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GE AC4400CW

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GE AC4400CW
CSX AC4400CW #209 in Newport News, Virginia, next to a former C&O coal tower.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderGE Transportation Systems
ModelAC4400CW
Build date1993 – 2004
Total produced2,834
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Wheel diameter42 in (1,067 mm)
Wheelbase13 ft 2 in (4.01 m)
Length73 ft 2 in (22.30 m)
Height15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Loco weight426,000 lb (193,000 kg)
Fuel capacity5,000 US gal
(19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal)
Traction motors6
Performance figures
Power output4,400 hp (3,300 kW)
Tractive effort180,000 lbf (800 kN) Starting
145,000 lbf (640 kN) at 13.7 mph (22.0 km/h)
Career
OperatorsVarious, see table
LocaleNorth America

The GE AC4400CW is a 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW) diesel-electric locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems between 1993 and 2004. It is like the Dash 9-44CW, but features AC traction motors instead of DC, with a separate inverter per motor. In appearance, the AC4400CW is somewhat similar to GE's more powerful locomotive, the AC6000CW.

Over the 11 years in which it was produced, GE constructed 2,834 examples for North American railroads. In 2005, all Class I freight railroads except Norfolk Southern owned at least one AC4400CW. As a result of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect on January of that year, GE no longer offers the AC4400CW, replacing it with the ES44AC.

CP AC4400CW #9560 and CP SD40-2 #6029 head west towards the NS Elkhart Yard, 2009.
Kansas City Southern AC4400CW no. 4575 with self-steering trucks in October 2014
UP 5739 (AC4400CW), in Roseville, CA

Design variations

The AC4400CW was the first GE locomotive to offer an optional self-steering truck design, intended to increase adhesion and reduce wear on the railhead.[1] This option was specified by Canadian Pacific, Cartier Railway, CSX for their units 200-599, Ferromex, Ferrosur, and KCS.[citation needed]

CSX ordered many of its AC4400CW locomotives with 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) extra weight to increase tractive effort. These same units were also modified in 2006-2007 with a "high tractive effort" software upgrade and redesignated CW44AH.[2]

Rebuilds

In 2017 Canadian Pacific Railway requested that General Electric modernize 30 of its 9500 and 9600-series AC4400CW units. The original units had the original front cab completely removed and upgraded to current GE standards with upgraded electrical systems including PTC and FTO systems. Other improvements GE has made include up to 10 percent fuel efficiency gains, 40 percent increase in reliability and 50 percent increase in haulage ability. The units were subsequently placed into service with the designation AC4400CWM (for Modernized). The first batch of rebuilds (8100-8129) also had their original Steerable trucks replaced with GEs High Adhesion trucks, where later batches each individual engine kept the trucks they already had.[citation needed]

The following year Canadian Pacific asked GE to similarly rebuild several more batches for a total of 110 locomotives. The second order (8130-8144) retains their steerable trucks. The third batch (8000-8064) will feature an Evolution Series sized fuel tank and radial trucks. In 2019 a fourth batch of rebuilds happened, 8145-8160 & 8064-8080 from the 95/9600-series. In 2021 both the 8500 series is slated to be rebuilt at 8201-8280 and the 8100-series be completed.[3]

Union Pacific ordered many of their AC4400CWs with Controlled Tractive Effort software, giving them the designation of AC4400CW-CTE. This software package is now standard on a portion of their ES44ACs as well. CTE limits tractive effort to mimic TE level of Dash series locomotives.[citation needed]

In 2018 Union Pacific placed a small order for 20 rebuilds from GE of their AC4460AC fleet and later announced over the next fifteen years they will be upgrading 1000 of their AC4460ACs and AC44s into what they call a C44ACM. Unlike CP, the original 20 rebuilds did not receive a new crew cab.[citation needed]

CSX and Wabtec have announced a partnership in rebuilding CSX's large AC4400CW fleet. An initial batch of 10 CW44ACs were rebuilt at Wabtec's Erie, Pennsylvania facility, with 40 more to follow into 2020. The rebuilds will be numbered in both the 7000 and 7200-series and CSX is referring to them as CM44ACs.[4][5][6]

Operators

AC4400CW owners and operators past and present[needs update] include:[citation needed]

Owners Qty Numbers Year delivered
Union Pacific 1338 5554-6887 and 7080-7297 1994-2004
CSX Transportation 615 1-173, 201-599, 5101-5122 CW44AC[citation needed]. 1994-2002
Canadian Pacific 438 8500-8580, 8600-8655, 9500-9683, 9700-9740, 9750-9784 and 9800-9840.[7] 1995-2004
Southern Pacific 279 100-378 1995
Kansas City Southern 175 4575-4596, 4597-4608 and 4609-4624 1999
BNSF 121 5600-5717, 5838-5840 1999-2004
Ferromex 75 4550-4549 and 4550-4574 1998-2000
CIT Capital Finance 60 1001-1025, 1026-1059 2001-2004
Ferrosur 38 4400-4414, 4415-4429, 4430-4437 2000-2004
Chicago & North Western 35 8801-8835[8] 1994
Cartier Railway 17 11-12, 13-17 and 18-29 2001-2007
Quebec, North Shore and Labrador 12 415-421 and 422-426 2005-2006
Cerrejón 5 10010-10014
General Electric Corporation Leasing 11 2000, later renumbered 4400, 4000-4009 1993-1997
Central Maine and Quebec Railway 2 1002 and 1006 2001 (Acquired 2017)
Ferrominera del Orinoco 2 1058-1059 2004

The plot of the movie Unstoppable required Denzel Washington and Chris Pine to climb aboard the locomotives of a runaway freight train. To film the movie, four Canadian Pacific AC4400CW locomotives (numbers 9777, 9758, 9782, and 9751), were repainted as two fictional "Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad" locomotives (nos. 777 (nicknamed "Triple 7") and 767). 9777[9] and 9782[10] were painted as 777, while 9758[11] and 9751[12] were painted as 767.

References

  1. ^ McDonnell, Greg (2002). Field guide to modern diesel locomotives. Waukesha, Wisc.: Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 70–73. ISBN 0-89024-607-6. OCLC 50411517.
  2. ^ Potter, Jay (November 2006), "CSX's mountain climbers", Trains
  3. ^ GE Transportation (March 20, 2018). "GE Transportation's Modernization Program Hits New Milestones" (Press release). Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
  4. ^ Koenig, Stephan M. (May 2, 2019). "GE Locomotive Modernization program expands under Wabtec". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing.
  5. ^ Koenig, Stephan M. (September 24, 2019). "First of the new CSX re-builds rolls out of the Wabtec plant in Erie". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing.
  6. ^ https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/wabtec-locomotive-remanufacturing-program-completes-1000th-unit/
  7. ^ "(home)". CPR Diesel Roster.
  8. ^ Strack, Don (December 2, 2014). "Chicago & North Western Railway; Roster of Diesel Locomotives, 1926-1995". Utah Rails.
  9. ^ "CP 9777". CPR Diesel Roster.
  10. ^ "CP 9782". CPR Diesel Roster.
  11. ^ "CP 9758". CPR Diesel Roster.
  12. ^ "CP 9751". CPR Diesel Roster.
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