New GE low emissions diesel prime mover

[Anonymous]

Am I correct in understanding that this 12 cylinder,4400 HP engine is NOT a 12 cylinder version of the trouble prone HDL 16 as used in the AC6000CW?
Anyone know what the locomotive model that will utilize this engine design will be cataloged as?

[Anonymous]

don park

[Anonymous]

I have it on good authority (the chief mechanical officer of a major class I railroad) that (1) the 6000 HP HDL prime mover has been redesigned as a result of the problems with the first redesign, and (2) the twelve cylinder prime mover is a smaller version of this redesigned engine. I may be wrong, and would welcome a correction, though I tend to trust my original source.


Don Park

[Anonymous]

I'll echo Jonathan's question also: what are these things to be called?

[Anonymous]

From what I understand, the new 12 cylinder 4400 prime mover is not of the hdl 6000 duetz design. I would tend that it is derived from the fdl 12 cylinder prime mover. I also heard that there are test beds of 16 cylinder fdl prime movers that have been tested at 6000 hp and above. The duetz hdl 16 cylinder prime mover has had problems with some crankshaft breakage. At least the 6000 hp ge's have run longer than several days in revenue service.

[Anonymous]

I think that the "all-time-title" of lowest emmissions prime mover should go to the Alco model 244. When these engines weren't dead out on the road, they were sitting in the shop waiting to be worked on. I know I'm going to "ruffle" a few feathers here, but, they were really unreliable. Any other candidates for most unreliable locomotive? Let's hear from the crowd.

[wabash1]

It is hard for me to believe that anything ge builds is going to be a low emmision engine. the worst engines was c36-7 followed by the dash 8s and only with a year of service the dash 9s start doing the same thing. heavy black smoke and fire from the stack.

[Anonymous]

You think those were bad, I guess you don't remember the U-25's and U-28's. My all time best smoke award though, goes to the old ALCO 539 engine. Growing up near the GTW yard in Battle Creek MI. in the 1970's, on a busy day when there were several jobs working the yard at once, you'd swear there was a steam engine around. I sure miss those old 8000 series S-4's!!!
Todd C.