Didn,t NS have some GP 38 AC Locomotives or were these bought by Southern before the merger.
In the January 2009 issue on page 24, in the article about the new AC locomotives it says that NS is continuing the SD40E project. And if Iam reading this right they are down grading the SD50 from 3500HP to 3000HP and upgrading the electronics. What becomes of the power that was in the 50?
Ross
A GP38AC locomotive is called “AC” because it has an AC traction alternator instead of a DC main generator. The AC out of the traction alternator is recified to DC and then feeds regular DC traction motors. All Dash 2 locomotives and up have this same arrangement. The GP38AC was the precursor for the Dash 2 line.
Those SD50s that NS is rebuilding as SD40Es are keeping the same engine. An SD40-2 and an SD50 have the same engine - a 645. To get 3600 HP out of it for the SD50, they spun it faster and squirted in a bit more fuel. This proved to be a bad idea. The engines had lots of reliability problems. Most 50 Series locomotives were derated to 3300 HP or so over the years. The NS rebuilds give NS reliable yard and local power.
I understand the NS is going to acquire some AC motive power. Have they announced from which builder(s) and which models? Are they going to be the most modern kind that produces “dirty” out of phase AC, “strains” it thru DC and and then winds up in “purified” AC?
Sorry if I’m overusing the metaphors! - a.s.
NS has already taken delivery of the 24 GE ES44AC units that were on order for 2008. Photo here on my roster page:
http://www.nsdash9.com/rosters/8000.html
The NS SD50 units that are being upgraded in the SD40-E capital rebuild program are retaining their 645 prime mover, which is de-rated to 3000 horsepower. The units are also the first NS rebuilds to receive microprocessor controls.
Chris Toth
Chris, I see that they ordered their ES44AC’s withthe full 4400 HP on allthe time unlike the past ES40DC’s and C40-9’s where only the the Road Foremen had the magical key for the extra 400 HP.
But I see that they in usual NS fashion have found a way to not go all the way with current innovation. They have to be the only RR to have ordered their AC’s without streerable trucks!
What took them so long to realize that they could achieve unit reduction using AC traction for their Pocohantas Region Coal Operations??? In other words who retired or died in the CMO’s office for this change policy to occur???
Actually, more GE AC motored locomotives lack the self-steering truck than those that have them. Even CP has gone back to the old style trucks for their newest ES44ACs. The GE self-steering truck is too complicated and too expensive to overhaul. No UP AC4400CW or ES44AC has the self-steering trucks, and neither does any of BNSF’s. Crazily both BNSF and KCS bought their earliest batches of SD70ACes without the HTCR trucks, but have since gone back to using them on their newest orders.