Western Railroad Discussion > the first GEVO I've seen in the PRB

Yesterday I finally saw my first GEVO out at the mine, briefly. I'd heard that BN planned to start using the GEVOs next on coal trains for the PRB but I'd not seen any yet. BNSF 5725 was the 2nd unit on a coal train that was almost loaded at North Antelope when we did our morning crew change. (I'm a contractor on-site train operator/inspector there) I only had a brief moment to look at it after I swapped with the operator from the night shift though, before the mine loudout swapped out their crew and was ready to resume loading. Then I had other things to worry about.

The lead unit, which was a 56-something AC44, was all messed up and wouldn't load. Usually though, if this sort of thing happens, the computer will still try to generate a slow speed "pacesetter" signal and send it out through the MU cable for the trailing unit(s) and they'll pick it up and do the "pacesetting" instead - in this case though, all the GEVO would do in response to this signal was to give me full effort for throttle notch instead of pacesetting along. D'oh!!! (So I had to control the speed by hand, by modulating the independant locomotive brake - good thing I only had 10 cars left to load to deal with, as this process is a pain in the butt, especially with the lead not giving any effort- I had no good "feel" for it)

Anyway, I'm hoping that this does not indicate that ES44's won't/can't pick up the MU slow speed signal in other instances from other BNSF AC44s, SD70MACS and SD75Ms/Is that we see on a daily basis out here. Hopefully in this instance, it wouldn't cooperate because the lead unit had electrical problems. I'd hate to see this next generation of GE AC's not be able to work in slow speed mode when they'll probably see an increasing amount of them mixed into the fleet of coal train power down the line here!! I only had a few seconds to look at the screens in that GEVO - wanted to see if they really were set up like the UP AC60s and AC60/44s - they are - but it wouldn't let me punch up the Slow Speed mode, didn't even have it listed on the screen, but that was likely (again,hopefully!) because it is set up as a trailing unit so the computer disabled that option.

Too bad I had to "hand load" the train, as if the lead had run right, I had a student with me that I could have let run the lead then I'd have gone and checked out the 2nd unit and seen how it was running. As it was, I didn't even get to listen to the engine except when it was idling. (sounded a bit different, a think a little louder, or at least like that the diesel "knock" sound was more pronounced)

andy

After all these years, still have to worry about doing it by hand. Sheesh! Say, I have a photo for you, of your stomping ground at the mines with nice new CNW power and the silos in the background. Give me a call when you are in town here in FC. JLH

Today on the Alliance/Grand Island main, among the trains parked along the way was a KCP&L train, with one of the GEVO's as the pusher. Got some slide pics, but forget the number. Seeing the GEVO's more along this route. Today had more than the usual eastbounds parked. Crew problems? MOW activities?

Also, parked at Berwyn was a Georgia Power train, with two regular AC4400's in the lead and a 70MAC pusher.

Seeing more of the AC4400's and GEVO's on this line than I expected.