Are these Dash 9's that have been repainted into the Flags scheme, or are they AC4400's that are doing a stint of intermodal duty?
Right... the questions is, which modern GE units are they? Those radiators look just a little thicker to me than the "old" Dash 9, but of course that could be lens distortion too...
I think I'm seeing a Gevo-style lump on the radiators? Doesn't help with the AC/DC question, but I think they are neither an AC4400 or a C44-9W....
You are right, Martyn. See this GEVO? They are noted by UP on the cabs as C45ACCTE's. Extra-thick radiators, extra long radiators, bulging bubble on top of radiator, 5300-5500 series units...
200 C45ACCTE (AKA GEVO, AKA ES44AC)locomotives are on order from General Electric, to be numbered UP 5354-5553.
I was kinda suspecting something of the sort, but it's unusual - I don't recall ever seeing AC power running through Cajon Pass. I know it's not like I'm standing there 24/7 (I wish! ) but I've seen all kinds of weird and wonderful things there. Just don't recall any of the roads using much AC power on that stretch - and to see an entire lashup of AC's hauling intermodal struck me as odd. Does anybody know if this protends a change in power philosphy at UP (or BNSF for that matter)? My undestanding is they pretty much confined their AC power to things like the coal trains we see traipsing up and down the Joint Line, while using DC power for "regular" traffic. No?
William, They might be trying AC's on through freight or they might just not have had any other power for the train.Seeing different units on trains is usually just using the power that they had at the time.We use anything on the NS.The only limitations are the trains that go to the NorthEast corridor that must have cab signals on the lead locomotive.
These nice, shiny new diesels are starting to show up more & more thru Cheyenne, along with the new SD70MACes (what I call the "Big Aces"). Very nice shot of the new engines. GEVO........reminds me of an oddball New Age group from around 1979-1980.........
That would be Devo... and don't ask me how I remember, since I forgot what I ate for lunch 45 minutes ago "Crack that whip..." Ed Dillard
