California and locomotives

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I heard on the radio on my way home from work today that the state of California is going to attempt to regulate emissions from locomotives. I guess that UP and BNSF will sue. I wonder if the Supreme Court will rule for or against CA.

I am searching DTSC’s and CARB’s websites to see if I can find out more. Here is what I have found so far.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/carblohc/pro.pdf
Here is CARB’s search page http://www.arb.ca.gov/db/search/search.htm

I have read a little bit of this release. It appears that the regulation is not so much emissions as it is diesel fuel sold in CA starting 01/01/2007 will have to meet new standards.

2

Eric,

The first of your links seems to refer to “intrastate” locomotives, which would seem to refer to commuter locomotives and switchers, since freight locomotives are by nature transient. It seems that Tier II freight locomotives are excluded from the regulation also.

It just means that Metrolink will have to tweak up the F59 and F59PHI emissions to suit and the freight roads will have to look at any dedicated switchers that “live” in California, and particularly, Southern California.

Peter

3

BNSF is using LPG switchers in LA already, and I believe will be leasing/buying a few of the Green Goat hybrids also.