Re: C class's and Belarine Peninsula Railways (two qns)

[markbau1@aol.com (MarkBau1)]

<<<<Could you please elaborate on this horsepower plateau.>>>>

EMD have stated that the best their 16 cyl 710 engine could output is in the
4,000hp range.(Yes I know Santa Fe got them higher) Yes they could go to 20
cylinders (there is a 20 cyl 710 engine in power station/oil drilling service)
but I don't think they ever want to put a 20 cylinder engine in a loco again
after the SD45 debacle. To go to the next hp plateau (6,000hp) would take a new
engine and that is what they have done. At EMD's 75th anniversary open house I
asked the bloke showing around the engine building facility about this and he
explained that the 16 cyl 2 stroke simply couldn't get even close to 6,000hp,
hence the development of the EMD 4 stroke. I never heard fuel consumption
mentioned once although I'm not saying it couldn't be a factor.

<<<<<I have no real facts on this, and would be interested
in seeing actual figures.>>>>>

I will try to hunt down and post some figures. I do know that fuel efficiency
was a hot topic in the 80's with each builder trying to say they their loco's
were more fuel effecient. The fact they had this "contest" shows you how close
they are. I believe the topic has died down recently because the two builders
are producing loco's with pretty much identical fuel consumption/hp. Remember,
even if 4 strokes were more fuel effecient GE had some ancient ideas about
turning radiator fans/compressors which wasted fuel compared to EMD methods of
powering these devices

I do know that I have fuelled SD70MACS and AC4400's after they have run
together and they took very similiar amounts of fuel. Considering the GE AC4400
is supposed to be 400hp better than a SD70MAC I suppose you could expect them
to use more fuel, the fact that they took about the same could indicate better
fuel effeciency but for the comparison to be meaningfull you would have to
compare two models with identical stated horsepower.

<<<<< we "understand" from this group that
one of the main reasons Goninan/GE were awarded the NRC
contract for the NR class loco's was fuel effeciency.>>>>>

I think this stems from the variable horsepower capability. This feature means
the NR has the potential to be more fuel efficient. I'm not aware of a similiar
feature available for EMD's. Maybe this is what Nat. Rail means by GE's being
more fuel effecient.

BTW, what do you think of desktop controls? I don't like them much and I really
have a problem with computer screen instead of real gauges? I'd be interested
to hear your comments!

Mark.


I can be abused and called names at: markbau@aol.com

If the abuse is particularly profound I'll give you my real email address.