Friday, July 17, 2009

Downer EDI Rail’s GT46C ACe locomotive hailed ‘King of the Mountain’

Following independent testing of Australia’s, mainline diesel-electric standard gauge locomotives, Downer EDI Rail’s GT46C ACe, has claimed the title of ‘king of the mountain’, comprehensively beating its competitors.

RailCorp recently conducted a formal back-to-back trial of the two Australian designed and manufactured mainline locomotives on the steeply graded Cowan Bank.

Downer EDI Rail CEO, Guy Wannop said this section of track (north of Sydney) formed part of the busiest mainline in Australia, mixing commuter passenger services with intermodal and bulk freight trains.

“Given the combined function of the line, it is critical for train operators and the track owner to maintain strict schedules for train running times to avoid congestion,” Mr Wannop said.

Three AC traction locomotives from both suppliers were tested separately, each hauling the same 4250 tonne coal train in a back to back comparison test up the Cowan Bank to determine if the section running times for that portion of track could be met by these locomotive models.

“Previously four older DC style locomotives were required however, the three Downer EDI Rail GT46C ACes were proven to perform superbly under the wet rail conditions, hauling the specified load in just 20 minutes. This is two minutes faster than the specified freight train section time,” Mr Wannop said.

“The superior performance of the Downer EDI Rail locomotive was achieved as a result of the advanced AC traction control system on the GT46C ACe combined with the high adhesion bogie design.

“These results highlight the benefits of AC traction to rail operators. The GT46C ACe reduces transit times, allows for increased loads, and lowers fuel consumption more than any other diesel-electric locomotive currently on the network,” Mr Wannop said.

Downer EDI Rail also recently conducted a fuel consumption test of a GT46C ACe locomotive with the assistance of an independent testing laboratory. The tests confirmed that the engine and support systems of the GT46C ACe provide significantly lower brake specific fuel consumption than competitive locomotives.

The GT46C ACe, designed and built by Downer EDI Rail, features many benefits for operators including a 10,000 litre fuel capacity, in-line fuelling, 4300 traction horsepower for intermodal speeds, reduced fuel consumption and is the only Tier 2 emissions ready standard gauge locomotive on the Australian interstate network. It is currently in service with SCT Logistics and QRNational.

Downer EDi Limited

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