NS and Brookville Equipment building a Battery Electric Locomotive

[tree68]

Or it'll be pulling a "tender" with a big generator on it....

[wabash1]

Gee Paul settle down dont wet yourself after all its only a peice of junk. You can bet this is for publicity smoke and mirrors after the newness is worn off and the hype is down and they showed up the other railroads it will fade away. Remeber this is the safest railroad around and when you cant even keep a dash 9 running and jumping all the other engines how in the world do you think this one will stay running. they will look at the cost of batteries the amount of charging time the 1 shift it can work before a charge 1 weak battery take out all the others, limited tonnage it can drag .. after you add all that together its not worth the cost.  the first video will be them dragging 6-10 empties then working the hump yard with empties maybe they can give it to MOW for the camp cars and other duties needed for them.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Well, it was finally unveiled today, per the following NS press release dated Sept. 28, 2009, from:

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2009/batteries.html

September 28, 2009

Batteries ARE included:

Norfolk Southern unveils experimental electric locomotive

ALTOONA, PA. - With U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Congressman Bill Shuster in attendance, Norfolk Southern today unveiled the latest in alternative energy locomotive technology at its Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa. NS 999 is a prototype 1,500-horsepower switching locomotive that relies solely on rechargeable batteries for power.

“At Norfolk Southern we strongly subscribe to the view that sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint are solid business objectives that also provide enormous benefits to the communities we serve,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “By utilizing regenerated kinetic energy of the train and with no diesel exhaust emissions, NS 999 achieves those goals. This prototype locomotive was developed by Norfolk Southern, with the help of an incredibly creative partnership, including the U.S. Dept. of Energy, the Federal Railroad Administration, and The Pennsylvania State University, for which we are grateful. We must also recognize Congressman Bill Shuster, as without his active interest and participation in this project NS 999 would still be merely a concept.”

“Today, the transportation sector currently accounts for just under a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, more than half of nitrogen oxide emissions, and almost three-quarters of our petroleum consumption. We need to change that,” said Secretary LaHood. “By working together to develop alternative energy sources and innovative technologies like this electric locomotive, we will make transportation more sustainable and energy-efficient.”

“Historically, Pennsylvania has had a tremendous history in railroading, and it remains my belief that our state can still have a bright future in rail if we take advantage of dynamic partnerships between the private and public sectors like the one that produced this locomotive,” said Congressman Bill Shuster, the Ranking Republican on the Railroads Subcommittee.  “What Norfolk Southern and Penn State are doing with Congress and Secretary LaHood’s support is truly significant and will help usher in a new generation of green locomotives fueled by American ingenuity.  Let’s not forget about the great work done by the Juniata Locomotive Shop employees who did a superior job producing this engine.  I am proud to have worked to secure funding for this project, and I look forward to seeing it working the rail lines soon.”

Congressman Shuster secured $1.3 million in federal funding for the NS 999 project.

NS 999 is an entirely electric locomotive that uses a lead-acid energy storage system comprised of 1,080 12-volt batteries to operate in railroad switching applications without the use of a diesel engine and with zero exhaust emissions. The plug-in locomotive also can regenerate dynamic braking energy through a system provided by Brookville Equipment Company. The recovered dynamic braking energy continually replenishes the energy storage system, and uses this recovered energy for tractive effort in rail operations. The batteries are carefully monitored and controlled through an elaborate battery management system to assure safety and maximum battery life, and when fully charged NS 999 is able to operate three shifts before recharging is required.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a leading North American transportation provider. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

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No photos on-line yet that I'm aware of - or 'real-world' reports as to how it performs. 

- Paul North.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

 Well was the NS 'BP-4' class # 999 unveiled yesterday the 21st, as it was supposed to be ?

"No.  More likely next week." - Per Reply #12 earlier today at:

http://jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=8077.0 

Just have to wait and see, I suppose. 

-Paul North.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

GP-9_Man11786

Paul_D_North_Jr

  Wonder what its 'class' and number will be . . .

 

How about EB-1? 

Looks like it will be NS 'BP-4' No. 999 - formerly NS 2911, per this source - the three photos at 'July 2009', presently about 2/3 of the way down Page 7:

 http://www.altoonaworks.info/pics/page7.html 

Another souce indicates that it is supposed to be 'unveiled' this coming Monday, Sept. 21st: 

 http://jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=8077.msg24024;topicseen 

We'll see, I suppose . . . .

- Paul North.

 

[wabash1]

I haft to read enough NS propoganda, and for them to waste money like this is right in line with there usual BS. But every now and then they come up with a good idea, it dont last but they do it.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

What I meant was ''road service'' as in ''AAA road service'' - you know, the people who will come and jump-start your car if needed. 

