently, several railroads have attempted to implement upgrades to their end-cab
Norfolk Southern MP15DC No. 2423 was
redesignated as a MP21E with a
turbocharged engine. NS: Casey Thomason
switchers in an effort to extend their service
life. But one eliminated them entirely.
Canadian Pacific is the only railroad to
completely purge its end-cab switcher fleet
from revenue service. The last MP15ACs
were eliminated from the roster in late 2014,
leaving only SW900 No. 6711. This unit is
captive at CP’s Ogden locomotive shops in
Calgary, and used as a shop switcher and for
positive-train-control testing.
Canadian National has embarked on a
small overhaul program at its Homewood
Shops, south of Chicago, on its remaining
SW14 switchers. The SW14s were originally
built for Illinois Central in the 1950s as
EMD SW7s and SW9s. IC’s Paducah, Ky.,
shop remanufactured them in the 1980s and
designated them as SW14s. Canadian
National still owns four and is rebuilding
them for service in the Chicago area.
Union Pacific is underway with a program to upgrade its fleet of MP15ACs and
MP15DCs, installing ZTR’s Nexsys III-i
control systems at its North Little Rock,
Ark., shops. The control system is popular
with UP, which is installing this in other
locomotive models as well.
Norfolk Southern has been the most ambitious in terms of rebuilding its end-cab
switcher fleet. The road’s Altoona, Pa., and
Roanoke, Va., shops began a rebuild program on the MP15DC fleet in 2011 that involves replacing the main generator with an
AR10 alternator, adding alignment control
couplers, and other upgrades.
NS also upgraded one MP15DC in 2011
with increased horsepower output. No. 2423
had its stock 1,500-hp 12-cylinder, 645E
prime mover replaced with a turbocharged
version of the same engine rated at 2,500-hp
(later reduced to 2,100-hp). The radiator
system was enlarged to support the increased cooling needed by the higher horsepower engine including an enlarged long
hood with additional radiators and cooling
fans. The unit, now designated a MP21E,
also received the other upgrades found on
other MP15E rebuilds described above.
With their ranks slowly diminishing,
end-cab switchers will most likely always
have a role on certain Class I rosters due to
their smaller size and weight, but their days
dominating yard and industrial service certainly peaked long ago.
www.TrainsMag.com
17
LOCOMOTIVE
BY CHRIS GUSS
Trends and the top dogs
The latest among the Super Seven Class I freight railroads’ rosters and their top locomotive buys
A railroad’s locomotive fleet is an ever-changing selection of
power. Management is constantly evaluating new locomotive purchases, rebuilding existing power, and retiring older, less reliable
units. New locomotive orders haven’t slowed despite the introduction of Tier 4 emissions technology and the temporary sidelining
BNSF Railway is
well into its
aggressive, multi-year plan of
buying new power, focused on the
unique A1A-trucked ES44C4. With
traffic softening, this may spell the
end for older road locomotives as
the company renews its fleet.
Expect to see BNSF step up its
rebuilding of older A.C.-traction
units and upgrading D.C.-traction
Canadian National
continues to make steady
purchases of new GEs as it
expands usage of distributed
power and A.C. traction in an
effort to haul more tonnage on
existing train schedules across the
system. CN’s shops are modifying
and releasing secondhand
locomotives the company
Canadian Pacific put
new locomotive purchases
on hold after the 2012 arrival of
CEO Hunter Harrison and shows
no signs of change on the horizon.
Kansas City Southern/
Kansas City Southern
de Mexico continues to buy
new power from both GE and
EMD. In 2015, the company is
purchasing both GEs and EMDs
Union Pacific has long
been a strong proponent of
large orders of new power,
and continues the trend in
2015 with 150 new GEs on order.
Its 500-unit fleet of SD40-2s is
cycling through the backshop in
North Little Rock, Ark., as part of
a multi-year program to renew
these trustworthy locomotives.
They are beginning to be seen in
18
of EMD’s domestic production while its Tier 4 freight locomotive
is prepared for rollout in 2017. In EMD’s absence, General Electric
is busy building at its two shops in Erie, Pa., and Fort Worth,
Texas. Here are highlights of recent activity on each Class I roster
along with the top trending model on each.
locomotives to A.C.
BNSF has also sent
SD45-2s for rebuilding into
3GS21C six-axle gensets or
SD40-2Rs with 16-cylinder
engines. The railroad also
continues its multi-year program
to upgrade its fleet of GP35s with
Dash 3 electronics, converting
them to GP39-3Rs.
Top model: GE ES44C4
BNSF ES44C4 No. 7998 was built in March 2015.
purchased in recent years
from various sources.
Its semi-captive fleet of older
second-generation locomotives in
ore service on former Bessemer &
Lake Erie and Missabe properties
has begun to change with the first
Illinois Central SD70s assigned to
the B&LE this year.
Top model: GE ES44AC
Two ES44ACs are part of 90 coming in 2015 for CN.
Instead, CP seems satisfied
to receive both four- and sixaxle ECO rebuilds from EMD, with
more SD30C-ECOs due in 2015.
Top model: EMD GP20C-ECO
CSX Transportation
that are restricted to Mexico
because they are not Tier 4certified. Older D.C. road
locomotives continue to hold down
secondary assignments.
Top model: GE ES44AC
Norfolk Southern
almost every part of the
Union Pacific system now.
UP has relocated the control
stands in a number of GP60s
and SD60s to a position more
parallel to the cab wall, allowing
for easier bi-directional operation
when the units are in local
service. UP calls the modified
units GP62s and SD62s.
Top model: GE ES44AC
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2015
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skipped new locomotive
deliveries in 2014, but now has an
expected 200 new GEs arriving
before December. Rebuilding in-
has met its power needs
between rebuilding and purchasing
new through the end of 2014, but
plans only to rebuild this year, with
no new power on the books for
Sean Graham -White
Chris Guss
house has shifted to fouraxle locomotives, while
six-axle rebuilding has moved to
third-party companies.
Top model: GE ES44AC
2015. Major overhaul
programs involving
several locomotive models
continue at back shops in Altoona,
Pa., and Roanoke, Va.
Top model: GE ES44AC
UP ES44AC No. 8208 was built in 2014. Sean
Graham -White
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