People talk in web that newest BNSF order is for AC44AC (C6 heavy), anybody? No more C4? I always had some doubts about dynamic braking efficiency of these crippled locos.
New California environmental regs are forcing BNSF and UP to scrap most of their existing diesel traction.
They're suing over it; are they actually taking any measures to be in compliance with it? I was under the impression that the new regulations effectively banned diesel locomotives, which is why the railroads are opposing it so heavily.
I feel like I just read that BNSF was buying like 4 of these battery operated SD-70-looking things. They have to hook them up to a charger in the yard and the dynamic breaks also charge the battery when in use, which is a nice bonus. Don’t know how effective those things are going to be on long trips. Could be a challenge. Battery tech is still sort of untested in this arena as far as I’m aware. They could be useful enough inside of Cali by a certain year but will the compatible infrastructure ever be available beyond Cali… Some non-industry guy in a suit was arguing that zero emission tech is already there and was basically like “just build catenaries across the entirety of this massive country bro” as if that doesn’t have its own set of challenges.
Its only 25 new ET44C6Hs Which are regular ET44's ballasted to 436,320lbs. I doubt BNSF is gonna scrap their C4's, but I assume they are done with buying any C4/P4 style equipment for the future. At most I can see BNSF sending the units in for a rebuild for more traditional trucks and traction motor combo in the future. There is also 7 credit Es44s as well (These are Es44ACH's) The ES44ACH's will be 3300-3306 The ET44C6H's will be 3650-3674 A pair of the ET44C6H's were spotted recently in Texas testing.
The OP's post has nothing to do with the BS in California, that's a completely different story that's better off in Off Topic....
What's the difference between a ES44ACHand an ET44C6H? I mean, besides the prime mover/emissions controls.
The ES44ACH's will be built on an ES44 Carbody while the ET44C6H's will be the ET44 carbody. The major external differences being the rear radiator section on the long hood.
Other massive countries have electrified. The only reason the US hasn't is the private railroads' allergy to capital investment.
Only governments can afford the infrastructure investment needed to electrify a country's railroads. American and Canadian railroads are in private hands. Countries the size of the US and Canada would require an impossible amount of money to convert to electric traction. I don't know which " massive countries " you're thinking of. China, maybe? That's a very centralized system with little public accountability. American and Canadian taxpayers would never sanction the kind of public investment we're discussing.
The government provides infrastructure grants to said private railroads. Russia and especially India.
The US railrads had the chance to electrify during the oil crisis, back when there was more Class 1 railroads and less track to upgrade per company, but the oil prices dropped and the dream of elefication pretty much disappeared after that. Literally the only electric freight railroads that exist right now is 1 surviving coal railroad in Utah (Deseret Power Railway) And one shoreline operator in Iowa (Iowa Traction Railway) EDIT: Also for some reason modern day sees more push for Battery locomotives than regular electric ones for some reason....
The cost of electrification of the 90,000 or so miles of Class 1 trackage is estimated to be about $500 billion. Current infrastructure funding is about $368 million. Russia? India? You still insist on talking about state owned railroads. US railroads are privately owned.
I would add that electric traction is not always the most cost effective. A couple of years ago, Freightliner in the UK reportedly began replacing its electric locos with diesels due to the high cost of electricity over there. Don't know how permanent that is.
It was a temporary thing because of a very quick jump in electricity prices. The electric trains weren't replaced but but temporarily pulled from service. This has now mainly stopped.
Not a serious argument. Not all track needs to be electrified. If private railroads can't finance necessary upgrades...
Is this the forum policeman? Well, Consternoon Aftable. Don't be so fussy, Vern. I mean it's not like it's gonna be a long thread or anything. In fact, I think we're done. Moot?
To be fair, the thread got derailed awhile ago, the original post was about ES/ET44C4s and ES44ACH/ET44C6Ms, which somehow lead to electrification of the US....
Does it include scrapping 3 year old locomotives like 3250-3299 ES44C4 Tier IV Credit locomotives built in 2020 or not? What BNSF needs is an electric yard shunter you can see this in operation inside Switzerland French speaking CFF Triage Lausanne Denges German speaking SBB Rbf Zürich Limmattal and Austria ÖBB Verschiebebahnhof Wien Kledering Salzburg Gnigl Innsbruck Hall in Tirol.
Took the liberty of moving this thread to the off topic section, but feel free to keep discussing here
Yes, UK power prices are very high - around 60c per KWh at the moment for domestic with a government price cap, commercial use went a lot higher at some points. The UK went big on Gas in the 90s/early 2000s which spiked massively at the end of 2021 - its settled a bit from the peaks but is still way higher than in the US. The UK power market is almost completely private and operates very similar to Texas's ERCOT with some of the same problems.
