Successful Emission Reductions in

Yard Locomotives

Yard Emissions Reductions

• Repower

• Slug Locomotives

• Shore Power

Norfolk Southern Repower Successes

• Georgia (GA EPD/GDOT –Grant)

– Atlanta -

• 10 GP33ECO Mother and Slug sets

• 3 SD33ECO Mother and 2 slugs

– Rome

• 1 GP33ECO Mother and Slug

– Macon

• 5 SD33ECO Mothers and 2 slugs

• Illinois (CMAP Grant)

– Chicago

• 15 GP33ECO Mothers and 3 Slugs

• Pennsylvania (SW PA Commission Grant)

– Pittsburgh

• 2 GP33ECO Mothers and slug sets

ECO Locomotive Repower

Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Shops

What Makes a Locomotive Successful?

• Emissions compliant

• Can deliver Tractive Effort and Horsepower to the Rail

– Wheel Slip

– Rapid Horsepower Changes

• Reliable

– Can withstand the railroad environment

• Coupler Slack Run

• High Availability

– Designed for 184 day maintenance cycles

– Must be designed for the “Railroad Business Model”

• Long Life – 25 to 30 years

Gensets

• Have not proven to be a reliable alternative

– Parts availability issues, performance issues, engine

durability issues, engine dealer maintenance issues….

• No longer being purchased by Class 1 Railroads

Why have Gensets Failed?

1924

First Production Loco

GE/ALCO/Ingersol Rand

1939

First Successful Production Locomotive

GM Electro-Motive Division

• It took 15 years to get the diesel locomotive to work

• Much information learned in 15 years on what make a

successful locomotive

Locomotive Wheel Slip

• When a wheel slips the

engine HP is

immediately reduced

which can lead to

smoke

• Smoke is also seen in

– Horsepower acceleration

– Engine throttle transition

1960s Era Locomotive Shown

Locomotive Wheel Slip

• Low Friction between wheel and rail

• Actual contact area between the wheel

and the rail is about the size of a

quarter

• Wheels slip – loco control backs of

power and then re-applies power

• Quick transitions that can cause

smoke

• Smoke is mitigated by an

integrated engine/locomotive

control system

The low friction between the wheel and rail makes rail

transportation fuel efficient, but it creates challenges for

locomotives pulling abilities as seen by wheel slip

Locomotive Switching – Car Kicking

Throttle Line Haul DC

Switch DC

8 16.2% 0.8%

7 3.0% 0.2%

6 3.9% 1.5%

5 3.8% 3.6%

4 4.4% 3.6%

3 5.2% 5.8%

2 6.5% 12.3%

1 6.5% 12.4%

Idle 38% 59.8%

DB 12.5% 0%

EPA Duty Cycles

• From a quick look a switcher

locomotive is rarely in Throttle

Notch 8

• REALITY – Switchers are in

throttle notch 8 for short bursts

of time

o Car Kicking

o Starting a cut of cars

• Horsepower acceleration is

critical in switching

Coupler Slack

• Coupler movement

1” between pairs

• Slack can run in at any

time

• Abrupt force on

locomotive(s)

• Can Cause engine

damage

1”

Entire train couple slack

reacts against the

locomotives

Successful Locomotive Engines

• Both EMD and GE build

engines specifically for rail

applications

• Can handle coupler slack run in

• Can support a large alternator

Coupler Slack – Engine Bearings

• Crankshaft Main

Bearings can be a

problem with coupler

slack run in

GE FDL engine shown upside down

Crankshaft Portion

Coupler Slack Mitigation

• Locomotive engines must be designed for:

– Quick Acceleration

– Coupler slack forces

• All SUCCESFUL Locomotive engines were designed

specifically for locomotive application

• Those engines that were NOT initially designed for rail

application but for industrial or generator applications

have NOT shown to be successful in locomotives

Maintainability

• Railroad specific Locomotive

Shops

• Railroad Employees

• 24/7 Coverage

• Maintenance Knowledge

• Parts Inventory

• 184 Day Maintenance Cycles

• Railroad Engine Oil

• Gensets

• Dealer Maintenance

• Not 24/7

• Proprietary maintenance

instructions

• No Parts Inventory

• 30 day Maintenance Cycles

• Non-Railroad Engine Oil

Summary of a Successful Switcher

Locomotive

• Emissions Compliance

• Engine designed and built specifically for rail service

• Integrated locomotive control System

• Capable of rapid horsepower acceleration

• Maintainability

– All Maintenance Instructions provided

– Parts Inventory

– 184 Maintenance Cycles

Locomotive Slug

• Slug - Engineless

locomotive that gets

power from a mother

locomotive

• Provides extra tractive

effort at lows speeds

• Very suitable for

switching service

• Reduces the need of

powered locomotive

where 2 locos are

needed for switching

Slug under construction at NS Juniata Shops

Locomotive Slug

Locomotive Idle Reduction – Shore Power –

Electric Engine Coolant Heater

Advantages Zero Point Emissions

Better emissions savings than

Auto Engine Start/Stop

Better Energy Savings – Up to

400 kW on a winter day

Reduces Starting Battery

issues

Disadvantages 3 Phase 480 Volt Electrical

Connection

Locomotive Idle Reduction – Shore

Power Wayside Station

Safety Ground Fault Detection

Loop Complete

Detection

Phase Imbalance

Detection

Ergonomic Less than 18 pound

force to manipulate

Disadvantage 9 Feet Rail Clearance

Requires infrastructure

Conclusions

• Successful Emissions reductions are possible through

use of repowers with railroad specific engines

• Slugs can also provide emissions savings

• Shore Power is another successful method of emissions

savings.

• Questions?