Formerly | Boise Locomotive (1996–2000) |
---|---|
Company type | |
Industry | Transport |
Founded | 1994 |
Defunct | 1999[2] |
Fate | Originally a division of MK, it became an independent company, then merged with WABCO to form Wabtec in 1999 [2] |
Successor | Wabtec |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Products | Diesel locomotives |
Parent |
|
Website | wabteccorp.com/motivepower |
MotivePower, Inc. (MPI) was an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives. The company traces its history back to being a division of Morrison-Knudsen (MK) since 1972. [1] After MotivePower spun-off from MK, the company merged with the air brake manufacturer WABCO to form "Wabtec" in 1999, remaining as a brand of it.
Morrison-Knudsen established a separate rail division, MK Rail, in 1972. [1] Morrison-Knudsen spun-off the division in 1993; it became a publicly traded company in 1994. After Morrison-Knudsen's bankruptcy in 1996, MK Rail renamed itself "MotivePower Industries", doing business as "Boise Locomotive". The company merged with Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) in November 1999 [2] to form the Wabtec. [3]
Wabtec renamed the Boise Locomotive division to "MotivePower" in 2000. [4] MotivePower continues as a wholly owned subsidiary of Wabtec. [5] On September 18, 2019 several months following Wabtec's merger with GE Transportation, Wabtec announced the MotivePower Boise plant will close in early 2020 and production shifted to Wabtec's legacy GE Transportation plant in Erie, Pennsylvania. [6] [7] [8]
MotivePower's flagship product is the MPI MPXpress passenger locomotive. Over two hundred locomotives have been built for commuter rail operators in the United States and Canada.
Completed at the Wabtec Erie shop in Erie, Pennsylvania, MotivePower also does overhaul work for several agencies throughout the US. [9] These include:
In rail transport, distributed power (DP) is a generic term referring to the physical distribution—at intermediate points throughout the length of a train—of separate motive power groups. Such "groups" may be single units or multiple consists, and are remotely controlled from the leading locomotive. The practice allows locomotives to be placed anywhere within the length of a train when standard multiple-unit (MU) operation is impossible or impractical. DP can be achieved by wireless or wired (trainlined) means. Wired systems now provided by various suppliers use the cabling already extant throughout a train equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes (ECP).
GE Transportation is a division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. The company was founded in 1907. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while its main manufacturing facility is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine manufacturing takes place in Grove City, Pennsylvania. In May 2011, the company announced plans to build a second locomotive factory in Fort Worth, Texas, which opened in January 2013.
The EMD F40PH is a four-axle 3,000–3,200 hp (2.2–2.4 MW) B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in several variants from 1975 to 1992. Intended for use on Amtrak's short-haul passenger routes, it became the backbone of Amtrak's diesel fleet after the failure of the EMD SDP40F. The F40PH also found widespread use on commuter railroads in the United States and with VIA Rail in Canada. Additional F40PH variants were manufactured by Morrison-Knudsen and MotivePower between 1988 and 1998, mostly rebuilt from older locomotives.
The EMD F59PH is a four-axle 3,000 hp (2 MW) B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division from 1988 to 1994. A variant, the F59PHI, was produced from 1994 to 2001. The F59PH was originally built for GO Transit commuter operation in the Toronto region. Metrolink in Southern California also purchased a fleet for its 1992 launch. The streamlined F59PHI was designed for Amtrak California intercity service. A total of 72 F59PH and 83 F59PHI locomotives were built.
The Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation was an American company founded on September 28, 1869 by George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Earlier in the year he had invented the railway air brake in New York state.
The AC6000CW is a 6,000-horsepower (4,500 kW) diesel electric locomotive built between 1995 and 2001 by GE Transportation. It is among the world's most powerful single-engined diesel locomotives. The locomotive was designed for extremely high horsepower needs, such as pulling heavy coal and ore trains. Most examples were purchased by two railroads: Union Pacific and CSX.
The passenger locomotives derivatives of the General Motors EMD GP40 diesel-electric locomotive have been, and continue to be, used by multiple passenger railroads in North America. For passenger service, the locomotives required extra components for providing steam or head-end power (HEP) for heating, lighting and electricity in passenger cars. Most of these passenger locomotives were rebuilt from older freight locomotives, while some were built as brand new models.
The MK5000C is a 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) North American diesel-electric locomotive developed by MK Rail. At the time of its introduction in 1994, the MK5000C was the most powerful single prime mover diesel-electric locomotive ever made, a title it would hold for only for one year until GE Transportation released its competing 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) AC6000CW model in 1995.
The MPI MPXpress is a line of diesel-electric locomotives built by MotivePower for commuter rail service. There are five MPXpress models: MP36PH-3S, MP36PH-3C, MP40PH-3C, MP32PH-Q, and MP54AC.
Morrison–Knudsen (MK) was an American civil engineering and construction company, with headquarters in Boise, Idaho.
Erie, Pennsylvania is the Commonwealth's primary access point to Lake Erie, the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The city developed first as a maritime center after the American Revolution, as a railroad hub during the great American westward expansion, and as an important manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. By the 21st century, electric locomotive building is all that remains of big industry, but smaller-scale steel and plastics manufacturers, as well as health care, insurance, tourism and recreation have emerged as Erie's new diverse mix of key industries.
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, commonly known as Wabtec, is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Jersey Arrow is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) railcar developed for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and used through successive commuter operators in New Jersey, through to NJ Transit. Three models were built, but only the third model is in use today. The series is similar to SEPTA's Silverliner series, but include center doors among other differences in details.
The MPI HSP46 is a four-axle AC-traction diesel-electric locomotive for commuter trains, designed and assembled by MotivePower. It meets EPA Tier 3 emissions standards. The launch customer is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), whose first unit entered revenue service in April 2014.
The MPI MP20B is a diesel-electric locomotive designed and built by MotivePower in Boise, Idaho.
The GE PowerHaul is a class of mainline diesel-electric locomotives designed by General Electric. Thirty locomotives were ordered by Freightliner in 2007; the first locomotive was completed in July 2009 at GE's Erie, Pennsylvania, plant.
The MPI MP33C is a model of diesel-electric freight locomotives designed and built by MotivePower in Boise, Idaho, USA. To date all orders have been for Australian operators.
The Indian locomotive class WDG-4G is a class of dual-cabin freight-hauling diesel-electric locomotive used by the Indian Railways (IR). The locomotive is designed by GE Transportation and is based on its Evolution Series, which are used in North America. The class is meant for freight hauling and replaces the older American Locomotive Company (ALCO)-designed locomotives, which have been the mainstay diesels of Indian Railways since 1962. Equipped with a 12-cylinder fully turbocharged GEVO engine, it is claimed to be 50% more environmentally friendly than its predecessors and is the first in the country to be compliant with level one of the emission norms set by the International Union of Railways (UIC-1). The locomotive has two cabs for easy reversal, both of which are air conditioned.