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Discussion related to commuter rail and rapid transit operations in the Chicago area including the South Shore Line, Metra Rail, and Chicago Transit Authority.

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 #1164175  by Tadman
 
It's a bit more long-distance that Chicago, but we're the first hub of the corridors west of Philly.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 2021.story
"Locomotives capable of exceeding the 110-mph speed limit on the passenger rail corridor between Chicago and St. Louis will be bought for Illinois and four other states under a process the Illinois Department of Transportation will lead, officials said Thursday.

The Federal Railroad Administration selected IDOT to manage the multistate procurement of at least 35 next-generation locomotives for high-speed rail corridors in Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington state, Gov. Pat Quinn said.
No doubt NRE will get a good look here. They have a good relationship with the state, and that counts for a lot around here. If they can license a good truck design from the Euros and figure out a monocoque shell, they would likely get the work.
 #1164209  by byte
 
EMD is apparently trying to make use of a crate of "Winnebago" windshields it has laying around La Grange....
 #1164277  by SlowFreight
 
I'm also seeing a continuing theme of Caterpillar trying to erase the EMD brand identity, and now the EMD prime movers. Notice that this thing will be Cat powered. I guess they haven't gotten the message that railroaders don't like Caterpillar.

I'd like to think that Winton, F-M, Cooper-Bessemer, et al, went a different direction for a reason. Neither Cat nor Sulzer has been particularly successful in our industry--and the main difference is that both of those operate at about 2-3x the RPM of locomotive/marine diesels. That C175 runs at 1800 RPM vs. the standard EMD 900 RPM. Nothing listed in the spec sheet about alternators...curious.
 #1164303  by Fan Railer
 
SlowFreight wrote: Nothing listed in the spec sheet about alternators...curious.
Regardless of what railroaders like or don't progress will happen. I believe that the alternator will also be supplied from CAT and be part of the integrated generator set.
 #1164322  by byte
 
Agreed. The 710 prime mover's production dates back to the mid 80s, and I'm sure development predates that by -/+ 5 years. Sooner or later it's going to be replaced by something else.

Of note, the model number of this new engine is C175-20. That's a 20 cylinder prime mover.
 #1164675  by SlowFreight
 
Fan Railer wrote:
SlowFreight wrote: Nothing listed in the spec sheet about alternators...curious.
Regardless of what railroaders like or don't progress will happen. I believe that the alternator will also be supplied from CAT and be part of the integrated generator set.
Cat doesn't make alternators. That's why it matters who supplies it.