Western Railroad Discussion > Trona Railway gets grant for Tier 4 locomotives

 Straight from the FRA website earlier this week stating all the grants given to railroads across the country.  
  Trona Railway Co. strategic aquisition of efficient and clean Tier 4 locomotives. (up to $13,112,150)
The proposed project was selected for construction and includes replacement of 6 uncontrolled locomotives with 3 Tier 4 locomotives. The project alignes with the selection criteria by improving safety and resilience, as it will reduce fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions benifiting the users TRC serves and residence in Northern San Bernardino County. TRC and CARB will contribute the 25% non-federal match.
  No idea of timeline on this acquisition or whether they will be new or used.

Saving the world by speding $$$$$ on 2-3 trains a week in the desert.   Have these nuts ever seen the # of trucks just on the I-5 every day.

Stupidity in political spending as usual.

electric locos? no, but the money will go to buying used 44W and SD70's. that's my bet

Gotta clean up the air where no one lives. Sorry, okay, where very, very few live. 
What PDT said, Totally STUPID use of taxpayer's money as government is want to do. Why do I think this money would be better spent in urban areas where pollution is a real problem, not in god forsaken uninhabited deserts?
Never mind, I was thinking, not what government agencies do. Then again maybe the industriy in Trona can use a political financial boost (windfall) to secure newer locomotives and boost profits?
What a misdirected mess our government is.
Well perhaps they will have locos with decent paint and not all those faded orphans they have today.
A railfan benifit from a few million greenbacks?
Gonut
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/24 19:27 by Gonut1.

dragoon Wrote:
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> electric locos? no, but the money will go to
> buying used 44W and SD70's. that's my bet

They're not Tier 4.

And the new locomotives will still be hauling coal to Trona. 

Out 

pdt Wrote:
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> Saving the world by speding $$$$$ on 2-3 trains a
> week in the desert.   Have these nuts ever seen
> the # of trucks just on the I-5 every day.
>
> Stupidity in political spending as usual.

Excellent Tu Quoque.

Donate the Tunnel motors or one of them to Southern California Railway museum. 

czuleget Wrote:
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> Donate the Tunnel motors or one of them to
> Southern California Railway museum. 

Part of the funding came from the CARB, there may be strings attached...

They might be useful for museum parts, but with them getting the SF sd45-2 I don't know if they would be willing to get another engine from this generation of diesel. I hope they can too, but I feel they will get deactivated. I hope they replace them with something good, maybe if they come up with a cool paint scheme I'll get over it.

Looking at this I don't really know if 3 tier 4 units would be enough for some of those long loaded trains. I thought it was pretty steep. Maybe they are keeping a pair of sd40s. I guess good on them for getting the state to pay to replace those old units, they were probably overdue on some big overhauls and fully depreciated.

Well yes if the Tier IV units like like the WABTEC BNSF "heavies", they are close to 2
SD40-2 units in tractive effort. Wonder how their track would like 3 436K locomotives
grinding up the hill.

Out 

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saving the world by speding $$$$$ on 2-3 trains a
> week in the desert.   Have these nuts ever seen
> the # of trucks just on the I-5 every day.
>
> Stupidity in political spending as usual.

The same rules have to apply to everyone. It's more than 2-3 trains per week, and those old diesels (though i like them as much as any railfan) churn out a lot of crap! 

Gonut1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gotta clean up the air where no one lives. Sorry,
> okay, where very, very few live. 
> What PDT said, Totally STUPID use of taxpayer's
> money as government is want to do. Why do I think
> this money would be better spent in urban areas
> where pollution is a real problem, not in god
> forsaken uninhabited deserts?
>  

Ignorance and arrogance in abundance with these comments...... it's not just about air quality for humans; those 'uninhabited' deserts are full of fragile ecosystems and rare species. They are at least as worthy of protection as humanised areas, possibly more! 
That's before you consider carbon enissions reduction.

And there's this thing called "the atmosphere" which covers the globe and is accumulating carbon dioxide. Emissions in the desert get distributed worldwide. 

Yes, it's a small step. But big things can happen by adding small steps together. 

march_hare Wrote:
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> And there's this thing called "the atmosphere"
> which covers the globe and is accumulating carbon
> dioxide. Emissions in the desert get distributed
> worldwide. 
>
> Yes, it's a small step. But big things can happen
> by adding small steps together. 

Bingo.

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gonut1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Gotta clean up the air where no one lives.
> Sorry,
> > okay, where very, very few live. 
> > What PDT said, Totally STUPID use of taxpayer's
> > money as government is want to do. Why do I
> think
> > this money would be better spent in urban areas
> tems.....> where pollution is a real problem, not in god
> > forsaken uninhabited deserts?
> >  
>
> Ignorance and arrogance in abundance with these
> comments...... it's not just about air quality for
> humans; those 'uninhabited' deserts are full of
> fragile ecosystems and rare species. They are at
> least as worthy of protection as humanised areas,
> possibly more! 
> That's before you consider carbon enissions
> reduction.

Well said.  A lot of ignorant people out there.  Do they think that the exhaust and emissions only stay in that area and don't move?  Plus the fragile ecosyssystems is correct.  Too bad these writers responding to this have limited education or narrow-minded thoughts. 

Aw heck, use the money to kill rattle snakes!

Does anyone know if the coal power plant 
in Trona uses any carbon dioxide scrubbers
in the stack?
I've been by there many times over the years
and to my eyes it looks like an old pre-emissions
unregulated coal power plant....in CARB regulated
California yet! 
George Andrassy 
 

Auburnrail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know if the coal power plant 
> in Trona uses any carbon dioxide scrubbers
> in the stack?
> I've been by there many times over the years
> and to my eyes it looks like an old pre-emissions
> unregulated coal power plant....in CARB regulated
> California yet! 
> George Andrassy 

Scroll about 2/3 down through the following website and it states that the plant does utilize carbon capture technology.
https://www.gem.wiki/Argus_Cogeneration_Plant

Units 8 and 9 date to 1978 and each can produce 27.5 MW.  Unit 5 goes back to 1947 and I assume is inoperative.