Railroad Trains for the Soul: GE DASH 8-44CW (DASH 8/DASH 9 Hybrids)
As seen in my previous post, I caught one of the CSX 9000-series diesel locomotives that were originally designated as the DASH 8-44CW (or C44-8W), not to be confused with the more popular and higher-selling DASH 9-44CW. Although it may look generic to some trainspotters, the C44-8W has an interesting story behind its development. Since the introduction of the DASH 8 series in the early 1980's, General Electric's best selling locomotives from that product line were rated at 4,000 horsepower. Examples include the narrow-nose DASH 8-40C (C40-8) and the wide-nose DASH 8-40CW (C40-8W), both of which have six-wheel trucks and microprocessor controls.
While GE debuted the DASH 9 series in 1993, additional locomotives from the predecessor line were in production. Union Pacific and Santa Fe received their fleets of 4,100-hp comfort-cab units designated as the DASH 8-41CW (C41-8W). Other than its slightly increased output, this model looks very similar to the C40-8W. What's even more unique was CSX's order for 53 of the only DASH 8 locomotives rated at 4,400 hp. Built between 1993 and 1994, the DASH 8-44CW perhaps marked the finale to the DASH 8 line for North American customers.
Under the hood, the CSX 9000-series units feature a limited amount of DASH 9 technology, including electronic fuel injection and split cooling. On the exterior, however, they seem to resemble previously built comfort-cab DASH 8's because they all ride on the older truck design instead of the new Hi-Ad trucks, one of the most notable spotting features on a DASH 9. Other than the CSX unit numbers, there is one noticeable detail unique to the C44-8W, as covered in Jeff Wilson's Guide to North American Diesel Locomotives. Aside from the old-style truck side frames, a pair of wings in the radiator section are thicker than those on a typical DASH 8 to accommodate the split cooling system, which became standard for all DASH 9 locomotives. While some DASH 8's include that innovation as an optional feature, most of them have thinner radiator wings.
Despite the DASH 8-style trucks mixed with the successor's split cooling system, CSX designated these transitional diesels as DASH 9-44CW's (or CW44-9's). Shortly after, the railroad received its first fleet of GE AC4400CW's (CW44AC's) and eventually ended up with hundreds of AC-motored locomotives. However, the last DC-motored locomotives built for CSX are the Evolution Series ES44DC's. Eventually, all the CW44-9's and the DC GEVO's within the roster had their power output decreased from 4,400 to 4,000 horsepower, so they were renamed CW40-9 and ES40DC. In a very sharp contrast, Norfolk Southern upgraded its as-built 4,000-hp GE models, the DASH 9-40CW and ES40DC, into the now standard 4,400-hp rating.
Today, three of the former CSX pre-DASH 9's as well as some regular DASH 8's (formerly CSX and Union Pacific) and 9's (ex-BNSF) are now part of the GECX lease fleet. The following video shows No. 9043 testing with one of GE's Tier 4 prototype locomotives, No. 2014. Although CSX never purchased a legitimate DASH 9, the first three of the hybrid DASH 8-44CW's (Nos. 9000-9002) allowed GE to successfully sell off hundreds of modern diesel locomotives with the latest technology. Those include the AC4400CW's, which have been so ubiquitous on the railroad's roster until the emergence of the GEVO-powered ES44AC's and ET44AC's.