just to add to the rumor mil....CAT BUYING EMD???

The prime mover in those locomotives are from SD50's. So you can guess the reliability.



http://trainiaxindex.cjb.net/
"keep searching keep finding"

The MK5000C locomotives were originally built with CAT 3612 engines, and experienced a number of problems with the engines which resulted in their removal. They were replaced with salvaged 16 cylinder EMD 645 engines.

if Caterpiller buys EMD so to say... Would this interfear with GE?? I know that GE has baught engions from CAT in the past.

GE used to buy Cat engines for their industrial units, the most common one being the D-17000 used in the 44 tonners. Many other GE industrials had Cummins prime movers.

If Cat has a chance to sell an engine, I suspect they will sell it. The fact that GE and EMD are competitors shouldn't enter into it at all. Just look at how all the automakers are interlinked.

GE got Caterpillar engines for the 44-tonners (last built in 1956) and for a number of small, endcab, industrial and export models, of power up to about 1,000 hp. (Cummins engines were standard on most recent GE centercab industrials.) GE, however, doesn't seem to have built any Caterpillar-engined units for a numberof years. Companies have been known to cooperate with competitors (note, e.g., that GE, while in the Alco-GE consortium with Alco, provided electrical gear for AND BUILT Fairbanks-Morse's "Erie-built" units), but the negotiations are undoubtedly more ... delicate ... than with a non-competitor. But given GE's apparent lack of interest in building locomotives of its small, Caterpillar-engined, designs, the question seems unlikely to arise.

My 1980 Car and Loco. Cyc. has a page devoted to the U-10B, which produced 800 HP for traction with a 12 cylinder Cat D-398, running at 1300 RPMs. This unit weighed all of 55 tons, and it's 93:18 gear ratio allowed it a top speed of 64 MPH. (Sorry, no TM or main. gen. info.)

Obviously an export unit, but the photo shows it in what looks like C&NW paint, and with a C&NW-looking herald. The same Cyc. has two pages of SL-80, SL-110 and SL-144 information. There is a picture of the SL-144, again as a C&NW unit. I do know that a pair of them demonstrated (and/or were on lease to C&NW), but I don't understand the U-10B paint.

The SL- units have Cummins engines, NT-855s and KT/KTA9 1150s.

Now, is GE building any small industrial stuff anymore?

EDM5970 wrote:Now, is GE building any small industrial stuff anymore?

Good question, and one that was asked awhile ago. While there are no listings of such critters on the main GE locomotive page, (which is nice to look at anyway, if you haven't already: https://www.getransportation.com/genera ... otives.asp), somebody noted they found some pages buried deep in the GE website (I couldn't find them). Perhaps you will have more luck if you go hunting for it.
One concept that did arise was that Trackmobiles (of which there are several manufacturers around) have pretty much replaced critters in industrial operations that are not big enough to warrent buying a used SW1500 or GP-15 for), due to their flexibility.

I've been told the UAW doesn't want EMD to go to Caterpillar due to Union Issues in the Past.

AmtrakFan

I believe that GE is not currently offering to build small locomotives (SL series etc) in the U.S.: the profit margin on them isn't as high as on large road power, and floor space at Erie is fully occupied. I think GE do Brasil may have built the last SL-series; I don't know if they'd be interested in building more.

Amtrak Fan

I can understand why the UAW would be opposed to a CAT purchase. The CAT engine plant a Lafayette, IN is a perfect example. Back a few years ago, it was non-union and almost totally automated (The 3600 series line , the 3500 series to a lessor extent). And the people that were employed were very active and interested in the operation of the plant; unlike those people employed at EMD's LaGrange plant who appeared to function like drones.