has anyone have photos of these new GEVO CML 50001 locomotives? how many of these monsters has UP RR ordered? did not see any photos of these new engines in TRAINS,why, top secret?
The subject locomotive is GE’s entry into the Chinese 6000 hp locomotive derby. See the following article from “GPS Daily”:
First Of 300 GE China Mainline Locomotives To Arrive In China
by Staff Writers
Beijing, China (SPX) Aug 22, 2008
GE Transportation has announced that the first China Mainline Locomotive (CML) will be delivered around Aug. 30, 2008, to the Tianjin Port in Tianjin, China. After being transferred to the Tanggu Depot for inspection, the locomotive will make its way to China’s capital Beijing.
Locomotive “CML 50001” is the first of three hundred 6,000-horsepower Evolution Series China Mainline Locomotives being delivered to the Ministry of Railways P.R. China (MOR). The contract was signed in October 2005 and valued at $450 million.
GE Transportation is headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania (USA), and will supply the 300 locomotives in an industrial cooperation with Qishuyan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works (QSY) based in Changzhou, China.
With a peak output of 6,250-horsepower, the engine offers 40% more power at 30% less weight than Evolution Series locomotives currently utilized in North America. The lighter weight design increases the eco-friendly properties of the locomotive.
The Ecomagination-certified GEVO, 16-cylinder engine generates 84% fewer emissions and increases fuel efficiency by 3 to 5%. Ecomagination is a company wide commitment to developing technology designed to help customers satisfy environmental challenges, to maximize performance and reduce cost.
"The result of a eight-year, $400 million development effort,
UP will wait and see how they perform in china before ordering any more.
I believe we have discussed the feasability of these overpowered units and how ultimately they just don’t seem to work. Right now, at least for US rails, 4400hp seems to work fine with most of the 6000hp units from both builders being relatively unsuccessful.
UP already ordered 6,000hp locos from GE a decade ago, the AC6000CW, which was a little more successful than the 256H-equipped 90MAC. I’d be surprised if any American railroad orders any further 6,000hp diesels.
See photo at www.ge.com Click on the thumbnail to get a good look at it…
I wonder if the cab of that unit could pass FRA crash standards. I’m no structural engineer, but it sure doesn’t look like it could. I’m not sure I approve of the export of a product that could not be sold here, although except for the prototype, these units will actually be built outside the US.
They actually LOOK like locomotives, survivability with 10 feet of empty space in front of the crew in present diesels would be the same as the new locos, and maybe better, as crew is higher. Sounds like this could turn into a massive sale until the Chinese start building their own massive locomotive factories. It does seem the U.S. has actually found out their is another world outside the U.S., just in time that China is emerging as a world power.
EMD is selling China 300 JT56ACe locomotives, and the Big 3 European manufacturers are selling China over 1000 big modern electric locomotives. The majority of production for all these locomotives will be in China.
These are very much not US locomotives, so unless there is an alternate version I don’t see any railroads here ordering them. Impressive machine, though.
GE did not discuss it in their press release for obvious reasons, but the Chinese also have about 1000 electric locomotives on order from the Europe. I assume, without being certain, that the terms of that sale are similiar – kits to be assembled in China.
edit to add: GE has not been a factor in the electric engine market for many years, although at one time they were. Does anyone know, or can reasonably speculate, why they are absent from this area?
Most electric engines in these parts are for pulling passenger equipment, and Amtrak and others seem content with foreign built engines like the ALP-44 and kin. Maybe there just isn’t a market for them.
so why can not these fine locomtives be used in us railroads? 40% more traction power than the evolution gevo locos. dont you think that in 15 years they fixed the problems of the ac6000 model? why would we sell china a locomotive that doesnt work? they ordered 300 so must be something right about them. if they run ok in china why not here? whats so different about china anyway? i think the us rroads should givem a try and forgive ge and gm for past mistakes of the 6000 series engines, right? we all make mistakes.
CSXT’s AC6000CWs are being repowered with GEVO-16 prime movers.
quit whining a old worn out sd-40 or even the old gp38 will out load and out run these ge eveolution junk engines there is a reason we dont run these engines as they wont stay running and its a joy getting home.in 8 hrs or less using good engines I am amazed they found some body to buy these things. who ever sold that junk is probley able to what he wants in that company.
These are interesting locomotives.
Unlike the ES series, they appear to have water cooled intercoolers rather than air to air, as can be seen by comparing the area forward of the radiator on the Chinese locomotives with the ES44 and the lack of the additional air intake for the intercooler.
Apparently CSX have fitted the new engine to some of their AC6000s and BHP Billiton in Australia have fitted it to all eight of theirs. It is strange that GE haven’t come up with a “proper” designation for the new engine. The predecessors were FDL and HDL and I wondered if the “GEVO” might become a “GDL” but not so far. This might be part of GE’s new style where almost nothing technical is actually revealed in their brochures. Somebody go to the GE website and see if they can find the designation of the traction motors on either the ES44AC or ES44DC!
Strangely enough, the GE Marine division is seriously trying to sell their versions of the new engine, and have given it the title “V250” while the FDM is now called the “V229”, both numbers reflecting the cylinder bore.
Apart from GE not having to sell the locomotive engine (it’s the only one you can get in a GE loco for use in the USA) it is selling quite quickly anyway, while in the marine market, they actually have to convince the customer to buy their product compared to that of Cat or EMD or many international competitors.
The cab of the Chinese unit is the same as that on the earlier passenger units for use on the Tibet line. The front structure includes the sandboxes, and looks pretty solid. It would be at least as strong as the nose of a P42 which I assume meets US safety standards.
M636C
Give me a modern GE product anyday, and you can keep your worn out and tired SD-40’s. Everytime I get an SD-40 on a train I wonder where this things going to break down, and if it even has a working heater for those nice cold days.
With 30 % less weight on the driving wheels (presumably), anybody else here think this loco is going to be awfully slippery in any kind of low-speed or heavy haul drag service ? (With only a quick look, I couldn’t readily find any specific values for the axle loadings at GE’s website.)
Or, like Amtrak’s AEM-7’s / NJ Transit’s ALP-44’s, are these going to be used strictly for high-speed, low weight & (comparatively) “low tractive effort needed” passenger trains and the like ?
- Paul North.
Point to remember: once you get beyond the specialized mineral haulers such as Orinoco Iron Mining, both CVRD railroads, the Pilbara ore haulers, etc., freight trains beyond North America are appreciably smaller in size and tonnage. Lighter weight is more of an issue because the track structure is also lighter.
Ha Ha. Hope you enjoy the hundreds of new Evolutions, including those fancy ACs, NS is planning to buy in the next 2 years.