IN THE YARDS PT33

The GECX pre-production units are roaming Hillsdale. Let's take another look...

Back from its excursion duties, GECX 2029, an ET44AC, sits with D&H heritage unit 1990, an ES44AC. Let's compare the two.

The difference in the radiators is readily apparent; the massive one on the ET look even bigger compared to the one on the predecessor ES. Note also the increased height of the ET; clearance issues caused GE to slightly modify the roof design to allow the engines to fit through railroad shop doors!

The new ET44AC is 74' 6" long, and weighs 427,500 lbs.

The preceding ES44AC is 73' 2" long, and has a base weight of 416,000 lbs.

This ET44AC is from the second group of pre-production units, and thus has a different roof antenna arrangement from the first group.

APW 1990 has the old, non-PTC antenna dome arrangement. Given the federal mandate to update the nation's locomotive fleet with PTC (Positive Train Control) equipment, this unit won't be without it for much longer.

Finally, in honor of Breast Cancer Month, here are a pair of pink hoppers. While there are no markings on the sides other than the required reporting marks and capacity data, I can think of no other reason for Halliburton to paint its hopper cars pink!

GECX DEMOS PT3

GE introduced its ET44AC in 2013 with a set of pre-production units. In 2014, another 20 pre-production units went into service, as GE finalized the design. While most of them spent time on the BNSF and CN, several made their way to the AP&W, which tested them in all kinds of service. Including passenger service!

 GECX 2029 rolls in town with a fall excursion in tow!

Passing two sisters in the yard, 2029 goes about her work -though not the work GE envisioned!

The long consist has lots of dome cars, to take advantage of the scenic fall views. The car behind the GE is a generator car, to provide Head-End-Power to the cars, since the freight engine doesn't have a HEP generator.

The yard crew inspects the train as it rolls through. The GE is pinch-hitting for an ailing pair of E-units. Note that a pair of dual-engined E8's would only have 4500hp combined; the ET44AC has a single good for 4400hp by itself. And with its modern A/C traction motors, the ET44AC actually out-pulls the pair of E8's! However, with a boxy carbody and a plain blue "dip job" paint scheme, the demo unit fails the "style test"!

A large variety of domes, from the ex-B&O STRATA-DOME, to the ex-Milwaukee Road "Super Dome", a pair of ex- Santa Fe "Big Domes", as well as several AP&W domes are in the mix.

An ex- APRR Budd-built full dome, restored to its as-built appearance.

An ex-Great Northern dome car is also in the consist, followed by a pair of conventional coaches.

A trio of ex- APRR domes brings up the rear, and the markers!

GECX DEMOS; PT2

Last week, a trio of GECX pre-production prototypes showed up in Hillsdale. Now they a being put to the test...

The trio rolls through with a carefully weighed unit coal train, as the engineers work out the "kinks" in the units.

As they roll in, they move past a string of MOW cars, along with traffic on County Lane.

The string of coal cars are aluminum gondolas, with red ends noting the rotary couplers. Since this train does not have a double rotary-equipped car, all of the red ends are facing the locomotives.

Surprisingly, the train is stopping for a crew change. Actually, one of the engineering crew members riding in the second unit fell ill, and is being dropped off. Motion Sickness?

While the train is stopped, we take a closer look at the massive radiators of the new ET-Series. The new units now use two fans, which are clearly visible through the screening. This allows for better cooling, which in turn results in lower emissions; the ET's emit 70% less particulate matter and 76% less nitrogen oxides than the preceding ES-Series. The larger radiator cab (GE terminology) means that the ET's are over a foot longer than the ES's.

The train is once again on the move, and here we get a look at the AHLX-marked coal gons.

You know it's a test train when you see a caboose on the rear! APW 4345 brings up the markers. Since it's a "modernized" caboose, it not only has the AP&W's Engineering Blue paint, but several blanked-out windows as well, along with rooftop a/c units and a GPS dome as well.

GECX DEMONSTRATORS, PT1

As seen in the last post, GE's new Tier 4 demonstrators are now on the property...

The brand new ET44AC's are given the once-over by the crew in the yard, as the GE reps show off the units. The ET-Series is the culmination of a 15-year journey to improve locomotive emissions and satisfy EPA regulations. Beginning in 2000, the EPA issued a series of emissions standards to be met by locomotive manufacturers, referred to as "Tiers". In 2005, Tier 2 was introduced, which resulted in the ES-Series Evolution Line of locomotives from GE. By 2015, the fourth, and most stringent, level, Tier 4 was mandated, which brought about the new ET-Series engines. To test the new design -which features significant changes from the ES-Series- in 2013, GE built five test units, three of which are now here in  Hillsdale.

This rooftop view shows the PTC (Positive Train Control) antenna array on the cab roof, along with the raised roofline of the engine cab (GE terminology), and the forward-facing horn.

The rear view shows the massive radiators, along with the raised number plate and, just to the right of it, the rear-facing horn poking out of the radiator! The split-horns were only found on the test-units, along with the raised roofline.

The massive bulk of the ET44AC is apparent as a worker walks past 2023.

The third of the three consecutively-numbered units, 2024.

GECX 90, GE's mobile test lab, has accompanied the trio to Hillsdale for their testing on the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania. And next week, they will, indeed, be tested!

PASSING TRAINS PT49; FALL EXCURSION

Fall is in the air. You know what that means -excursion time!

A fall steam excursion at that! A 1920's era USRA Heavy Pacific pulls a string of heavyweight passenger cars from the same era.

Many of the cars are Pullman sleepers, painted and lettered in the classic green scheme.

The train rolls through the yard, providing a contrast of nearly a century with the modern equipment -including the brand-new GECX Tier-4 GEVO's on the right!

Leaving town, the train shows off both a baggage car and an RPO on the head-end. The closest thing to time travel is the steam excursion!

The "markers" are brought up by a Solarium Car. While the open-ended platform observation was more common during the heavyweight car era (before WW2), the fully enclosed Solarium Car was actually a better accommodation, since passengers could enjoy the view without the wind, rain or snow!