Join the discussion on the following article:
EMD Spirit Series locomotives announced
The C175 engine is made in Lafayette,Indiana.First saw one in 2005 at the plant
How about the Amtrak California F59’s for comparison?
Artist renderings are usually crude in presentation. It gives the company, as well as the general public, a base idea; an overview of differing features from locomotives past. This presentation doesn’t take into account practicality, FRA mandated features/equipment, and that scaling back might happen due to tight budgets.
Jeffrey, I could not agree with you more! I am kind of partial to the F-59PHI myself.
I agree with Wallace. Why not carry on that great design. I for one ,love the look of the old E series locomotives.
This is a BIG departure from the past…a Spanish locomotive manufacturers design coupled with a Caterpillar engine in a EMD unit that is shod with Spanish trucks. Wonder where this stuff is gonna be manufactured…and assembled? Monocouqe construction with a Crash Energy Management System…hmmm. Monocouqe means NO FRAME…meaning the outer skin is the structural load bearing unit…like an airplane fuselage. Has there ever been an engine with NO FRAME? Wonder how the monocouqe carbody attaches to the couplers. What happens when it crashes…or is that what the Crash Energy Management System is for? Seems to me that the following cars are gonna just crush the whole engine in an accident. Most monocouqe bodies collapse when crashed…totaling the whole thing.
Looks like a clone of those ugly Amtrak Genesis locomotives. Why is it the freight locomotive designers are able to make something that doesn’t have to look good, look good? While the passenger locomotive designers manage to come up with new and improved ways to redefine horrible appearances? Here is a hint. If we have to put up with government socialized passenger trains, then at least study the masters. That would be old EMD E/F units. ALCO PA. F-M Erie built. An old Milwaukee Road boxcab has more eye appeal.
It is good to see EMD/Caterpillar in the game. Hopefully they can make enough money to hire someone in the sheet metal design department!
They look like clones of a P42 - or a loaf of bread that’s run headlong into a wall. )-: Why not do something radical and design a unit with a little class!
Why doesn’t the administrator of the site remove duplicate posts? Please!!!
Wow if this is the future of North American locomotive design, then there is no hope for the human race! EMD & other locomotive builders should have design contests for future locomotives, might prevent hideous things like this from hitting the rails. It would also be good for public relations!
Oh, Yes, Goosie. just because it’s government subsidized, socialist, Communist, and all your lame discriptions, the locos are bound to look wierd. I do have to agree with you that diesels of old, E/F-units, PA’s and such do look better.
It would be interesting to know why the technical spec’ is so high. Why is a 20 cylinder diesel required, 4700hp and AC traction required for pulling a few passenger cars around? This really does seem over the top, and hence the massive price tag.
Caterpillar engines? Is this the end for the EMD 710?
Ugly
Man that thing’s weird lookin’! Would it be so hard to make it look like an E or an F unit?
We thought the P40 was ugly, we thought the PL42 was even uglier. I think this locomotive beat both of them combined. I hope this isn’t final. This thing is ugly.
One of the ugliest things I have ever seen. To hell with all this “futuristic” crap. Lets get back to when designers actually cared about how their locomotives looked.
Style-wise, how about evolving the E-8/E-9 design into the 21st century. EMD has a proud heritage, why not carry it on ?