Siemens Is Recommended over EMD and MotivePower for Amtrak Diesel Order
SIEMENS MOBILITY WAS THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER in the re- cent contest for the contract to build up to 35 higher-speed, EPA Tier 4 compliant diesel locomotives for a consortium of states operating Amtrak services in the Midwest and on the West Coast. While the contract has yet to be formally awarded, on December 18, 2013, William Grunloh, Chief Procurement Officer of the Illinois Department of Transportation, recommended that Siemens get the order. (IDOT is the lead agency in the procurement.) In addition to offering the lowest price, Siemens scored the highest combined “responsiveness” and price scores. 21 of the new loco- motives will go to the Midwest Coalition of Michigan, Illinois, and Mis- souri, six to Caltrans, and from five to eight units will go to the Washing- ton DOT, depending on funding. The procurement includes an option for
up to 225 additional units in long-distance and corridor configurations. Details about the new locomotives have been hard to come by. Siemens and Cummins announced in December 2013 that they would team up to build a 125 m.p.h. diesel locomotive using the 16-cylinder Cummins QSK95 engine “generating more than 4000 h.p.” Cummins documenta- tion pegs the 16-cylinder QSK95’s maximum output at 4200 h.p., while EMD’s competing F125 uses a 4700 h.p. 20-cylinder Caterpillar C-175 en- gine; it’s hard to imagine that the Siemens units will not at least equal the competition’s horsepower. Will the QSK95 be configured as a more powerful 20-cylinder engine, or will a pair of smaller engines be used, as in the Bombardier ALP45DP with twin 12-cylinder Caterpillar 3512C HD’s? We’ll have to wait to find out more. — WALT LANKENAU
Amtrak Durango & Silverton and the Polar Express
DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE MIKADO NO. 486 makes the afternoon run toward Durango after a 52-mile round trip to the Cascade Canyon wye on January 14, 2014. The former Rio Grande K-36 2-8-2 is lettered for that evening’s “The Polar Express” event. No. 486 has been featured in a Polar Express training and marketing video that’s currently in pro- duction that’s aimed at tourist lines which are interested in operating Polar Express trains.
22 FEBRUARY 2014 •
RAILFAN.COM
ROANOKE SERVICE MOVES AHEAD: On January 9, 2014, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced that the Common- wealth has entered into an agreement with Norfolk Southern to improve rail infrastruc- ture between Lynchburg and Roanoke in order to bring Amtrak service to the Star City of the South. The project is in the design phase now and will include track reconfigura- tion and additions, upgrades to communica- tions and signal systems, clearance improve- ments, and the installation of a station platform and Amtrak servicing facilities in downtown Roanoke. Virginia will pay the $92.7 million cost, which includes $10 million for the new Roanoke facilities. Service is ex- pected to begin in 2017.
OREGON TALGOS ARE PUT TO WORK: At long last, the Oregon Department of Trans- portation’s two new Series 8 Talgo trains en- tered service on January 6, 2014. Named
JERRY DAY
SIEMENS MOBILITY
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