New power for CSX?

[jnohallman]

Word is floating about that CSX has ordered some number of ES44C4s from GE, to be numbered in the 3000 series, which used to be used by the BQ23-7 units. Has anyone seen official confirmation of this order?

Jon

[JimThias]

HERITAGE UNITS! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[PLEzero]

Order is for 65 GE ES44AC (CSX calls them ES44AH) units numbered 3000-3064.

[nikos1]

blagh, no more leasers...........

[jnohallman]

Originally Posted by PLEzero

Order is for 65 GE ES44AC (CSX calls them ES44AH) units numbered 3000-3064.

So not ES44C4s, just straight ES44ACs?

Jon

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by PLEzero

Order is for 65 GE ES44AC (CSX calls them ES44AH) units numbered 3000-3064.

It isn't just a matter of what CSX calls them. The AH is a "H"eavier engine, so higher low-speed tractive effort, along with software oriented toward tractive effort, better for low-speed coal heading uphill. To my knowledge CSX has no ES44AC units but it has both CW44AC and CW44AH models.

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by jnohallman

So not ES44C4s, just straight ES44ACs?

Isn't the C4 for high-speed use, aka intermodals across the plains? I don't think CSX has much need for that.

[PLEzero]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

It isn't just a matter of what CSX calls them. The AH is a "H"eavier engine, so higher low-speed tractive effort, along with software oriented toward tractive effort, better for low-speed coal heading uphill. To my knowledge CSX has no ES44AC units but it has both CW44AC and CW44AH models.

CW44AC - CSXT 1-494
CW44AH - CSXT 495-599
CW44AH - CSXT 5101-5122

ES44AH - CSXT 700-999
ES40DC - CSXT 5200-5501


Iowa Interstate ES44ACs and NS 8000-series ES44AC's are all "heavy" but are still classified by their owners without the "H".

As far as I know BNSF is the only railroad to have ES44C4 locomotives. The "4" stands for 4 traction motors.

[Bryan Jones]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

It isn't just a matter of what CSX calls them. The AH is a "H"eavier engine, so higher low-speed tractive effort, along with software oriented toward tractive effort, better for low-speed coal heading uphill. To my knowledge CSX has no ES44AC units but it has both CW44AC and CW44AH models.

the "H" in "AH" stands for "High" as in "High Tractive Effort". CSX has heavy DC traction units, the ES40DC's. Being DC traction units and lacking radial or steerable trucks they do not conform to the High Tractive Effort specification.

CSX does have ES44AC's, they just choose to class them as ES44AH. Likewise UP has ES44AC's though they choose to class them as C45ACCTE. Additional ballast, steerable trucks, HTE software, CTE (control tractive effort), distributed power hardware/software, cab signals, ect. are all options chosen by a specific railroad. They are all ES44AC's and the railroad just specifies what it wants added to its units.

A large portion of the 700 and 800 series were delivered from GE stenciled as ES44AC and lacking the lightning bolt under the cabside number. This was a mistake by GE and was corrected with subsequent new deliveries having the ES44AH classification and lightning bolt applied.

Also, the ES44C4 is intended as a replacement for the ES44DC. The ES44C4 with its 4 AC traction motors is capable of producing tractive effort levels equivalent to the ES44DC with its 6 DC traction motors. BNSF is the only road to have ordered the ES44C4 sofar.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[JRMDC]

Thanks, Bryan.