These two were being delivered to New South Yard in Houston.
Classified by BNSF as 3GS21Bs…you can see they are pretty much knock offs of the MK1500D parked beside them, although they use the headlight assembly from MP1500 on the rear, or long hood.
They are listed on the builder’s plate as having 2100 HP…
Other neat notes…all the lights, number boards, interior lights, step lights and such are fluorescent…the head lights and ditch lights are still incandescent though…guess the FRA wouldn’t let them go completely green!
The diesels are on a skid type set up…each has its own alternator…you can see the things is build on what looks like the frame from a GP38.
They use the standard EMD control stand, and you can see that with the shorter “long” hood, visibility out the rear is quite good…the engineer can see over the long hood without standing up, and he can see the foot board steps on the rear very good too.
the 3GS21B is far from being a knockoff of the MK1500D, these are totally different locomotives from 2 different builders.
The National Railway Equipment 3GS21B is a totally brand new locomotive, including the frame, with the exception of refurbished Blomberg B trucks and EMD traction motors. The unit is powered by 3 small Cummins diesel/generator sets rated at 700hp each for a combined 2100hp when all 3 diesel/generator sets are active.
I’ve heard that UP will place a number of genset switchers to operate at the J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, CA early in 2008. I’m not sure if they are NRE or RailPower units, though.
