Western Railroad Discussion > "Dash 9s"

How many horsepower and truck versions are there of the "Dash 9? I know there are C44-9Ws...but are there others?

Nitnoidish minds want to know.

The DASH 9 comes in DC motor and AC motor versions. The DC motor version is called the DASH 9-44CW. Norfolk Southern's DASH 9's are called DASH 9-40CW's because they are rated at 4000 HP and not 4400 HP like the rest of the North American DASH 9's. NS also has DASH 9-40C's on its roster. They are identical to the DASH 9-40CW's but they have conventional spartan cabs and not widenoses like all other DASH 9 DC locos. CSXT has 53 locos that are labled as DASH 9-44CW's that have DASH 8-40CW carbodies and trucks, but with DASH 9 innards and the thick radiator and taller exhaust stack. All other DC DASH 9 locos in North America have the Hi AD "rollerblade" truck. The AC version of the DASH 9 is called the AC4400CW. All are rated at 4400 HP and all have the widenose. They either ride on the Hi Ad truck or on radial self steering trucks. None of the AC4400CW locos have the DASH 8 trucks or bodies. Brazil and Argentina both have DASH 9's with DASH 8 trucks and bodies and the big radiators and stacks. Brazil also has DASH 9's with the regular DASH 9 body, but with 2 meter guage B trucks on span bolsters on each end and a smaller fuel tank. All of these South American DASH 9 locos have the widenose. Australia's Pilbara Railway Co. and predecessor Hammersley Iron have the DASH 9-44CW that is identical in appearance to the North American version with the DASH 9 body and Hi Ad trucks. The only real difference is that they have extra air intakes and are very heavy, weighing in at 436,000 lbs. They have the L shaped windshield like the CN and BC Rail DASH 9's, all others have the rectangular windshields as do all the AC4400CW's. All Mexican DASH 9,s are AC4400CWs and all ride on radial trucks as do the KCS AC4400CW's and the Cartier Railway AC4400CW's. CP and CSX have both Hi Ad and radial trucked AC4400CW's. BNSF and UP both have DASH 9-44CW and AC4400CW locos and some of UP's are known as AC4400CTE's and can decrease their tractive effort in certain types of service. All BNSF and UP DC and AC DASH 9 locos ride on Hi Ad trucks, with the exception of 3 UP AC4400CW's, which may have been converted to Hi Ad trucks. Some of UP's DASH 9-44CW's and AC4400CW's were inherited from C&NW and SP. Both of them rostered both AC and DC DASH 9's, all on Hi Ad trucks. Also, some of BNSF's DASH 9-44CW's were inherited from Santa Fe, all on Hi Ad trucks. (and they had the warbonnet red and silver, of course) This is the last year of DASH 9 production, as the GEVO is GE's loco of choice from 2005 onward. I will leave it to someone else to describe the AC6000CW, as I am tired and have to get up early tommorrow. Hope this helps. See you down the line.

Well...sorry to have worn you out. That did me as well.

However, thank you...it can't get much more "nitnoidish" than that.

How does a person learn all that anyway...work for GE?

Since they are all "Dash 9s"...why aren't they called...for example...C44-9W...like your namesake SD40-2 or the SD60M? SD40-2 is not called "Dash 2."

Since you seem to have written the book...when did the nomenclature change from something like C30-7...read "C30 dash 7" to the present day useage?

As it is...a C44-9W...is now called a "Dash 9 dash 44CW."

Kind'a anal I guess...but I think someone who didn't know what they were doing screwed it up one day...and it became the law of the land. I just like consistency.

Thanks for the kind words. Actually, I have never worked for GE. I have always been a fan of GE locos, as I have seen them since early child hood. I will always have fond memories of black SCL U18B's, U36B's, U30B's, and other black SCL locos including EMD's. Later, the Family Lines B23-7, BQ23-7,and the other Family Lines and Seaboard System locos. Later, the branch line that I live close to in South Miami was upgraded and this allowed six motor locos to come through on the long and heavy rock trains. B36-7's, DASH 8-40B's, DASH 8-40C's, DASH 8-40CW's, DASH 9-44CW's in the DASH 8 body, and C30-7 and C39-8 locos have been seen on the branch, including ex Conrails of these models. AC4400CW and AC6000CW locos have also come through this branch, as do the EMD six motor and four motor diesels, like SD70M locos, your namesake model and its conventional cab brother and SD70Mac's. There has also been leased HELM, CEFX, and other leased power, including C36-7's still in UP paint. I am also blessed by having FEC nearby. The runthrough NS power on FEC trains is usually DASH 9-40C and DASH 9 40CW locos. I love the ex UP SD40-2 locos on FEC, with their UP scheme in good condition and intact, with UP lettering replaced with the name Florida East Coast spelled out on the long hood along with the FEC logo and with a large FEC logo on the nose. Reminds me of Chessie System B30-7 and GP40-2 locos, which looked beautiful when they first showed up in Miami in'84. As to the model designations, some GE official decided on the cumbersome DASH designations in '87. As far as I can tell, only BNSF calls em what the builder calls em. According to Trains Magazine, the new GEVO locos will be called ES44DC for the DC motored loco and ES44AC for the AC motored loco, a sensible return to the past. See you down the line.