An interesting aspect of all this is that there is no requirement to meet Tier 2 emission requirements anywhere in Australia, let alone in the remote areas such as the Pilbara.
So I also assume that the close control of temperature is required not only to maintain the appropriate emission standards (which are optional) but to maintain the benefit of the low fuel consumption figures that are the only real advantage of the ES44DCi over the Dash 9 for Rio Tinto.
Certainly, the SD70ACe seems to maintain its low fuel consumption figures in the high temperatures.
How has EMC achieved the low clearance? Obviously a few things like the horns placed lower on the body similar to the Erie Lackawanna 45’s, but it seems the entire loco is lower. Is the wheel diameter smaller, as it seems to be the only way, as the spring travel still appears the same. It seems the simplest way and wouldn’t harm its tractive effort either. GMS
I have the drawings of both types and I’ve looked at the two types coupled nose to nose and tail to tail and there is almost nothing to see between the two types.
The drawings suggest that the radiator is lower by a couple of inches on the LC but the cab is much the same, the only saving being the moving of the illuminated numbers to the nose from above the cab windows, again a couple of inches at the most.
The wheels are quoted at the same diameter. Reducing the diameter would affect the coupler height after a while, which wouldn’t help much. In fact the standard locomotives had their wheels machined as a precaution before they were put into traffic, but it seems this was not necessary, They were said to have lost five years wear in the machining.
What sort of life do they get out of the wheels? I would have though 6- 8 years possibly in heavy haul service, so losing that much would be felt by the bean counters. I believe BHP has ATP, if so do they suffer from ATP fault brake applications, causing full emergency applications and not helping wheel or brake wear? GMS
One of the big factors on sales to US railroads is price, that is a different issue on export. Maybe someone could comment on the fact I heard that the GEs have a tendency to overheat in the heat in the Pilbara reigon.
Why would they do that with a brand new locomotive that cost in excess of two million dollars that has never turned a mile for them? Seems like a rather expensive way to maintain their fleet and includes some major components that are likely to never be of any use.
I would think that ordering extra computers, radiator cores, a spare turbocharger, and even a spare engine and so on would’ve been the way to go. Now they’re stuck with things like a carbody, frame, cab along with payng for everything to be needlessly be assembled, hundreds of feet of wiring to be laid, pipe fitting, etc. And they’re still going to have to purchase spare parts from La Grange.
Even things like the fuel tank and trucks very well might never be needed. And I wonder if even the windshield could be used. With automobile windshields, there’s no way to remove one intact due to how they’re installed.
They even paid for a full paint job on it. I’m sure there’s good reason for it like lag time and costs but it still seems hard to believe this was the best way to go about having some spare components on hand.
Not only built it and painted it, but shipped it half way around the world, commissioned it, test operated it to see that it was in full working order, and then stripped it for parts.
I spoke to EMD’s agents about this order and I was told that it was definitely cheaper to buy the locomotive and strip it rather than purchase all the major spares required, spare engine, spare alternator, spare inverters and so on. Anyone who has bought spare automobile parts will understand how the prices are much higher than the component parts used to build the vehicle.
The number of major spares required by BHP Billiton would be greater than required by most USA roads. At the time t
Even in the extreme conditions in the Pilbara, the Dash9-44CWs operate quite reliably and have done so since 1994. However, many minor changes were made to increase the airflow through the radiators (which were the standard USA type) and through the electrical equipment racks, by adding air vents in appropriate locations.
On the other hand the ES44DCi units have full AC6000 size radiators with two cooling fans rather than the one fan and smaller radiators on a standard ES44DC. The ES44DCi is on an AC6000 frame, about three feet longer.
So the locomotives don’t overheat in service but special provisions have been made to keep them cool.
But the SD70ACe units in the Pilbara do not have any special provision for additional cooling.
I’m sure parts cost played a role in it. But what happens when a member of the fleet requires a component off of it after a failure and they then have no replacement? They’re still stuck ordering from EMD or an aftermarket supplier.
I suppose it was done with an eye towards major components that were rebuild-able so they could get a locomotive rolling faster rather than waiting for the original component like a turbocharger to be rebuilt. [Edit: Judging by the next post after yours, that looks to have been the reason behind this.]
If EMD insisted, why didn’t they lower the cost of the components themselves so they could be purchased individually at reasonable prices and not only save BHP money but probably increase their own profit margin on it as well? Instead, an entire locomotive was constructed and paid for to accomplish it.
Since EMD apparently forced them to have spares for major components to help ensure that their availability rate could be maintained and not be ruined by the time it costs to ship to Australia, it would hardly present a problem that BHP got a lower rate on items like traction motors than the book price for them was.
Selling locomotives and drugs have a lot in common. You want to get the original product in the hands of your customer for a price they think is reasonable - once you get them hooked you keep them coming back for more product or replacement parts at a price that more than compensates for the effort and will probably continue to increase over time.