GE Erie Test Track

Found some interesting video footage of GE's Test Track in Erie. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGbrkdG-DpU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft7CRMAyj3Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci1fmMgjJxs

Another video from the Erie test track, this time of a dual-cab, full-cowl export unit at 70 MPH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-2zzKRbK8

Anyone know the model designation of this unit and which railroad/country it is for?

Well, the big Chinese units are single-cab hood types, so the dual-cab cowl (? is it just a cowl, or is the full-width carbody load carrying as on traditional cab units?) might be for Kazakhstan (no, I'm not sure I spelled that right): big order, the prototypes to come from Erie but the bulk to be assembled locally, billed as first export GEVO: working parts like those in an ES44AC.

As to the wide-body unit: Sean Graham-White, answering a question about what it is on the LocoNotes Yahoo group, thought it could be either an ES44ACi for ex-Soviet Central Asia (my mind is going! I can't remember whether the big GE order was from Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan!) or an ES40ACi for Egypt: GE has an order for 82 of these for Egypt, first ones to be done this year, rest next.

Kazakhstan is the country you're thinking of.

Yes. Well... Kazakhstan is the largest chunk of "Soviet Central Asia as was," so the one whose railway network is most likely to be in the market for hundreds of high-horsepower units: I think the K. government's dream is that they will profit from having the railroad equivalent of the old "Silk Road" at a time of growing China-Europe trade. But I had a moment of panic about my memory!

I think GE has had previous locomotive orders from Egypt, but I think this is their biggest so far, and their first for units with the power of current U.S. domestic models.

Final: I honestly don't know whether these are cowl or boxcab units. Most railways outside North America want lighter-weight rolling stock the U.S., and a double-cab hood unit is already heavy. A cowl (= full-width, non-load-bearing, hood) just makes it heavier, but if the side walls are load bearing the frame can be lighter than on a hood unit. Compare domestic passenger units: the B32-8WH had to be given a ridiculously small fuel tank to keep the weight under 265,000 pounds even though it has only a 12-cylinder engine. The first series Genesis units-- "monococque" carbody, not cowl units-- managed to be lighter with a 16-cylinder FDL. (Weights: 264,500 for B32-8WH, 262,800 for first Genesis (source: Greg McDonell, "Field Guide to Modern Diesel Locomotives," Kalmbach 2002)) So railways in places like Egypt (whose previous GE locomotives were export models) and Kazakhstan (whose Soviet-era power had lower axle loads than U.S.) might have asked for box cabs. But I don't know.

Very good points. Hopefully more info will come to light.

MEC407 wrote:Another video from the Erie test track, this time of a dual-cab, full-cowl export unit at 70 MPH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-2zzKRbK8

Anyone know the model designation of this unit and which railroad/country it is for?

This is one of the Egyptian units, easy to tell them from the Kazakstan order as the have two piece windows on the front, and look much better for it in my opinion!

KTZ unit here:
http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/att ... 1227996287

Egypt: (image was here anyway!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/ ... rtunit.jpg

Photo by Jim Johnston:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=535157" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;