Friday, March 9, 2012

BNSF Railway to order EMD SD70-ACe locos with a different axle arrangement

BNSF Railway announced in January that it is ordering ten SD70ACe-P4 diesels this year, a new Electro-Motive Diesel model with a B1-1B axle arrangement, the first time locomotives with this truck (bogie) arrangement have been used in America. The 10 units are to be part of 250 locomotives BNSF plans to order this year. The others are 65 x SD70-ACE's and 175 x ES44C4's (from General Electric).

BNSF began receiving ES44C4's in 2009. The model is intended to match the performance of a six-powered-axle DC-traction locomotive with just four AC-traction-powered axles. The effect, in theory, is lower maintenance costs by having fewer traction motors and increase standardization, since all new units can come with AC motors.

Prior to taking delivery of the P4s from EMD, BNSF plans to convert four of its existing SD70-ACes to the new design.

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