My imagination at work…………..Presenting today is the GE ES55AC

[Frisco West]

Good Day,

My imagination at work…………..Presenting today is the GE ES55AC the next generation of heavy duty diesel electric locomotives. The original ES44AC drawing was created by Michael Eby. The drawing was modified and painted by me.

Two of these pulling a fast Intermodal train would look fantastic!

Regards,

Swafford

[jrbernier]

  Nice Work! - But what would be the advantage of this engine?  1100 hp now divided by 8 AC inverters/traction motors is going to add a lot of cost.  GE will build a 6000 hp V16 GEVO that only needs 6 inverters/traction motors right now.  And they have delivered or have on order about 700-800 ES44C-4's for BNSF that get rid of the center inverter/traction motor.  What version of the GEVO power plant would be in your 5500 hp engine?

Jim

[CAZEPHYR]

jrbernier

  Nice Work! - But what would be the advantage of this engine?  1100 hp now divided by 8 AC inverters/traction motors is going to add a lot of cost.  GE will build a 6000 hp V16 GEVO that only needs 6 inverters/traction motors right now.  And they have delivered or have on order about 700-800 ES44C-4's for BNSF that get rid of the center inverter/traction motor.  What version of the GEVO power plant would be in your 5500 hp engine?

Jim

I don't know what he had in mind, but the present 12 cylinder motor could be made with a 16 cylinder version to get the extra HP.  This D-D configuration would be better for heavy coal trains.

CZ

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

If my memory serves me correctly, there is something similar in service in Brazil, although on meter gauge track.

[Rainhilltrial]

GE has sold 5800hp ES58AC units to Vale for its 5' foot gauge iron ore railroad (not for Vale's meter-gauge iron ore railroad which has been getting 4000hp 8-motor Dash-9 units).

The ES58ACs are powered with 16-cylinder Evolution engines but are only rated EPA emissions level Tier 1 (which was surpassed by lower-level Tier 2 starting January 1, 2010). Thus the ES58AC cannot legally be sold to any railroad in the US. There also isn't enough underframe length on the ES58AC to install the larger cooling system needed to get emissions down to EPA Tier 2 levels.

Nice ideas and drawings, but as noted previously the 4-axle trucks are not practical.

[carnej1]

Rainhilltrial

GE has sold 5800hp ES58AC units to Vale for its 5' foot gauge iron ore railroad (not for Vale's meter-gauge iron ore railroad which has been getting 4000hp 8-motor Dash-9 units).

The ES58ACs are powered with 16-cylinder Evolution engines but are only rated EPA emissions level Tier 1 (which was surpassed by lower-level Tier 2 starting January 1, 2010). Thus the ES58AC cannot legally be sold to any railroad in the US. There also isn't enough underframe length on the ES58AC to install the larger cooling system needed to get emissions down to EPA Tier 2 levels.

Nice ideas and drawings, but as noted previously the 4-axle trucks are not practical.

And the ES58AC uses 3 axle trucks, although there are some locomotives in Brazil that use DD (and bolster connected double BB trucks) . EMD built a DD model of the SD45 for a Brazilian customer and there are BB-BB GE Dash 9 Models operating there as well...