Friday, September 7, 2012

Union Pacific Unveils Reduced Emissions Train


Union Pacific Railroad has unveiled an experimental reduced emissions locomotive at its JR Davis Yard in Roseville, California.

The UP 9900, which spent years in development, is to be used for operations in Northern California ranging about 200 miles from its Roseville base, according to the railroad. While in service, it will test three emissions-reducing technologies: exhaust gas recirculation, diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters.

The train, according to Union Pacific, is the signature unit in a series of 25 locomotives that UP is analyzing as part of a broad test of various emissions-reduction techniques in both northern and southern California.

Union Pacific engineers worked with locomotive manufacturer Electro-Motive Diesel to reduce the standard freight locomotive engine size in the UP 9900 to create the space needed to install the emission reduction technologies.

UP says the three technologies will be used simultaneously in UP 9900 testing, and are expected to help further development of a locomotive that meets the US EPA’s Tier 4 emission standard.

Union Pacific and the California Air Resources Board plan to jointly analyze the locomotive’s emissions-reductions capability over the next 18 months.

The UP 9900 is scheduled to be available for public viewing Saturday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. 30 in Old Sacramento, California as part of the railroad’s community celebration, dubbed “Union Pacific – Building America for 150 Years!” The event is a partnership with California State Parks and the California State Railroad Museum, and commemorates 150 years since President Abraham Lincoln created the original Union Pacific by signing the Pacific Railway Act of July 1, 1862.