GE AC4400CW
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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 similar to the Dash 9-44CW, but features AC traction motors instead of DC, with a separate inverter per motor. 2,598 examples of this locomotive were produced for North American railroads. These locomotives are similar in appearance to GE's more powerful locomotive the AC6000CW. As a result of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect in the United States on January 1, 2005, the AC4400CW has been replaced by the GE ES44AC.
As of 2005, every Class I railroad with the exceptions of Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, and Amtrak owns at least one AC4400CW. These units quickly gained a reputation as powerful freight haulers, especially in heavy-haul applications.
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. This option was specified by Canadian Pacific, Cartier Railway, CSX, Ferromex, Ferrosur, and KCS.
Design variations
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.[1] CSX has redesignated these modified units from CW44AC to CW44AH. Union Pacific ordered many of their AC4400CW's with Computerized Tractive Effort software, giving them the designation of AC4400CW-CTE. This software was carried on from their AC4400s and is now standard on Union Pacific ES44AC's.
Operators
AC4400CW current operators, as of February 27, 2016 include:
| Railroad | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Union Pacific | 1338 | A handful patched from Southern Pacific and Chicago and North Western |
| CSX Transportation | 615 | CSX designation CW44AC, or CW44AH with HTE software |
| BNSF | 121 | 5600-5717, 5838-5840, 40 units leased to Metrolink and converted to PTC. |
| Canadian Pacific | 438 | 9751, 9758, 9777, and 9782 were used in the 2010 film Unstoppable, and retain the "caution stripe" painted snowplows from their movie liveries, Number 8500-8580, 8600-8655, 9500-9683, 9700-9740,
9750-9784, 9800-9840 |
| Cartier Railway | 17 | |
| Cerrejón | 5 | 10010-10014 |
| Ferromex | 75 | |
| Ferrosur | 38 | |
| Kansas City Southern | 175 | |
| Quebec, North Shore and Labrador | 12 | Numbered 415 to 426 |
| Metrolink | 40 | Units leased from BNSF Railway. Will be used to temporarily replace Rotem cab cars while they are being investigated following the 2015 Oxnard train derailment. |
References
- ↑ Potter, Jay (November 2006), "CSX's mountain climbers", Trains