 | |
| Industry | Rail transport |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Products | Low-emissions locomotives |
| Owner | R.J. Corman Railroad Group |
Number of employees | 26 [1] |
Railpower Technologies is a subsidiary of R.J. Corman Railroad Group that builds environmentally friendly hybrid Green Goat and Genset switching locomotives, founded by Frank Donnelly and Gerard Koldyk. Its locomotives have been purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway, BNSF Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad among others.
The company was founded in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and incorporated an automotive propulsion system into a new hybrid yard locomotive, dubbed the "Green Goat." The unit was built off the frame of an EMD GP9, and was powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) diesel engine charging a bank of 320 lead-acid batteries, producing 2,000 hp (1,500 kW). This first unit underwent extensive testing and demonstration in both Canada and the United States for a year, in conjunction with a smaller 1,000 hp (750 kW) unit, called the "Green Kid." The demonstrations were a success, and combined with the introduction of government programs providing assistance to railroads introducing low-emissions locomotives, provided impetus for railroads to adopt Railpower's design, particularly in areas such as Texas and California, where such laws were particularly stringent. Initially, Railpower's products were well received, and the company had 175 total orders by late 2005, [2] consisting of both the original hybrid locomotives and newer genset locomotives, which have multiple engines operating in tandem and have the capability to selectively shut down engines to reduce fuel consumption. [3] Despite the company's early success, sales soon dropped off, largely because of reliability issues with the locomotives (one customer, Canadian Pacific, returned its order due to unsatisfactory performance) and a general slowdown in sales of switching locomotives. As a result of the drop-off in sales, Railpower entered bankruptcy in early 2009, and was purchased by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group during the summer of the same year. [3]
On June 18, 2009, R.J. Corman Railroad Group announced that it had completed its acquisition of Railpower's assets, [4] although none of the company's liabilities. As a result of the acquisition, customers of Railpower were forced to renegotiate servicing contracts with Corman, as the warranties on the locomotives ceased when the old company was purchased. [3] Corman plans to market genset locomotives exclusively, although company executives have not ruled out hybrid locomotives, saying that though they haven't been abandoned, they are not a priority. In the eight months after Railpower's acquisition, the company has delivered just two locomotives, although according to Corman, proposals have been issued for up to 50 locomotives during the next few years, and the company is confident that orders will resume. [3]
Railpower delivered a single RP20D unit to the Port of Montreal in October 2010, followed by two more in the first quarter of 2012 and a fourth to follow later in the year. [5]
R.J. Corman Railpower announced the closure of the Erie, Pennsylvania operation, this will take effect on February 29, 2020. [6]
Their locomotive models include the Green Goat (GG) and Green Kid (GK) series. Created from older locomotives, these units are deployed in services where there is a lot of idle time, such as yard switching. Below the frame they are the same as their pre-recycled locomotive. Above the frame they are new, with all new hood and cab assemblies. [7] A small generator and a large bank of batteries power the locomotive. The generator is used to recharge the batteries. The locomotives meet the new EPA exhaust emissions standards. Currently production includes the GG10B, GG20B, and GK10B locomotives. The "B" indicates B-B wheel arrangement the "10" or "20" signifies 1,000 or 2,000 horsepower (746 or 1,490 kW ) respectively.
| Model designation | Wheel arrangement | Build year | Total produced | Power output | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GGS2000D "Emerald" | B-B | 2001 | 1 (prototype) | 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) | |
| GG20B "Green Goat" | B-B | 2004–current | 55 | 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) |  |
| GG10B "Green Goat" | B-B | 2005–current | 6 | 746 kW (1,000 hp) | |
| GK10B "Green Kid" | B-B | 2005–current | 4 | 746 kW (1,000 hp) |
Railpower also produces a series of "Genset" type locomotives, which are powered by between 2 and 4 smaller diesel engines each. The engines are computer controlled, with the computer stopping and starting engines on a rotating basis, as required to produce the horsepower needed at any given moment. Currently on the market are the RP20BH (two-engine hybrid) and RP20BD (three engine diesel) locomotives for light road duties. The "B" or "C" in the model number signifies B-B, or C-C wheel arrangement, with the "14", "20" or "27" signifying 1,400 horsepower (1,000 kW ), 2,000 or 2,700 horsepower (1,490 or 2,010 kW) respectively.
| Model designation | Wheel arrangement | Build year | Total produced | Power output | # of engines | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RP7BD [8] | B-B | present | 0 | 700 kW (940 hp) | 1 | |
| RP20BH (Hybrid) | B-B | 2006–present | 1 (prototype) | 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) | 2 | |
| RP20BD (Genset) | B-B | 2006–present | 116 | 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) | 3 |  |
| RP14BD | B-B | 2008–present | 8 | 1,140 kW (1,530 hp) | 2 |  |
| RP20CD | C-C | 2007–present | 6 | 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) | 3 | |
| RP27CD | C-C | 2015- | 0 | 1,990 kW (2,670 hp) | 4 |
A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels. The most common are diesel-electric locomotives and diesel-hydraulic.
Brookville Equipment Corporation, based in Brookville, Pennsylvania, United States, manufactures railroad locomotives for industrial and light capacity switching needs. The company also builds and restores streetcars. The company used to be known as Brookville Locomotive Company.
The EMD GP30 is a 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July 1961 and November 1963. A total of 948 units were built for railroads in the United States and Canada, including 40 cabless B units for the Union Pacific Railroad.
An electro-diesel locomotive is a type of locomotive that can be powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine. For the most part, these locomotives are built to serve regional, niche markets with a very specific purpose.
The FM H-20-44 was a diesel locomotive manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse from June 1947 – March 1954. It represented the company's first foray into the road switcher market. The 2,000 hp (1,490 kW), ten-cylinder opposed piston engine locomotive was referred to by F-M's engineering department as the "Heavy Duty" unit. It was configured in a B-B wheel arrangement mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-B road trucks with all axles powered. H-20-44s shared the same platform and much of the same carbody as the lighter-duty FM H-15-44, which began its production run three months later.
National Railway Equipment Company is an American railroad equipment rebuilding, leasing, and manufacturing company, headquartered in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. NREC sells new and rebuilt locomotives to railroad companies worldwide, with an emphasis on the North American market.
A hybrid train is a locomotive, railcar or train that uses an onboard rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), placed between the power source and the traction transmission system connected to the wheels. Since most diesel locomotives are diesel-electric, they have all the components of a series hybrid transmission except the storage battery, making this a relatively simple prospect.
The RP20CD is a diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by Railpower Technologies. It is a "genset" locomotive, having three engine-generator sets.
The NRE 3GS21B is a low-emissions diesel genset locomotive built by National Railway Equipment (NRE). Instead of a single prime mover, the NRE genset locomotive is powered by three separate 700 horsepower (522 kW) Cummins QSK19C engines providing a total power output of 2,100 horsepower (1,570 kW). Each engine could be individually started or shut off depending on load reducing overall diesel emissions and improving fuel efficiency. More than 150 of the 3GS21B genset locomotives have been produced to date, with the majority of these units being manufactured at NRE's Mount Vernon shops in Southern Illinois. In addition, three road slug models have also been produced.
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The Railpower GG20BGreen Goat is a low-emissions diesel hybrid switcher locomotive built by Railpower Technologies Corp. It is powered by a single Caterpillar C9 six cylinder inline engine developing 300 horsepower (224 kW), which is also connected to a large battery bank where both sources combine for a total power output of 2,000 horsepower (1,490 kW). To date, there have been more than 50 GG20B diesel-electric hybrid switchers manufactured since their first introduction in 2004.
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