UP unveils six-axle Railpower Genset
Published: Friday, March 28, 2008
 Union Pacific unveiled six-axle Genset UPY 896 to the press at Proviso Yard near Chicago today. Photo by: TRAINS: Kathi Kube
When the four locomotives are delivered, UP will employ them in pairs at the Roseville hump. They'll be remotely controlled from the ground through their Cattron remote control systems.
Gensets use multiple self-contained diesel engines attached to generators to produce electricity for their traction motors, and each turns on and off automatically as it's needed. Because yard service locomotives often sit idling, or need only a small amount of power because they frequently move only a few cars at a time, this design allows for significant fuel savings.
Several companies build Genset locomotives, but most ride on four axles. RP20SDs like UPY 896, the unit on display at Proviso today, ride on six axles, which produces additional adhesion, important when pushing long strings of cars over a hump.
The unit began life as Missouri Pacific SD40-2 No. 3298. It contains three generator sets and has space for a fourth. If it's so equipped, the unit is capable of producing 2,700 hp. It weighs 398,000 pounds and carries a 4,000-gallon impact-resistant fuel tank. It was built on contract for Railpower by Canadian Allied Diesel in Montreal. No. 896 will conduct testing and breaking-in at the Proviso hump for the next two weeks before heading to Roseville.
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