What's next for GE and Erie?

Thanks for posting. Erie is staying busy.

This must be a new order, as 100 were built starting in 2012. While they retain the '20' in the designation, they are rated at 2250 horsepower from the 8-FDL. They do have the BrightStar control package.

Regarding the M, I think your guess is probably accurate. Indonesian Railways also operates C20EMPs, which are modernized versions of the U20C with the BrightStar control system and a single wide cab.

Now we know that GE Solution's the Fort worth plant is the #1 builder for domestic locos. The Erie plant has now been proclaimed as the Export producing plant. Having said that. Erie will see more business as soon as moneys are released for new orders. What is your opinion?

1500 layoffs at Erie over the next two months:
http://www.wtae.com/news/GE-Transportat ... e/36309880" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MEC407 wrote:Recent photos of the GE Test Track by Richard Thompson:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=507772" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=507773" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw a pair of FECR locomotives with a matching LNG tender between them at the Erie plant off Franklin Ave this past Saturday. The tender was about 1/2 the size of an oil tank car. Could kick myself for not getting a picture.

From GoErie.com:

GoErie.com wrote:At a time when 4,400 U.S. locomotives are in storage, the prospect of selling new ones isn't encouraging. Freight traffic is off 10 percent this year, according to a recent report from the Association of American Railroads.

Because Erie is the primary build site for export locomotives, the status of foreign orders is of special importance to local employees.

There have been some bright spots for the Erie plant, where employees have been working to fill an order for 100 locomotives for Angola and another order for 55 locomotives for Pakistan.
. . .
GE Transportation hasn't been sitting idly by waiting for conditions to improve. The company has been focused on helping customers use technology to improve the efficiency of their customers' locomotives. GE has four worldwide teams, including one in Erie, that work 24 hours a day to monitor thousands of locomotives and provide feedback on their operation.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.goerie.com/news/20161106/yea ... s-ge-plant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From GoErie.com:

GoErie.com wrote:Now, at a time when locomotive sales are slow, the company's engineering team, under the direction of Erie native John Manison, has launched a new initiative to provide railroad customers with a lower-cost option to a new locomotive.

The company has always done a certain amount of work to modify old locomotives, he said, replacing old and worn parts and technology with new ones. But traditionally, it could take months to engineer a solution for a single locomotive, he said.

Under a new business model the company launched six months ago, the time needed for engineering has been trimmed to just two weeks. During that time, Manison said, modernization sales have grown 800 percent and are expected to grow substantially more.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.goerie.com/news/20170219/ge- ... emain-slow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, MEC407, for another interesting link to the Erie PA newspaper!
… Interesting, but frustratingly light on detail. A number of U.S. railroads have, over the last few years, had at least pilot projects for rebuilding Dash-8 and Dash-9 GE units. I have assumed that they consulted with GE on the design work (and, i.i.r.c., some of the units have been rebuilt by or under the supervision of GE). My guess would be that GE is taking what they've learned from that experience and are hoping to commercialize it: where in the past a railroad wanting to rebuild a locomotive had to pay for a lot of new, one-off, engineering, GE can now offer a menu: depending on what you have and how much you want to pay(*) they can offer a mix of features, most of which have already been tried out.

This OUGHT to be a program with real possibilities. After all, several big railroads now have fleets of Dash-8 and Dash-9 units that dwarf ICG's fleet of GP-7/GP-9 that went into their "Paducah Rebuild" program. So a rebuild program for them -- most work done in railroad shops, but supervised by GE and using GE designs -- seems plausible.

(*) For instance: rebuilding a Dash-8 40 to with engine and control systems like a Dash-9 is almost certainly cheaper than rebuilding a Dash-9 to AC40C4 standards!
--
The other message of the article is "don't get your hopes up for lots more manufacturing jobs at Erie." GE seems to have the same attitude toward union vs. non-union plants that, e.g., Boeing exhibits.

I am not sure if this adds to the GE "Rebuild" information, but there is an ex-NS high-hood GP38-2 behind the plant, near the Test Building (60, I believe)... Rumor has it (albeit a "rumor") that it is to be a "test-bed" as part of the rebuild program.....Personally, this seems a bit outlandish to imagine GE rebuilding old EMD's....but, with with an uncertain future in Erie, such things said can start rolling.....
My question is regarding the article in the Erie newspaper would be: if there are 4000 units stored nationwide, wouldn't the railroads just bring one of these stored locomotives back in service if needed, rather than paying for an extensive rebuild? (Of course, if these rebuilds live up to the articles billing as performing as well as new units at half the price).....Further, with the newer non-union Forth Worth plant's production of the last 2014 locomotive orders, where does it figure in this rebuild program?
Also, coupled with the ex-NS unit was an older GE wide-cab....The view was mostly blocked of it, so I am not sure the GE was an old-demonstrator unit...I will try to get a better look soon.
Lastly, three more of the narrow-gauge Pakistan Railway units (in a handsome green paint scheme) atop flatcars were awaiting shipment in the East Erie Commercial yard behind the plant over the weekend, while the number of ex-Tier 4 demonstrator units looks to be at most, eight, remaining in the yard...(Not sure who is buying them)




XC

The GP38-2 is the former NS 5094 which was bought by GE reportedly for use as the shop switcher at Erie Building 60.

Thank you, "O.R."! The shop switcher explanation makes much more sense than being a "rebuild test bed" ( "Rumors run rife", as the saying goes....)

One further question, if you will. What does "engineering a solution for a locomotive" mean exactly? (Taking two weeks vs. months is impressive)
Thank you.


XC

XC Tower wrote: Lastly, three more of the narrow-gauge Pakistan Railway units (in a handsome green paint scheme) atop flatcars were awaiting shipment in the East Erie Commercial yard behind the plant over the weekend
XC

I was under the impression that the Pakistan Railways units were all broad gauge

The ones previously delivered are running on 5'6" gauge

My apologies on mistaking the Pakistan Railways units as being narrow-gauge.....The locomotives look identical to the South African Railway ones produced (which I thought were also meter gauge)....
Isn't some of the trackage in Pakistan still in the meter gauge?


Thank you.



XC

One important factor driving RRs to rebuild older power versus newer power is the significantly higher cost of Tier-4 locomotives and their higher fuel consumption versus Tier-3, reportedly 5% worse. It makes sense to upgrade older power of the right type.

XC Tower wrote:My apologies on mistaking the Pakistan Railways units as being narrow-gauge.....The locomotives look identical to the South African Railway ones produced (which I thought were also meter gauge)....
Isn't some of the trackage in Pakistan still in the meter gauge?

Thank you.

XC

Southern Africa is Cape Gauge (3'6"). Still a bit of British colonial era metre left in Pakistan, however I think that you will find it is around 13.5 tonne/axle, like India next door (India still has a fair bit of 12 tonne/axle, hence still using Alco DL535, DL535A, RSD-30)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Railways" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Colonial Brits were very parsimonious when building metre gauge (and narrower) lines in their colonies

The Transnet ES40ACi weigh 132 tonnes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Afr ... ass_44-000" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Pakistan ES43ACi are 137 tonnes (302,386lbs), a tad too heavy for metre
https://www.facebook.com/15241092811388 ... =3&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Press release http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/frei ... sword_list" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;[]=pakistan&no_cache=1