New intermediate power?

[Allen Hazen]

Bit of excitement on the forum devoted to -- hiss! boo! -- off-brand locomotives with -- eeugh! -- two-stroke engines recently with their announcement of an intermediate-power (2200hp) roadswitcher with an 8-cylinder engine.

Obviuous question is whether GE has anything similar in mind... maybe involving a GEVO straight-6? Much as I would LIKE to see a successor to the U23B/B23-7 -- something low-budget, rebuilt from, say, retired B39-8 or B40-8 units using a 2250 hp GEVO with one bank of cylinders, there doesn't seem much evidence. I just (7 April 2008) looked at the GE Transportation WWWebsite to see if there was any indication of a 6-cylinder GEVO (since, some months back, a GE Grove City spokesperson was quoted about a number of new engine "configurations" in the works) coming out. Alas, no. The Marine Engine part of the product line (which calls the GEVO a "V250") mentioned only V-12 and V-16 versions. So...

But if they sensed a demand, I'm sure a straight-6 would be a comparatively simple engineering development.

[Peter Radanovic]

I wonder as to how much extra vertical spacing an inline engine would take up, though it sounds possible. I don't know as to how much more cost making a "tower-shaped" block would present; I'm not good when it comes to money issues, so feasibility of new components is something beyond me. Railroads seem pretty happy with their current oldies, but if there comes a need for such a market of new-age replacements, I guess the big companies would probably agree.

Isn't the V16 GEVO for market in China?

[Allen Hazen]

Peter Radanovic--

Yes, the 16-cylinder GEVO is supposed to be used in the 300 locomotives GE is supposed to be building for China: Sean Graham-White's book about the GEVO locomotives has an artist's rendering of the proposed "ES58" (as I recall, it's a hood unit, but with a noseless cab). I haven't heard much in the past few months about that project. Most of the locomotives were to be assembled in China, but the first few (first one?) were supposedly going to be built in Erie, and none of the locomotive fans who photograph new power over the Erie works fence have spotted it yet that I know of...

GEVO-16 engines are also being installed in at least some of the AC60 locomotives: I think there is an item on this forum reporting the first CSX unit to be so re-engined.

As for vertical dimensions... I guess it would depend on exactly where the exhaust manifold goes. I don't think the straight-6 version of the Alco 251 is significantly taller than the V-versions. And anyway, the engine-compartment roof on current GE domestic types (Dash-8 through GEVO) is lower than the radiator or the roof over the control/blower area: a locomotive for North American service could probably tolerate an engine a few inches taller than the current ones.

I suspect, though, that you've identified the crux of the problem when you say "Railroads seem pretty happy with their current oldies." :-(

[Peter Radanovic]

It's kinda strange that most of the locomotives outside of North America have flat cabs. Same with European semi trucks; they all have forward-facing cabs, as far as I've seen.

Maybe shortening the stroke a bit would help a little if height is the issue. Maybe the comp. ratio would decrease, but you'd have something that fits!