VOLUME 5 - 2014

 

You may have noticed that since 2012, the flow of new line-haul diesels into our network, such as General Electric ES44AC's, has braked to a halt. That's because through careful planning we've been able to operate growing volumes with fewer total line-haul locomotives. That share of the capital budget is instead going towards the purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel (Caterpillar) GP20 remanufactured locomotives.

This year, CP is bringing in 60 of these 2200-series four-axle locomotives, primarily for yard and local freight services. "This is the first major reinvestment in yard locomotives in decades", Deryk Gillespie, Managing Director Investment Analysis, notes. "the industry as a whole, hasn't built new four-axle locomotives in a long, long, long time".

Technically, the 2200s are remanufactured locomotives. Their trucks, traction motors, air compressors, main alternators and electrical components come from retired CP units. However, their diesel engines, electric generators, operator's cabs, radiators, and long hoods are entirely new. In terms of mechanical reliability and pulling power, these are new locomotives.

Tom Lambrecht, CP's vice-president mechanical, says the 60 GP20's slated for delivery this year will expand CP's total fleet to 130. He notes yard-service locomotives are critical to serving our customers, as they operate local, branch line, and yard jobs where line-haul locomotives are too big.

The remanufactured locomotives reuse many components that have been overhauled, including trucks, traction motors, main generators and air compressors. However, their former 567 engines have been replaced with brand new turbocharged eight-cylinder 710 series prime movers that promote 2,000 horsepower with reduced emissions

They also create a better working experience for the engineers. Rich Baxter, a locomotive engineer with 26 years of service out of London, Ontario, says comforts like air conditioning actually go a long way towards helping employees stay focused throughout a long shift.

Although sharing many similarities with their predecessors, GP20C-ECOs are not just a newer build of the conventional GP9 engine. The GP20s represent an evolution of the GP locomotive.

"The GP20 is a world of difference compared to the old-style locomotives," says Rich. "The new engines keep their feet a lot better, while the former engines would slip on wet rail and keeping momentum would be difficult. They're also more responsive and user-friendly."

The GP20s 710 engine has proven to be 25 percent more efficient than the former GP9 engine due to design features such as Electro-Motive Diesel Engine Control (EMDEC) electronic fuel injection, higher peak firing pressure, turbocharger, etc., as well as other new locomotive system technology such as AESS and AST^® engine hearing systems, which enable the locomotive to be shut down when not in use.

"In combination, these features help improve locomotive fuel efficiency and reliability. And, the EMDEC allows for better operation and monitoring of the engine's performance in real time," says Matt Gawelczyk, who has worked as supervisor, production for a locomotive repair facility in Calgary and Moose Jaw since 2011. "This enables it to reduce component wear, fuel consumption, and engine oil use in comparison to the GP9."

The old relay logic analog control system has been replaced with a new Electro-Motive EM2000 Control System, a microprocessor-based system that provides improved performance, reliability, and diagnostic capabilities.

Also, a big deal for operators and mechanics is the Functionally Integrated Railroad Electronics (FIRE) system.

"FIRE helps all of the cab electronics communicate with one another. It provides our Train & Engine (T&E) personnel with improved management of locomotive operation and performance, and it displays relevant operating data for the locomotive engineer on a computer screen."

This is important for the mechanics because FIRE enables locomotive system information and fault history to be quickly and reliably accessed. "We can pinpoint defects quickly and more accurately," adds Matt. "When something does go down in the engine locomotive, the FIRE system makes for a faster, straight forward repair."

This integrated approach in turn reduces maintenance costs and repair times. The event recorder, also known as the little black box, is also integrated with the PIKE system.

"Numerous other upgrades, including improved cab space built to meet the existing crash worthiness specifications, new car bodies, and microprocessor controls have also been fitted, making the engines safer and more reliable," says Matt.

"We now have a fleet of engines that are more reliable for our customers and safer for our T&E guys to drive."

This Canadian Pacific Spanner article is copyright 1965 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.