So I've been watching Ferromex stuff on youtube which has been entertaining at best with all the random riders on their trains, non-working RR crossing signals, blasting down the rails w/o headlights on....etc. :)
But I have seen a few of these ACe's with this panneling on the rear. Any ideas what it's for?
http://www.railpictures.net/images/d2/7/4/4/7744.1447355075.jpg
Thanks
coopersSo I've been watching Ferromex stuff on youtube which has been entertaining at best with all the random riders on their trains, non-working RR crossing signals, blasting down the rails w/o headlights on....etc. :) But I have seen a few of these ACe's with this panneling on the rear. Any ideas what it's for? http://www.railpictures.net/images/d2/7/4/4/7744.1447355075.jpg Thanks
Wild assed guess - making them 'tunnel motors'; Looks like an effort to draw radiator air in from the lower elevations. Of course this presumes that air is drawn into the radiators from their bottom surfaces. Hot air rises and as such air from lower elevations (especially in tunnels) is cooler than air at the top elevations within the tunnel (which becomes further heated by the exhaust from the locomotive).
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The arrangement is similar to the elephant ears that Southern Pacific applied to some of its SD45's before the tunnel-motor design was developed.
Thanks guys. I think you're right. I continued to read anything I could about Ferromex's new ACe orders and there was mention that they had additional requests for special manufacturing to work in tunnels. So this must be it.
These units are intended for former Ferrosur territory in Southern Mexico, which is tunnel heavy. The former Ferrosur AC4400CWs must have moved somewhere else.
Note that in addition to the elephant ears the radiator structure has been shrunk, probably as it isn't needed because the units can't enter the US due to emissions noncompliance even if built with the usual arrangement.
NorthWest These units are intended for former Ferrosur territory in Southern Mexico, which is tunnel heavy. The former Ferrosur AC4400CWs must have moved somewhere else. Note that in addition to the elephant ears the radiator structure has been shrunk, probably as it isn't needed because the units can't enter the US due to emissions noncompliance even if built with the usual arrangement.
Ah okay, did not know that. With this Tier 4 stuff, are any FXE units allowed in the U.S. or will we no longer have the pleasure of being surprised every now and then with one making it north of the border?
I'm not sure but I believe that locomotives built prior to the effective date of Tier 4 are grandfathered and may still turn up in the United States.
Anything that was compliant with US emissions standards when it was built is permissable to be operated in the US, so FXE power is not regular but not uncommon. These SD70ACes were built in 2015 and were not compliant with Tier IV which was in place at the time, so they are not allowed.
Not all of the 2015 order was built like this, with over half being built as standard.
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