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GreenRailNews.com “Green” Locomotive Roundup Edited by Jody Moore
August 2011GENERAL ELECTRIC: BNSF has taken delivery of several experimental ES44C4 locomotives from GE. According to Sean Graham-White, “New ES44C4s for June are the 6707 - 6727, 6729, 6731 & 6732. Also new are the 6890 - 6898. The original order for these was to include the 6653 - 6879. The numbers change slightly becoming the 6653 - 6869 & 6890 - 6899. The 6890 - 6899 are slightly different than the rest being Tier 3 compliant instead of Tier 2 compliant. For those that are not sure about what this means, (Including me) they are set up for lower emissions than the Tier 2 engines. This will be the newest EPA standards come January 1, 2012 and these engines are basically test beds.” NATIONAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT: On July 5, 2011, “Loadstone” snapped this photo of NEPTUNE BULK TERMINALS 3GS21B mother 805 and slug 805A in transit on CN in Neenah, WI en route to Vancouver, BC. His notes read: “08:10 2011-07-05 MP 186.6 Neenah North Signal, Neenah Sub, Canadian National Railway - taken in Town of Menasha, WI behind the Haunter house.” The slug-mother set will join a 2009-built pair at the bulk loader’s facility in the Port of Vancouver. On July 22, Craig Walker snapped this photo of UNION PACIFIC 3GS21B UPY 2755 in Carson, CA. The unit has been modified with experimental diesel particulate filters to test the decrease emissions output. Funding for the project is from the California Air Resources Board. Photo:
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2646284 In addition, CARB is planning to retrofit DPF filters on a Railpower genset to test the difference in results, and is seeking funding to apply a Selective Catalyst Reduction filter (SCR) for testing in the future. Meanwhile, Ken Lanovich reported that CSXT 1317, a 2GS14B, had arrived at NRE Dixmoor toward the end of the month of July to be refitted with DPF filters. According to Ken’s report, “Since the 1317 is a later style NRE gen-set with the higher hood, most of the changes will not be seen. The only visible signs will be, two exhaust stacks for each engine. These are mounted side, by side, crossways, so from the side, it will be hard to tell of the change.” The Roundup Editor caught the 1317 at the diesel shop in Selkirk, NY right before it was shipped to NRE, and was fortunate enough to get a decent overhead shot that may be used for comparison after the modifications are complete:
http://www.greenrailnews.com/nre/csxt/1317e.jpg
http://www.greenrailnews.com/nre/csxt/1317f.jpg Last year, the National Geographic show Mega Breakdown included a segment on rebuilding former Canadian National GP9RM CN 4010 into a genset by NRE. The segment was filmed at Mt. Vernon, IL. CN 4010 was released as OPT 2223 for ORANGE PORT TERMINAL in Beaumont, TX. The show is now available online, by following this link:
© CRO Aug 2011 |
