What’s in a name? General Electric’s naming practices can be a bit unusual, as senior editor Carl Swanson pointed out in Model Railroader’s December 2005 Information Desk column. However, the AC6000CW designation is an easy one to decipher. The AC means the unit has alternating current traction motors, 6,000 is the horsepower, C indicates that the locomotive has six-axle (C-C) trucks, and W is the designation for North American (or wide-nose) cab.
But GE’s AC6000CW can be summed up with a simpler designation: “big.” The 76-foot-long locomotive has flared radiators at the rear of the hood to cool its 6,000-hp 7HDL16 engine with twin 7S1408D turbochargers. The unit rides on high-adhesion trucks with GED13 AC traction motors and has a 5,500-gallon fuel tank. Unlike most modern GE units, the air reservoirs are located above the tank instead of being set into the side, resulting in a stepped walkway on the engineer’s side.
In the five-year (1995-2000) production run, 207 AC6000CWs were built. Union Pacific and CSX were the only domestic railroads to purchase the locomotives; BHP Iron Ore Limited in Australia ordered eight for use on its 320-car, 39,000-ton ore trains.
In addition, GE also manufactured 107 AC6000CW “convertibles” during a two-plus year production run. The convertible name indicates that the units were originally built with 4,400-hp 7FDL16 engines that can be replaced, or converted, at some future date, with a 6,000-hp engine. Union Pacific was the only railroad to purchase convertibles. The easiest way to tell the two locomotives apart is to look at the roof. Convertibles have one exhaust stack while the stock AC6000CWs have two. Broadway Limited’s model is based on the latter.
The acetal plastic handrails are crisply molded, with separate contrasting (white) vertical corner handrails that press-fit into sockets on the stanchions.
Not to be overlooked are the plastic high-adhesion trucks, which have individually applied brake cylinders, air lines, and snubbers. The CSX and BHP Iron Ore versions have appropriate steerable truck sideframes to match the prototypes.
The model’s dimensions match drawings that were published in the September 1996 Model Railroader. One detail difference, though, involves the grid panels below the radiator air intake. The grid-panel arrangement was different on CSX and UP units, but our model didn’t match either of these prototypes.
Our sample came decorated for Southern Pacific. The railroad ordered three AC6000CWs, to be numbered 600-602, but they wound up being delivered to the Union Pacific following the SP’s 1996 merger and were numbered 70107012. While no prototype existed in this fantasy paint scheme, it does follow the livery used on SP’s huge fleet of similar looking AC4400CWs.
The paint is smooth and evenly applied, and the lettering is crisp and opaque. The GE builder’s plate is printed outside of its frame, and a few small warning labels are out of register, but these details can easily be fixed with a bit of paint and some decals.
To get into the mechanism, I removed the draft gear boxes and set them aside. Then I detached the grab irons from the cab and separated it from the body. Next, I lifted out the cab interior and unscrewed the circuit board that holds the front headlight and number box lights. With the board out of the way, I gently loosened the four plastic tabs snapped into slots in the die-cast metal frame and lifted off the shell.
Once inside, I removed the worm housing from the damaged truck and unplugged its wiring from the main circuit board (located inside the radiator). Finally, I installed the worm and gear on the new truck, snapped the worm housing in place, and reconnected the plug on the circuit board.
The engine performed well with its new truck. It started moving at 1.8 volts (5.3 scale mph) and reached a top speed of 86.3 mph, which is about 10 mph faster than the prototype’s maximum.
Fans of big, modern diesel locomotives will certainly enjoy the BLI AC6000CW. Union Pacific’s fleet of heavy-duty locomotives roam the country as part of its many locomotive pooling agreements, so this hefty unit would look great on almost any unit train or long manifest freight.
Price: $139.99;
undecorated $129.99
Manufacturer
Broadway Limited Imports
4 Signal Ave., Ste. C
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
www.broadway-limited.com
Description
Plastic-and-metal ready-to-run locomotive with Digital Command Control plug
Road names
BHP Iron Ore, CSX*, Southern Pacific**, Union Pacific*, and undecorated
*Two road numbers
**Fantasy paint scheme
Features
Detailed cab interior
Die-cast metal frame
Directional headlight (number boards and ditch lights constant)
Engine weight: 27 ounces
Five-pole can motor with flywheel
Illuminated number boxes
Magnetic knuckle couplers, mounted at the correct height
Minimum radius: 22″
Operating ditch lights
Painted crew figures
Printed-circuit board with NMRA-recommended eight-pin Digital Command Control (DCC) plug
RP-25 contour wheels, in gauge
Separately applied details
I ask for hand holds and this is what came up?
This loco looks awsome to trying to get one.please read my 4-6-6-4 athearn challenger one too if it shows up.