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5 June 2008

New Life for a GP9


GP22ECO number 7102 testing on Canadian Pacific shown in Alyth Yard, Calgary, Alberta - Date/photographer unknown.
 
 
Calgary Alberta - In 1954 and 1955, the Canadian Pacific Railway took delivery of 17 GP9 general-purpose road switchers. Nearly 4,100 of the four-axle workhorses were produced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and August 1963; of those, 646 were built for Canadian railroads. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 16-cylinder diesel engine that generated 1,750 hp. Many remain in service today, providing power for short lines and regionals, or in switching duties for Class I's.
 
Fifty-four years after it first saw CPR rails, one of the railroad's GP9s has been given new life by Electro-Motive Diesel (successor company to GM-EMD) and has returned to service on CPR as a 710ECO™ Repower.
 
GP22ECO No. 7102, rebuilt and repowered with a U.S. EPA Tier 2-compliant, 8-710G3A-T2, 2,150-hp, single-turbocharged eight-cylinder diesel, "allows railroads to leverage their fleet investment by updating older yard and road switchers with the latest microprocessor-controlled locomotive engine technology, for lower emissions, increased fuel economy, greater reliability, easier serviceability, and predictable maintenance costs," according to EMD Product Manager Kevin Bahnline. "These locomotives minimize fuel consumption while maintaining emissions compliance. Their 25% fuel savings and 50% lube oil reductions are especially important for railroads facing rapidly escalating costs. And up to 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions makes them eligible for both state and federal funding as clean air projects." Bahnline adds that their EPA-certified emissions exceed Tier 2 requirements.
 
Also available with a 12-cylinder, 3,150-hp 12-710G3B-T2 powerplant, EMD's new Repower series locomotives are equipped with the EM2000 microprocessor control system, "which significantly increases all-weather adhesion with tractive effort up to 87,500 pounds," electronuc fuel injection, an AR10 traction alternator, and a fully-integrated Automatic Engine Start Stop (AESS) system. "A 90% parts commonality with existing fleets reduces spares inventory and makes service simple, with familiar tools and procedures," says Bahnline. "The flexible software platform allows engines to be tuned for future emission compliance." EMD claims a 15,000MWh (megawatt-hour) overhaul cycle.
 
No. 7102 is currently undergoing long-term product testing and evaluation in daily revenue service.
 
 
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