Progress Rail PR43C
| Progress Rail PR43C | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | Progress Rail Services Corporation |
| AAR wheel arr. | C-C |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Prime mover | Caterpillar C175 and Caterpillar C18 |
| Power output | 4,300 hp (3,210 kW) |
| Career | |
The Progress Rail PR43C is a 4,300 hp (3,210 kW) C-C genset diesel-electric locomotive built by Progress Rail Services Corporation. It is the result of a conversion of existing EMD SD50 locomotives. This involves replacing the original EMD 645 prime mover with a pair of Caterpillar engines, a 3,600 hp (2,680 kW) C175 engine and a 700 hp (522 kW) C18 engine.[1][2] The locomotive was jointly designed by Progress Rail and Norfolk Southern Railway. Development began in 2008.[3]
Three locomotives have been built: two are operating in revenue freight service on Norfolk Southern, while a third is operating as a demonstrator unit for Progress Rail.[2] Norfolk Southern has four more PR43Cs on order.[3] The locomotives operating for Norfolk Southern work on freight trains in central Illinois, leading to speculation that they are being tested, as Caterpillar's headquarters are located in Peoria, Illinois.[1]
All three locomotives were manufactured at Progress Rail's Mayfield, Kentucky factory.[1]
The process of converting an SD50 to a PR43C alters the external appearance of the locomotive; the original radiator section is replaced with a larger one that is similar in appearance to that of an EMD SD70ACe or SD70M-2.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lustig, David (November 2009). "NS debuts gensets for road duty". Trains magazine (Kalmbach Publishing).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Progress Rail Services". TrainWeb. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Norfolk Southern orders additional PR43Cs". Trains Magazine. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
External links
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