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GreenRailNews.com “Green” Locomotive Roundup Edited by Jody Moore
Photo of the month: http://www.greenrailnews.com/nre/bnsf/1280_1292_1276a.jpg A trio of BNSF 3GS21Bs clears a switch while working a yard trimming job on the north end of BNSF’s Alliance yard in Haslet, TX.
BROOKVILLE EQUIPMENT:
As promised in last month’s Roundup, we have a photo of OHIO CENTRAL’s kit-built Brookville BL14CG CoGen genset, OHCR 1402. The unit was built in West Lafayette, OH and released last month. Benjamin St. Jean found the unit working near Mt Vernon, OH and sent us this photo: http://www.greenrailnews.com/Brookville/ohcr/1402a.jpg
On Feb. 27, a Broward, Fla. County circuit court upheld the $109 million award by Florida Tri Rail to Brookville for the purchase of ten locomotives for the commuter agency, with an option for up to 13 additional locomotives. Following the controversial original award by Tri-Rail on Feb. 25, the bid had to survive a lawsuit filed by MotivePower, the only other bidder on the project.
At contention was the Brookville design’s use of D/C traction power rather than A/C, and what the MPI filing called inconsistencies in the bidding process. In addition to the challenge from MPI, the higher of the two bidders, the decision faced opposition from within the Florida state government and the State Chamber of Commerce on the grounds of potential additional operation costs, and the inefficiencies of the older D/C technology.
Delivery of the new locomotives is slated for 2013.
More coverage of the controversy from the Sunshine State News: http://sunshinestatenews.com/story/109-million-tri-rail-contract-awarded-after-challenge and the Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/23/2084183/south-floridas-tri-rail-set-to.html
ELECTROMOTIVE DIESEL:
At press time, UNION PACIFIC SD59M-2 ECO rebuild UP 9907 is headed from EMD London to the AAR Transportation Test Center (TTCI) in Pueblo, CO.
NATIONAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT:
The last unit in the current US ARMY order, USAX 6509, was released from NRE Mt. Vernon. The unit is expected to be sent to Fort Sill, OK, where it will replace a retired GG20B hybrid locomotive at the site.
The first 3GS21B for INDIANA HARBOR BELT is currently under construction at NRE Dixmoor. A second IHB locomotive is to built there as well. IHB has placed orders for three gensets from NRE.
PROGRESS RAIL SERVICES:
PROGRESS RAIL SERVICES PR30C demonstrator PRLX 3006 has been sent to Tacoma, WA for a demonstration on TACOMA RAIL, according to reports. The unit was seen headed north through Oregon in early January 2011.
RAILSERVE:
According to a recent report on Progressive Railroading, two additional LEAF locomotives are currently under construction at Railserve’s facility in Longview, TX. Here’s the brief – mention is in the third item: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/freightnews/article.asp?id=25809
RAILPOWER TECHNOLOGIES:
RJ CORMAN RP20BD RPRX 2010 has been released from painting by American Motive Power in Dansville, NY and was at Cresson, PA on the Norfolk Southern at press time. (Note: There is some confusion on where this unit was painted at, with some reports putting it at Brookville, PA for paint.)
Mike Stellpflug took photos of the unit at Silver Springs, NY (lending credence to the AMP report, as that’s the location that the Rochester & Southern RR, which serves the AMP plant, interchanges with the Norfolk Southern) Here’s two of Mike’s photos showing the unit in its new all-red paint scheme similar to the other RPRX units painted so far.
Rear view: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2404761 Front view: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2404765
THOROUGHBRED MECHANICAL SERVICES:
NORFOLK SOUTHERN’s embattled pair of RP20BD locomotives, NS 102 and 103, have finally been released from TMS. The units were originally being converted under contract for Railpower for least to NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL TERMINALS in Norfolk, VA, but were seized by TMS for unpaid bills after Railpower filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Now, painted in green NIT livery but bearing NS logos and numbers, the units have been completed and will be leased to NIT. They were on the move from Altoona, PA in Mid-February, and James Kerr shot these photos of the locomotives in Enola, PA on Feb. 19:
NS 102: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2411660 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2411649 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2411645
NS 103: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2411659 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2411650
© CRO March 2011 |
