Top Three Most Powerful GE Passenger Diesels
Like all major diesel builders, General Electric had made a lot of passenger locomotives but not as many types as those manufactured by Electro-Motive. Here are the top three most powerful diesel locomotives intended for passenger duty. As before, we’ll begin with the third place and move up to the first.
First up, the Bronze Medal of Passenger Power is going to a couple of GE six-axle U36C variants: the U36CG and U34CH for the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (N de M) and the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad respectively. In the early 1970’s, the New Jersey Department of Transportation provided funding for the purchase of 32 U34CH locomotives, which were assigned to haul commuter trains on E-L trackage. Although the diesel engine of each unit could produce up to 3,600 horsepower, it actually could provide only 3,430 hp for the traction motors in order for the remainder to generate the head-end power through a HEP alternator, connected to the prime mover with the same crankshaft. In contrast, the Mexican U36CG used a diesel-burning steam generator that was isolated from the main engine, thus providing the full 3,600 hp. Only 20 examples of this type were manufactured exclusively for N de M. It should be noted that a diesel engine is intended to produce horsepower for not just the traction motors but also for auxiliary locomotive components such as batteries, air compressor, radiator fans, etc. Let’s not make things too complicated. While the U34CH might not produce the full 3,600 traction horsepower like a regular U36C would, both the CG and CH versions have the same 16-cylinder 7FDL diesel engine, so the difference between their power ratings is relatively small.
As a side note, the Auto-Train Corporation once purchased a fleet of GE four-axle U36B locomotives to carry passengers and their automobiles between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida. However, these units were not actually built with hotel power equipment because the railroad used several steam generator cars that were converted from baggage cars, boxcars, diesel B units, and even steam locomotive tenders.
Up next, the Silver Medal of Passenger Power is going to the first model of General Electric’s GENESIS series: the four-axle P40DC. Introduced in 1993, the P40 (a.k.a. AMD-103) was a solution to Amtrak’s search for a better locomotive fleet to replace its older and less efficient units in the form of the EMD F40PH as well as the GE P30CH. Despite its custom-designed monocoque appearance, the GENESIS contains much of the same mechanical and electrical equipment used on the 4,000-hp DASH 8 freight locomotives. GE initially called it DASH 8-40BP but later applied Amtrak’s naming style to other GENESIS models. Of all the 44 P40 locomotives built exclusively for Amtrak, some were assigned to Auto-Train services that were inherited from the defunct company of the same name as mentioned earlier. In 2009, when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, 15 out of 32 P40’s remaining on the Amtrak roster were modernized with higher horsepower and a few other features that are standard on the next locomotive to be analyzed.
And now, winning the Gold Medal of Passenger Power is the P40’s bigger yet younger sister: the 4,250-hp P42DC. Produced between 1996 and 2001, the four-axle P42 is not only more powerful than any other GE passenger locomotive but was also sold in higher numbers than its predecessor. While the P40 and P42 were, of course, built in the same exterior dimensions, the latter is equipped with more advanced DASH 9 features, including electronic fuel injection and upgraded computer software. As a result, the P42 provides a higher top speed of 110 miles per hour. A total of 228 units were built for Amtrak (207) and VIA Rail Canada (21). Although the P42 is considered to be the most reliable GE passenger diesel locomotive, it is the builder’s final model geared for that type of service. In the next blog post, we’ll talk more about the GE GENESIS series to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2023.
