Tier 4 Evolution Series prototype unveiled

rr503 wrote:CSX is beginning testing
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... ne-testing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Quote:

Sources close to the railroad tell Trains News Wire the locomotive is en route to Erwin for testing on the railroad’s former Clinchfield territory. The locomotive will be used in heavy haul service on the railroad’s Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin and Spartanburg, S.C.

ET44AH

Interesting that the CSX ones aren't coming with the steerable trucks that were standard under most of their AC4400 and ES44AC fleet (the last few ES44s came with standard hi-ad trucks). Anyone know the reason for the change?

I was wondering about that too.

From Railway Gazette International:

Railway Gazette International wrote:As well as EGR, the locomotives have a two-stage turbocharger to allow for a higher compression ratio, a common-rail fuel delivery system, and an updated power assembly. Another change from previous GE designs is a larger and stronger engine block casting, which allows for the installation of larger bearings and cranks. In addition, the locomotive is designed for easier maintenance access by workshop staff. According to GE, it also delivers a 25% increase in cooling capacity, and more advanced wheel-slip technology with individual axle traction control.

Read the rest of the article at: http://media.getransportation.com/sites ... p28-31.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MEC407--
Thanks for posting the link to that very informative article!
The bit about "larger and stronger engine block casting" is interesting. The Tier 4 locomotive has the same power rating as the earlier GEVO types, so this is a change that is independent of the new EPA requirements: I suspect GE would have found the strengthening of the engine block, and the possibility of larger bearings desirable even if the EPA hadn't imposed a new Tier.

The GEVO engine's unlamented ancestor, the GDL, also went through two engine blocks: the original design was felt to have undesirable vibration properties, and these were damped by adding several tons of cast iron.

Locomotive-sized diesel engines in this power class aren't easy to design!

GE's Tier 4 locos seem to be selling quite nicely. NS just announced an order for 50 of them. With that order, GE has now received orders from every Class I road except CP and KCS. CP has been big on EMD ECO conversions recently but it might not be long until they need some big new high-horsepower units. Not sure what KCS' situation is.

Well, KCS and CP are small railroads (compared to UP, BNSF, CSX and NS), and don't by new mainline power every year. And CP's big orders of AC4400CW and ES44CW may have given them a large enough fleet to meet their needs for a few years to come.

(But I do wish someone would order some road-switchers from GE with GEVO-6 engines! It seems unfair that the competition's "ECO" series gets all the orders for Geep replacement!)

In fairness to EMD, they marked the ECO repower package very actively, even building some demo units for railroads to try. GE hasn't really marketed the GEVO-6/GEVO-8 repower at all. They mentioned it once several years ago and that was the end of it. It's almost like they don't want to sell them.

Re: "GE hasn't really marketed the GEVO-6/GEVO-8 repower at all. They mentioned it once several years ago and that was the end of it. It's almost like they don't want to sell them."
---Perhaps for the same reason that they don't built industrial locomotives anymore: with strong demand for their profitable main-line locomotives, it isn't worth cluttering up the shop floor with small numbers of odd designs. Note that when MBTA (sensibly!) wanted GE power in their new commuter locomotives, GE sold the engines and transmissions and let somebody else fuss with stuffing them into carbodies!
Sniff.

Video by Christopher Palmieri of CN ET44ACs testing on BNSF in the Forth Worth area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee8o5JhPhSU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Note that GE has made some refinements to the carbody in the area of the exhaust stack so that it blends in a bit better with the "pitched roof" shape of the radiator section.

CSX found out that the original protruding box failed to successfully negotiate the clearance diagram for their rotary dumpers...
As the exhaust outlet must still be offset due to the engine arrangement, it looks like an exhaust stack has returned.
We're already on to Phase II of ET44ACs, and they look a lot better!