Railroad Forums
Pacific Harbor Line to replace existing locomotivesPerhaps some more hand-me-down equipment coming to LI? Could NYA acquire some more locos from LA?
LOS ANGELES – Pacific Harbor Lines, the neutral switching operation of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, said it has tentatively agreed to begin a $23 million program to replace its existing fleet of 18 diesel-electric locomotives with cleaner-burning diesel-electrics as well as alternative-fuel locomotives.
The pact, which will be presented to the Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbor Commissions for approval, calls for PHL to acquire 16 locomotives equipped with new diesel engines that exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Tier 2” standards for the reduction of air pollutants. In addition, PHL would acquire two alternative-fuel locomotives – one using liquefied natural gas and the other incorporating hybrid diesel-battery technology. The latter is expected to be a RailPower Green Goat.
Under the pact, the ports would each pay up to $5 million toward the estimated $23 million necessary to replace the fleet, with the balance coming from the railroad and a $3.2 million grant from the state of California.