Trains.com

"Greener" Norfolk Southern locomotives ready for testing

3608 views
12 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
"Greener" Norfolk Southern locomotives ready for testing
Posted by rdamon on Thursday, January 8, 2015 3:58 PM

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/greener-norfolk-southern-locomotives-ready-testing

Two new environmentally friendly locomotives are on track for use in the Chicago and Atlanta areas.

Norfolk Southern Corp. this week rolled out a pair of GP33ECO diesel-electric, switching locomotives at its Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa.

The locomotives, designed to generate fewer emissions, are the first of 25 to be built for Norfolk Southern by Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. They will be funded in part by $35 million from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.

<snip>

  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 1,644 posts
Posted by Wizlish on Thursday, January 8, 2015 6:48 PM

I was just reading about this ... http://www.altoonaworks.info/rebuilds/ns_gp33eco.html

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, January 8, 2015 8:21 PM

Radiators change has to be for split cooling, no?

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 2,505 posts
Posted by caldreamer on Thursday, January 8, 2015 8:56 PM

That is correct.  Probably the Norfolk Southern designed version like those used on theirGP59E's. They really are good over at the Juniata Shops.

 
  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: East Coast
  • 1,199 posts
Posted by D.Carleton on Thursday, January 8, 2015 11:36 PM

oltmannd

Radiators change has to be for split cooling, no?

Must be. The rebuild does not have NS' designed intercooler forward of the D/B blister. This looks to be a 'straight up' EMD concept for an ECO rebuild.

Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,879 posts
Posted by YoHo1975 on Friday, January 9, 2015 12:02 AM

Yep, looks exactly like the SD59MX and the SD30C. No NS design there. Only work they did was to follow the Instructions....on this one.

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 2,505 posts
Posted by caldreamer on Friday, January 9, 2015 8:37 AM

Yes, but does tab A really fit into slot B???

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: East Coast
  • 1,199 posts
Posted by D.Carleton on Friday, January 9, 2015 9:36 AM

With the right hammer, yes.

That said, with these units NS now has two classes of locomotives with the 12N-710G3B engine: GP33 and GP59E. If this is deemed to be a success there are 37 GP38-3s on the roster that are derated GP50s. Could these be future candidates for a 710 transplant?

Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
Posted by rdamon on Friday, January 9, 2015 9:46 AM
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Rhode Island
  • 2,289 posts
Posted by carnej1 on Monday, January 12, 2015 11:33 AM

D.Carleton

With the right hammer, yes.

That said, with these units NS now has two classes of locomotives with the 12N-710G3B engine: GP33 and GP59E. If this is deemed to be a success there are 37 GP38-3s on the roster that are derated GP50s. Could these be future candidates for a 710 transplant?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I read that the GP38-3s rebuilt from GP50's had their as-built 16-645F engines removed and replaced with remanufactured 645E's. The reason supposedly being an oil line issue with the "F" engine that was difficult to correct in the rebuilding process.

 I know that this engine swap was done on the SD40E units the railroad has rebuilt from SD50s...

 I would suspect that the process was more capital intensive ($) than just derating the existing engines so I would doubt that NS would turn around and do a capital rebuild a second time..

CSX has converted SD50's to "SD40-3s" by derating the "F" series engines so not all railroads seem to share NS's concerns..

"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,879 posts
Posted by YoHo1975 on Monday, January 12, 2015 12:07 PM

I thought that aftermarket (GE) 645F blocks had the issues resolved.

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: East Coast
  • 1,199 posts
Posted by D.Carleton on Monday, January 12, 2015 1:21 PM

carnej1
 
D.Carleton

With the right hammer, yes.

That said, with these units NS now has two classes of locomotives with the 12N-710G3B engine: GP33 and GP59E. If this is deemed to be a success there are 37 GP38-3s on the roster that are derated GP50s. Could these be future candidates for a 710 transplant?  

Correct me if I'm wrong but I read that the GP38-3s rebuilt from GP50's had their as-built 16-645F engines removed and replaced with remanufactured 645E's. The reason supposedly being an oil line issue with the "F" engine that was difficult to correct in the rebuilding process.

 I know that this engine swap was done on the SD40E units the railroad has rebuilt from SD50s...

 I would suspect that the process was more capital intensive ($) than just derating the existing engines so I would doubt that NS would turn around and do a capital rebuild a second time..

CSX has converted SD50's to "SD40-3s" by derating the "F" series engines so not all railroads seem to share NS's concerns..

Yes, but the GP38-3 project started 11 years ago. These units will be ripe for another rebuild in a few short years.

Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
Posted by rdamon on Monday, January 12, 2015 2:12 PM

And maybe sooner if there is grant money at stake ...

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy