As the 2005 operated over the AP&W, it was soon joined by GE's test car to help the railroad -and GE's engineers - to monitor and gage the locomotive's performance.
GECX 90 is GE's rolling laboratory to help it develop new locomotive technology ( and has since been repainted and marked as such).
The yard crew checks the connections between the engine and test car before releasing the set for operation.
Since the AP&W uses its AC-motored units primarily in unit coal service, the 2005 was tested in this fashion. Here the engine leads two recently delivered AC4400's on an eastbound coal train with GECX 90 splicing the consist.
The train accelerates through the yard. Running the new engine with the model it will soon be replacing allows a direct comparison of old and new technologies -and to see whether or not the new line-up will, indeed, be better.
Bringing up the rear is one of the AP&W's Engineering Department cabooses. Both the Engineering and Mechanical Departments were impressed with the new locomotive; the same horsepower and lugging ability of the popular AC4400, but with less fuel consumption due to the smaller engine. While the AP&W purchased the last 100 of its 600 AC4400 fleet that year (2004), it signed up for the new ES44AC early and often, purchasing 400 units during the first three years of production!
GECX 90 is GE's rolling laboratory to help it develop new locomotive technology ( and has since been repainted and marked as such).
The yard crew checks the connections between the engine and test car before releasing the set for operation.
Since the AP&W uses its AC-motored units primarily in unit coal service, the 2005 was tested in this fashion. Here the engine leads two recently delivered AC4400's on an eastbound coal train with GECX 90 splicing the consist.
The train accelerates through the yard. Running the new engine with the model it will soon be replacing allows a direct comparison of old and new technologies -and to see whether or not the new line-up will, indeed, be better.
Bringing up the rear is one of the AP&W's Engineering Department cabooses. Both the Engineering and Mechanical Departments were impressed with the new locomotive; the same horsepower and lugging ability of the popular AC4400, but with less fuel consumption due to the smaller engine. While the AP&W purchased the last 100 of its 600 AC4400 fleet that year (2004), it signed up for the new ES44AC early and often, purchasing 400 units during the first three years of production!
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