New roadswitcher from NRE: 2GS36C

NRE has released a new roadswitcher locomotive, taking the genset concept to a whole new level. This six-axle beast features two Cummins QSK50L engines rated at 1800 HP each, for a total of 3600 HP.

Photos:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702253

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702250

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702258

Rebuilt onto an EMD SD frame and looking like a GE DASH 8. Nice. What's next?

I wonder if that was an SD45 frame. That was 3600 hp also but only one diesel and one generator and one radiator. 3600 hp is not a nice round number like 3000 or 4000 for medium or high horsepower so I wonder what the point is ?

Is there any press release on what its intended type of service is supposed to be ( "Road switcher" covers a lot of territory) and how is it supposed to be superior to what the railroads have now ?

how is it supposed to be superior to what the railroads have now ?

That is a good question and the short answer is, I don’t know. NRE will probably issue some sort of press release in conjunction with the Railway Supply Institute meeting later this month.

There are a few conclusions which may be drawn. Much has changed since the SD45 was introduced in 1965. In the last 46 years freight car weight limits have gone from 263K lbs. to 286K lbs. and now they are on their way to 315K lbs. Through design and alternative materials freight cars weights have held steady or decreased. The advent of “unit-trains” have entire trains running full in one direction and empty in the other. We have come to period where the power needed to go in one direction is unnecessary for the other. In these fuel cost conscience days the ability to “shut-down” half of a locomotive could be a selling point.

MEC407 wrote:NRE has released a new roadswitcher locomotive, taking the genset concept to a whole new level. This six-axle beast features two Cummins QSK50L engines rated at 1800 HP each, for a total of 3600 HP.

Photos:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702253

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702250

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2702258

Wow..the art of locomotive aesthetics has really been lost lately..function over form..
(not that there is really anything wrong with that..but still, there used to be an effort to make machines pleasing to the eye..)
hopefully it will return someday..

Scot

Agreed... although EMD's new parent company, Progress Rail, has taken "function over form" to an even higher level (and by higher I mean uglier), as evidenced in the PR22B.

Now compare that to the NRE 3GS21B.

Both are extremely utilitarian, but I'd say that NRE has spent at least somewhat more time asking themselves the question, "What can we do to make this machine look less horrifying?" than Progress/Cat has done.

The new 2GS36C looks downright traditional in comparison! (and by traditional I mean nice)

no, it was not built on an SD45 frame. Former UP SD40-2 B4231 was the core unit

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

This reminds me of a miniature DD40X. Its been a long enough time now that no one remembers why it wasn't such a hot idea the last time. I suspect that Cummins is behind this as it uses its largest engine and on their website they consider themselves a major player in the railroad business.

In fairness, technology has progressed quite significantly since the double-engine diesels of the 1960s.

Also, the QSK50 isn't Cummins' largest engine, but I understand the point you're trying to make.

IMO, these don't look that bad. I kind of like them, actually. Much better than many other genset/low emission locomotives.

RickRackstop wrote:Is there any press release on what its intended type of service is supposed to be ( "Road switcher" covers a lot of territory) and how is it supposed to be superior to what the railroads have now ?

NRE has updated their web site with some information about the 2GS36C-DE. They state the following:

"In keeping with NREC's efforts to remain at the forefront of 'green' locomotive design, we are proud to introduce the next model of N-ViroMotive, known as the 2GS36C-DE. This two genset, 3,600 horsepower, six axle locomotive is a true multi-purpose design. It can be utilized as an 1800 HP switcher, an 1800 or 3600 HP hump yard locomotive, a Road Switcher, or a Line Haul Locomotive. This equates to the locomotive being suitable for nearly all work to be found on a typical railroad system, and negates the need to assign it to a dedicated service. At the heart of this new locomotive model is the new NREC NGEN III Genset."

(emphasis added by me; I underlined the part that I think answers your question)

Silly thought, but there isn't a lot of difference between an SD40 platform and an F40...

Otherwise, I would have liked to have gotten a look at this beast at the Railway Interchange show just up the road, but I didn't feel up to paying a few hundred dollars.