by Allen Hazen
The December 2008-January 2009 issue of the Australian magazine "Motive Power" has an article about the latest GE locomotives (built by United Group -- formerly Goninans -- who are GE's long-time Australian licensee) in Australia, the 9200 class for Pacific National (the largest freight operator on Australia's open-access rail network). The first half dozen of an order for 15 had been delivered at press time.
These critters have the model designation C44aci. They are thus Australian analogues/derivatives of the AC44: AC motors, FDL-16 engines (apparently Australia air quality regulations aren't quite as strict as the U.S. "tier two," so GE's newer GEVO engine didn't have to be used). For the moment these locomotives seem to be in dedicated coal service in norther New South Wales (the same area where Queensland National's 5000 class are used) but they were ordered with the idea that they could be used elsewhere as well, leading to weight limitation issues. With a full fuel tank (11,000 liters, or somewhat under 3,000 U.S. gallons) they weigh 139 metric tonnes (about 306,000 pounds: equivalent to an Alco PA, but more than 25% less than the heaviest domestic AC44 and ES44), which is o.k. in the coal fields but too heavy for most of the Australian national network. There is apparently some sort of feature which, when engaged (a key was mentioned, suggesting that they wanted this to be under the control of management and not of ordinary operating personnel) can prevent the fuel tank from being filled completely: with limited fuel on board, the locomotives can be dispatched at 136 tonnes or 134 tonnes, which is apparently light enough to allow use on many main lines.
In appearance they are much like the NR and 5000: a long, clean-lined hood unit (a bit longer than U.S. domestic units) with a flat fronted cab at the front (no short hood) and the hood in the rear extending to the end of the frame: no rear walkway. As with the NR, the trucks are a fabricated (lighter than cast frame) version of "roller blades" (the 5000, I think, has the domestic style cast-frame truck: they are I think heavier and QN probably wasn't concerned with the possibility of re-allocating them to other areas). The NR (designed for a maximum output of 4000 hp, and usually limited to lower powers) manages with a radiator compartment no wider than the hood, but the new locomotives have a bit of a "wingspan" on the radiators, though it looks as if the wingspan is not as wide as it is on domestic units.
As with the NR, the exhaust is at the front end of the engine compartment roof rather than the rear as on domestic GE units. I believe that the turbocharger is at the usual end, but that exhaust is routed from it through a muffler that runs the length of the engine: Australia noise regulations are apparently stricter than those in the U.S.
These critters have the model designation C44aci. They are thus Australian analogues/derivatives of the AC44: AC motors, FDL-16 engines (apparently Australia air quality regulations aren't quite as strict as the U.S. "tier two," so GE's newer GEVO engine didn't have to be used). For the moment these locomotives seem to be in dedicated coal service in norther New South Wales (the same area where Queensland National's 5000 class are used) but they were ordered with the idea that they could be used elsewhere as well, leading to weight limitation issues. With a full fuel tank (11,000 liters, or somewhat under 3,000 U.S. gallons) they weigh 139 metric tonnes (about 306,000 pounds: equivalent to an Alco PA, but more than 25% less than the heaviest domestic AC44 and ES44), which is o.k. in the coal fields but too heavy for most of the Australian national network. There is apparently some sort of feature which, when engaged (a key was mentioned, suggesting that they wanted this to be under the control of management and not of ordinary operating personnel) can prevent the fuel tank from being filled completely: with limited fuel on board, the locomotives can be dispatched at 136 tonnes or 134 tonnes, which is apparently light enough to allow use on many main lines.
In appearance they are much like the NR and 5000: a long, clean-lined hood unit (a bit longer than U.S. domestic units) with a flat fronted cab at the front (no short hood) and the hood in the rear extending to the end of the frame: no rear walkway. As with the NR, the trucks are a fabricated (lighter than cast frame) version of "roller blades" (the 5000, I think, has the domestic style cast-frame truck: they are I think heavier and QN probably wasn't concerned with the possibility of re-allocating them to other areas). The NR (designed for a maximum output of 4000 hp, and usually limited to lower powers) manages with a radiator compartment no wider than the hood, but the new locomotives have a bit of a "wingspan" on the radiators, though it looks as if the wingspan is not as wide as it is on domestic units.
As with the NR, the exhaust is at the front end of the engine compartment roof rather than the rear as on domestic GE units. I believe that the turbocharger is at the usual end, but that exhaust is routed from it through a muffler that runs the length of the engine: Australia noise regulations are apparently stricter than those in the U.S.