Apparently announced in Berlin, Germany, Progress have built two GT38H locomotives in Brazil for use by Rumo on metre gauge.
The carbody looks generally similar to the "Joule" battery switcher also built in Brazil. The illustration, artistically photographed looking directly into the sun, shows trucks generally similar to those on the Bowen Rail GT46CU ACe, but with vertical dampers on the axle ends.
https://www.progressrail.com/en/Company/News/PressReleases/ProgressRailProvidingHybridDieselBatteryElectricLocomotivestoSupportCustomersEmissionReductionGoals.html?fbclid=IwAR2IXLHZSMj8D49vkxbzRng_fJFkC40hJbuJ-Lo96n4TZWioC-OZrPvdGqY
It looks as though the batteries are between the end cab and the engine hood (although this is just a guess by me).
I guess this has a larger battery and smaller engine (8-710 G3) than GE's effort at a hybrid loco some years ago.
Peter
I would imagine it's designed for either flat switching roles or short trains. I wonder if the Batteries are the main power with Diesel adding boost or the opposite.
I thought the GE version had a more traditional SuperCap style hybrid scheme.
This appears to be a more advanced design for the same service that Railpower's Green Goat and Green Kid were originally and somewhat unsuccessfully intended. Since this is an export design, I would think that anything built for North American service would have a more familiar appearance.
Given the artists conceptions of the EMD full battery units that's a fair assumption. Likely a standard EMD cab. probably trade in HT-C trucks.
UNLESS it's intended for more mainline service in which case it would look more like an SD70AC-T4.
But I wonder if there's even a market for this in the US. I suspect full battery electrics are going to rule.
M636C Apparently announced in Berlin, Germany, Progress have built two GT38H locomotives in Brazil for use by Rumo on metre gauge. The carbody looks generally similar to the "Joule" battery switcher also built in Brazil. The illustration, artistically photographed looking directly into the sun, shows trucks generally similar to those on the Bowen Rail GT46CU ACe, but with vertical dampers on the axle ends. https://www.progressrail.com/en/Company/News/PressReleases/ProgressRailProvidingHybridDieselBatteryElectricLocomotivestoSupportCustomersEmissionReductionGoals.html?fbclid=IwAR2IXLHZSMj8D49vkxbzRng_fJFkC40hJbuJ-Lo96n4TZWioC-OZrPvdGqY It looks as though the batteries are between the end cab and the engine hood (although this is just a guess by me). I guess this has a larger battery and smaller engine (8-710 G3) than GE's effort at a hybrid loco some years ago. Peter
Most of your guesses are correct.
The hybrid concept is not new but there are major differences on how it works if we compare it to previous technology released in the US.
This hybrid locomotive was designed to pull HH freight trains with no differences from their predecessors (diesel-electric only) in terms of operation and capabilities.
Many brazilian RR (and especially the ones who operate on metre gauge) are tipically "hilly" with many ups-and-downs, so a hybrid package has the ability to recharge many times (using regenerative braking) in a single travel and that is responsible for important fuel savings.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.