GE AC6000CW
The AC6000CW is a diesel electric locomotive built by GE Transportation in the 1990s to compete with Electro Motive in the 6,000 horsepower range. The locomotive is essentially an elongated AC4400CW (to 76 ft.) to accommodate a larger radiator in order to cool its 6,250 hp (4,660 kW) engine.
To achieve 6,250 hp, the existing 7FDL engine was deemed insufficient and a new one had to be built. This resulted in the form of the 7HDL, co-developed by GE and German firm Deutz Power Systems. However, similar to the story of the EMD 265 engine for the SD90MAC, the 7HDL was not ready to be delivered with the AC6000 and the 4,390 hp 7FDL was fitted to the units (UP designated them AC4460CW) with the option of swapping in the 7HDL once the engine was ready.
Today AC6000CW and AC4460CW happily coexist although some 6000s are being converted to 4460s. GE is also performing engine upgrade on some AC6000CWs with the 6,000 hp 16 cylinder Evolution Series, however, since the electrical components of the locomotives remain the same, these units are not re-designated as ES60AC. A total of 311 AC6000s were produced (including the 4,390 hp units) for Australia’s BHP Billiton, CSX Transportation, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Click here for a video on YouTube of the record setting BHP Billiton iron ore train running at 24,000 ft. with 8 distributed AC6000CWs (that's all the AC6000s they have!). The YouTube user had requested embedding to be disabled therefore only the link could be provided here.
Here's another interesting video of a passionate man filming a train pulled by the AC6000.
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| The visibly larger radiator of the AC6000CW |
To achieve 6,250 hp, the existing 7FDL engine was deemed insufficient and a new one had to be built. This resulted in the form of the 7HDL, co-developed by GE and German firm Deutz Power Systems. However, similar to the story of the EMD 265 engine for the SD90MAC, the 7HDL was not ready to be delivered with the AC6000 and the 4,390 hp 7FDL was fitted to the units (UP designated them AC4460CW) with the option of swapping in the 7HDL once the engine was ready.
Today AC6000CW and AC4460CW happily coexist although some 6000s are being converted to 4460s. GE is also performing engine upgrade on some AC6000CWs with the 6,000 hp 16 cylinder Evolution Series, however, since the electrical components of the locomotives remain the same, these units are not re-designated as ES60AC. A total of 311 AC6000s were produced (including the 4,390 hp units) for Australia’s BHP Billiton, CSX Transportation, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Click here for a video on YouTube of the record setting BHP Billiton iron ore train running at 24,000 ft. with 8 distributed AC6000CWs (that's all the AC6000s they have!). The YouTube user had requested embedding to be disabled therefore only the link could be provided here.
Here's another interesting video of a passionate man filming a train pulled by the AC6000.
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