Western Railroad Discussion > Heavy diesels

I think I've heard somewhere in the past that NW or NS had specially ballasted diesels to use in areas with big grades. So, I have a question about the heaviest diesels in US, not counting the DDA40X and family DD units. Does someone know something about specially ballasted units in NS or other railroad?

Pedro

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,

We know that CSX ballasted to 432K and the new BNSF order is 436K, haven't seen any performance numbers yet bu the
CSX units were reported to start at about 200K.

Out 

The NS SD70ACe, SD70ACC, AC44C6M, ES44AC, ET44AC, as well as a portion of its SD70ACU rebuilds are all weighted to 432,000 pounds.

Chris Toth
NSDash9.com

Many of UP's locomotives are "AH" models with heavier ballasting. These include the SD70AH (both the T2/T3 as well as the T4 models), which are 427,000 lbs, and the C45AH (ES44ACs and ET44ACs), which are 432,000.

A. Elges

Honestly, does a more ballasted unit of any type deserve a special model designation? In "ye days of olde" it would have just been a more ballasted SD9, SD35, SD40 or whatever.

TJY

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly, does a more ballasted unit of any type
> deserve a special model designation? In "ye days
> of olde" it would have just been a more ballasted
> SD9, SD35, SD40 or whatever.
>
> TJY


The 2 PRR SD7’s for Madison Hill in Indiana didn’t any special designations.

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly, does a more ballasted unit of any type
> deserve a special model designation? In "ye days
> of olde" it would have just been a more ballasted
> SD9, SD35, SD40 or whatever.
>
> TJY

H is the designator...if indeed they that think up mnemonics wish to use a designator.

I believe they did on the PRR roster.

Victor Baird


ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The 2 PRR SD7’s for Madison Hill in Indiana
> didn’t any special designations.
>
> Posted from iPhone

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe they did on the PRR roster.
>
> Victor Baird
>
>
> ALCO630 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > The 2 PRR SD7’s for Madison Hill in Indiana
> > didn’t any special designations.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone

PRR SD7's, 8588 and 8589. Ballasted to 360,000. They had a minimum C.T.E of 87,700 at 4.6 mph, with the low gear ratio installed for Hill Climbing. As built, no MU capabilities, Pennsy used them as single units. Bought for use on Madison Hill, a 1.5 Mile Long, 5.89% grade between Madison and North Madison Ind.  Pennsy classified them as ES-15a, model number itself never changed, just SD7. They were also built with a rail washing system, that helped "remove" any leaves and other objects on rails. PC Renumbered them as 690-6951 first, then 6998-6999. Kept the same numbers thru CR.  Ben

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly, does a more ballasted unit of any type
> deserve a special model designation?

Builder designation is one thing, railroad company designation is another.

ES15ax

Victor Baird


ns2557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> PRR SD7's, 8588 and 8589. Ballasted to 360,000.
> They had a minimum C.T.E of 87,700 at 4.6 mph,
> with the low gear ratio installed for Hill
> Climbing. As built, no MU capabilities, Pennsy
> used them as single units. Bought for use on
> Madison Hill, a 1.5 Mile Long, 5.89% grade between
> Madison and North Madison Ind.  Pennsy classified
> them as ES-15a, model number itself never changed,
> just SD7. They were also built with a rail washing
> system, that helped "remove" any leaves and other
> objects on rails. PC Renumbered them as 690-6951
> first, then 6998-6999. Kept the same numbers thru
> CR.  Ben

On trains with run-through power between lines, I wonder if any railroads are making requests to send the heavies (or not send the heavies) ?

ns2557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wabash2800 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I believe they did on the PRR roster.
> >
> > Victor Baird
> >
> >
> > ALCO630 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> >
> > > The 2 PRR SD7’s for Madison Hill in Indiana
> > > didn’t any special designations.
> > >
> > > Posted from iPhone
>
> PRR SD7's, 8588 and 8589. Ballasted to 360,000.
> They had a minimum C.T.E of 87,700 at 4.6 mph,
> with the low gear ratio installed for Hill
> Climbing. As built, no MU capabilities, Pennsy
> used them as single units. Bought for use on
> Madison Hill, a 1.5 Mile Long, 5.89% grade between
> Madison and North Madison Ind.  Pennsy classified
> them as ES-15a, model number itself never changed,
> just SD7. They were also built with a rail washing
> system, that helped "remove" any leaves and other
> objects on rails. PC Renumbered them as 690-6951
> first, then 6998-6999. Kept the same numbers thru
> CR.  Ben

Maybe if they would have had a better designation, Beech Grove wouldn't have screwed them up when they overhauled them and almost killed people.