And so yes, it would not be just for 'road locomotives' and 'road switchers', but the others that you suggest as well. 

Actually, if you read the NSbiz article, you'll see that NS also has plans for a 'road' version of it - well, at least for pusher service, as follows - ''Money is in the 2009 budget to start work on a prototype six-axle helper locomotive, used to push a train up steep inclines.''

Hey, there you go - if they can't start it, at least they can now still 'push' the dead unit home - kind of like a ''freeway service and repair truck'', but on rails instead. . .

- Paul North.

[wabash1]

Not just road but locals and other switchers that wont start. mybe they will send it out system wide,

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Maybe that's what it's really for instead, then - a 'super-jumper' for road service to jump any and all other dead locos.  Maybe they'll build in a couple permanent sets of jumper cables to facilitate that . . .

[wabash1]

I cant ever see that working not on the NS anyways. its somewhat common practice to keep 1 to 2 Engines running and have 2 sets of jumper cables here to start all the engines. because of dead batterys, 

[GP-9_Man11786]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Wonder what its 'class' and number will be . . .

 

How about EB-1?

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

CSSHEGEWISCH

[snipped]  . . . a battery-electric shop switcher. 

To clarify - The 'shop goat' assignment is supposed to be only the initial 'shakedown cruise' or 'beta test' of the critter, as I understand from the several referenced and linked publications.  After it passes that test, it's supposed to go into the adjoining yard for daily switching work, and most likely further evaluation. 

Fortunately, much of this should be reasonably visible and photograph-able from adjoining public streets and overhead bridges, etc.

Wonder what its 'class' and number will be . . .

[GP-9_Man11786]

 Considering the MTA does a good amount of business with Brookville, perhaps we'll also see a version of this locomotive equiped with either third rail shoes or a pantograph for use on the LIRR or Metro-North.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

When you consider Brookville's background, it makes perfect sense that NS approached them about building a battery-electric shop switcher.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Unfortunately, the NS publication that is linked in the BEC news release does not appear to be on-line any longer.  I'll have to see if I can find it someplace else -

Try this link instead  - it's on pages 6 and 7 of the newsletter ''BizNS'', produced by the Norfolk Southern's Corporate Communications Dept. - on 'Sustainability - Track 2012', Vol. 1, No. 2, March-April 2009 [= Pages 8 and 9 of 28 of the 'PDF' version, approx. 2.97 MB in size].  Lots of details: 

http://www.nscorp.com/nscorphtml/bizns/bizNS1-2.pdf

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Thank you !    for posting this. 

Although the press release says "hybrid", you're perceptive enough to comprehend that it's a straight battery-electric instead.  The caption to the NS drawing in the press release says "replace the engine and fuel tank", and there's no sign of any other engine or generator being installed, nor mention of one in the text.  Though not expressly stated, I presume that this loco will instead be recharged from time to time.  The 30 % recovery from the regenerative/ dynamic braking matches what I've been advised by other informed sources, too, since then. 

Unfortunately, the NS publication that is linked in the BEC news release does not appear to be on-line any longer.  I'll have to see if I can find it someplace else - and/ or that issue of RP. 

I'll also have to go back and find that previous thread on 'regeneration' (or similar) from a month or two ago - and see how wrong (or right) I was with some of my 'back-of-the envelope 'calculations then.

EDIT: It was "Re: Instead of heat dissipating dynamic braking..." at  http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/152866.aspx?PageIndex=1 on 04-29-2009 at 12:16 PM, near the bottom of the page.  I had 1,313 truck-size batteries for 4,400 HP output for 1 hr.  

In the meantime, I found a little description on the PJM Grid Operator website about a truck-trailer that's stuffed chock-full of normal-size storage batteries for a temporary large-scale power supply.  I'll see if I can find that one, too, and post the link here as well. 

EDIT:  It's "Project Barbados", a load-balancing regulator using an advanced lithium-ion energy storage system, by AEC Energy Systems / AEC Corporation, which can supply 1 MW for up to 15 minutes - see http://www.pjm.com/~/media/committees-groups/stakeholder-meetings/phev/20090320-2-phev-proceedings.ashx  and perhaps other web pages on that site as well.

Thanks again.  That was very pleasant surprise (and I'm not even an EE . . . ).

- Paul North.

[GP-9_Man11786]

 I know we've talked about the possibility of battery-electric locomotives before. However up till now it's been a "what if?" discussion. As it turns out Norfolk Southern, Brookville Equipment and Penn Sate University are teaming up to build one. Here's a link to the press release. It's also in the current issue of Railpace on page 13.