Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Unit Question

About a week ago I saw a CSX unit in Fairfield CA.( We don't get those out here much ) Getting ready to pull the Napa Pipe Train and the unit number was 241 I believe it was an AC4400 the strange part is the truck it looks different from the UP AC4400 that pass through here, is there a reason why this truck is built differently
or was this a prototype of some sort?

Thx
Fallenflag2000
Harry Armstrong.

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It's GE's version of a Steerable truck like that on the SD70m's and SD90MACS

I'm not familiar with UP's trucks under their
AC4400's, but this is just a regular GE self-
steering C truck used under their AC's. I think
there may be more than one version, but that big
bracket over the center axle is part of the
"hinge" that allows the truck to pivot on curves
(it "steers" into the curves)

This is the standard “Radial” truck from GE used on AC4400CWs and AC6000CWs. Some early AC4400CWs got the non-radial HI-Adhesion trucks used on the Dash-9 six-axle units. CSX’s first 100 AC4400CWs got that type of truck. You also may have seen a UP Dash-9 and mistaken it for the AC version.

Galen Wright
Lynchburg, VA
K4CnO

I believe that all but a couple of UP's GE AC's have just the Hi-Ad trucks and not the radials. CP's first AC4400 order also had just the plain Hi-Ad's. Suprised GE doesn't make them standard even on DC models as does EMD. Does anyone know how much cheaper it is to order a GE with Hi-Ad's then the Radials?

Would be interested to know which truck is classed as the 'standard'... UP's Hi-Ad or CSX's Radial ... to be honest i think the GE radial is pretty ugly (imho)... and don't think i would like to see one painted bright silver underneath a BNSF Dash 9 !!

Presumably Radials are more money and UP didn't consider them worth the extra cost compared with CSX AC's negotiating tight curves in mine country the ??

Interesting there are no DC radial GE's (as far as i know)

Tangoman, England

Tangoman wrote:

> Would be interested to know which truck is classed as the
> 'standard'... UP's Hi-Ad or CSX's Radial ... to be honest
> i think the GE radial is pretty ugly (imho)... and don't think
> i would like to see one painted bright silver underneath a BNSF
> Dash 9 !!
>
> Presumably Radials are more money and UP didn't consider them
> worth the extra cost compared with CSX AC's negotiating tight
> curves in mine country the ??
>
> Interesting there are no DC radial GE's (as far as i know)
>
> Tangoman, England
>
> [%sig%]


The Hi-Ad trucks are the standard equipment for all 6 axle GE locomotives. The Hi-Ad trucks are found under all of the C40-9,C40-9W and C44-9W locomotives. GE does offer 2 versions of steerable trucks, such as the Generation 1 steerable found under the CSX AC4400CW in the posted photo. There is also a modified Generation 2 steerable truck found under the 8 BHP Iron Ore AC6000CW's. The steerable trucks are an extra cost item on GE's. The GE steerables are also much more maintainence intensive than EMD's own radial HTCR trucks. Cost and maintainence are the most likely reasons for UP not adopting the steerable trucks on its GE units. FWIW, several years ago UP did have 3 new AC44's delivered with the steerable trucks for testing, and its obvious that they did not feel the extra cost was warranted as all of their GE units have continued to be delivered with Hi-Ad's.

Bryan Jones

CSX units #1-173 were all delivered with the normal GE "Hi-Ad" trucks. #2 was the first CSX unit equipped with the GE "steerable" trucks and #1 was likewise equipped for testing. #2 now has normal "Hi-Ad" trucks again and #1 still reportedly has the test steerables.

Later CSX AC4400s (starting at #201 - as CSX skipped unit numbers 174-200 - and going up through 599 as well as the new 5100 series units) were all delivered with the steerable trucks.

All of UP's AC4400s (including those from C&NW and SP) have been delivered with regular "Hi-Ad" trucks with the exception of three units - UP #6885-6887 - which were delivered with steerables for testing but soon had them replaced by regular "Hi-Ad" trucks.

All of CSX's C60ACs except for #602 have steerable trucks. #600-602 were delivered with "Hi-Ad" trucks but #600 and #601 received steerables shortly thereafter with #600 getting the "Generation 2" steerables (like the Australian BHP units) for several months of testing before replacement with the normal GE steerables. All of the UP C60ACs have the regular "Hi-Ad" trucks and none have had steerables.

The latest CP Rail (8500 and 9600 series), all KCS, and all TFM AC4400s also have the GE steerable trucks whereas the BNSF AC4400 trio do not.

- BCM

I saw unit 234 and 257 going west this morning about 8:15 thru Auburn, IN.

Due to the fact GE had to "overdesign" the trucks to get around EMDs Patent on its Radial trucks they are more complicated. The trucks have excessive wear problems on the pivot. The "pin" or cylindrical piece of metal (The piece that holds the truck sides together) wears down fairly fast. GE has been working with lubricant types to abate this problem. The problem is more aparent on the heavier AC60 units then the AC44 units.

CSXT orders the trucks due to the number of mine spurs and curvy eastern track these units must traverse.

I do belive the above problem is only for the Gen 1 trucks. The Gen 2 trucks dont have this problem but cost MUCH MUCH more due to the extra tooling needed for these trucks and the low number of orders keeps the cost inflated.