International Railroad Discussion > More SD70BB ready for VLi (Brazil)

I got these pics last week when passing by EMD plant near here. I could see more than 25 units ready for delivery and others in different steps on manufacturing lines. The whole order is 72 units for while.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,

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A close up view of the group at EMD plant

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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Wow!  Photos 1 and 4.....the headon angle of the photo gives the locomotive's nose and cab an SP KM turret-cab look!  Does this EMD factory produce locomotives only for the the narrow gauge (I see no dual-gauge trackage)?

EMD plant in Brazil produce models to narrow and broad gauge. It will start to produce some SD80ACe (5,300 HP) to Vale broad gauge system soon. Broad gauge models were produced as EMD Demonstrators, Eldorado and VLI. Narrow gauge model was sold only to VLi, for while. Maybe Rumo will ask for GT46 and Vale will get some SD70BB too.
The models produced here are SD70ACe/45, SD70ACE-BB, GT46ACe. The GT38ACe are under construction

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Great pictures again Pedro. Any update on how the BB's are performing in service and the status of GE's competing new 8-axle AC loco?

Dave

Hi Dave,

The SD70BB are running pretty well now. Due to the end of the grain harvest just a few units are running, and in the Paulista corridor only. That's why we see so many units inside EMD plant. That is a safe location to store them.
Rumo got two SD70 Demonstrators and are using them in the South. I do not know if it has plans to order some.
The GE ES43BBi are doing good job on Rumo and Klabin. I have seen new parts to assembly more units arriving to GE plant. For while, I have no news if VLI will get them too. In fact, EMD is assembling new model GT38ACe to VLI to test of the substitute of the old GE's U20C.
It is said that the two SD70BB demonstrators are at Progress Rail shops in Hortolandia receiving the modifications in the cab and radiator section to be sent to Vale narrow gauge system for tests.
I'd like another opportunity to visit EMD shops to confirm these news, but since it is difficult, we need to wait a bit more to confirm all them when the models start running outside the plant.

Pedro

bogieman Wrote:
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> Great pictures again Pedro. Any update on how the
> BB's are performing in service and the status of
> GE's competing new 8-axle AC loco?
>
> Dave

Posted from Android

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Thanks Pedro.
Dave

Interesting that they stop running and store them during the end of the grain season. Do they not run them on normal traffic outside the rush?

I'm really curious about the clearances on these newer units. Much tighter looking than the first series - do you know how they compare to the ES43BBi? The GEs look maybe marginally smaller, but also they have the span bolsters so the frames are higher than the EMDs.

Great photos as always, Pedro. I'm always glad to see your updates.

The SD70BB's also have span bolsters, much of it is tucked up into the underframe so it isn't so readily visible. The span bolster also ducts the cooling air to the traction motors to avoid the large lateral displacement occurring at the end motors when the truck swings in a curve.

Dave

So,eight axles with eight traction mortors?   If so, these locos must have great tractive effort to start heavy trains.

Yes, VLI is using just three SD70BB to pull the same train type pulled by five GE BB40-9W's.

MEKoch Wrote:
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> So,eight axles with eight traction mortors?   If
> so, these locos must have great tractive effort to
> start heavy trains.

Posted from Android

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Fascinating photos.

KG

I don't believe they do actually. Pedro mentioned before iirc that they use something else instead of span bolsters. His latest post about them seems to who a bolsterless design.

MAN, I like the looks of thses "bad boys". Too bad they're going south. I'd love to see them pulling stacks on the TransCon !!

zorz Wrote:
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> I don't believe they do actually. Pedro mentioned
> before iirc that they use something else instead
> of span bolsters. His latest post about them seems
> to who a bolsterless design.

These bogies definitely have a span bolster, but the two-axle sub-bogies, as I call them, are bolsterless relative to the span bolster - between the span bolster and sub-bogie frames are rubber springs that are only about 75 mm tall that allow the sub-bogies to pivot relative to the bolster. Directly above the sub-bogie pivot springs are much taller rubber springs that allow the bolster to rotate relative to the underframe.

You can see the bogie arrangement in US patent 8,943,977 here: 
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,943,977.PN.&OS=PN/8,943,977&RS=PN/8,943,977

That's my name on this patent and seven others that cover this bogie design.

Dave

Well you definitely know what you're talking about then :)

Thanks for the link!

Posted from iPhone

A copy of the drawing shown in the Patent website indicated by Dave, Compare it to the GE (second picture)
 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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Hi, today EMD delivered more three units to VLI: 8385, 8386 and 8387. Here they are running at EVP yard as train S233.

Pedro

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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The builder´s plate
BTW, I saw in Trains magazine a news saying that EMD mark will be substituted by Progress Rail in all equipment and factories. Can we say EMD is gone forever and the next builder´s plate will have Progres Rail written on them?

Pedro

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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My understanding was the locomotives would continue to be marketed usning the Electro-Motive name but Electro-Motive Diesels as a company no longer exists as it has been merged into Progress Rail.

Dave