Why is it that the UP used other loco designations then original? Example: a AC4400CW is for the UP C44AC And is their a list what the AC or CW means? I know RS is for a Road Switcher and some others but i don't no many others.
UP does it, because they can and they don't take with listening to piddly little engine builders. as for designations, AC refers to traction type. AC traction vs. DC traction. The C stands for C-C 6 axle unit as opposed to B-B 4 axle W stands for widecab though, since GE doesn't make any units that aren't widecab, this is kind of redundent. Other designations, GP=General purpose SD=Special Duty M as in SD70M is EMD's old designation for a widecab unit, but I don't remember what it refers to. In SD75I, the I stands for Isolated cab.
What can really mess you up is the M in SD70M is for a widecab but the M in SD40M-2 originally meant Morris Knudson rebuilt. UP just has their own way to designate locos. Many railroads do the same. A real great example is the GE GEVO or Evolution Series. GE designates them ES44AC ES for Evolution Series 44 for 4400hp AC for Alternating Current. UP calls these same exact locos the C45ACCTE. C for six axle, 45 to distinguish from the C44AC even though they have the same horsepower and CTE for a software program, Controlled Tractive Effort. Confused Yet?
NS has their own model methodology too.. They like to shorten it, because it is less to keep up with... D9-40CW takes a lot less stenciling on the cab of a loco than Dash9-40CW
Changing the model name to DASH... was the most offensive thing a loco manufacturer has ever don. I though NS still called em C40-9s?
Thanks for the messages i can look in the 2003-2004 directory of the UP and now what all the extras means. But why uses some companies different designations, it should be i think :teeth:
BUT, in real terms (databases that keep track of equipment etc) they use myrad other designations so they can tell what a piece of equipment really is. Equipment gets modified during its life with the UP so it get desigination numbers describing its present state. The UP is only interested in manufacturer's designation in passing.
Manufacturers' designations don't always make sense. Old EMD widenoses actually used a W suffix; these were Canadian only. Later, the new-design widenose cab resulted in the M designation. Then there was I, for isolated cab. However, SD80MACs, SD9043MACs and SD90MAC Phase 1 use the isolated cab, not the standard wide cab. GE doesn't use W as their widenose designation anymore, now that all new engines are widenose. As has been noted, UP makes the designation more consistent with their older designations. In a similar vein, the AC6000CW and C60AC are different terms for the same engine. Regarding meanings of manufacturers' terms for older engines (non-inclusive list): F: EMD B-B streamlined carbody-type engine, later EMD B-B or C-C cowl unit E: EMD A1A-A1A streamlined carbody-type engine SW, NW, SC, NC, MP: EMD end-cab switchers DD: EMD D-D double-engine hood unit (Designation does not stand for wheel arrangement, but for Double Diesel) X: EMD experimental or non-standard design U: GE hood unit, 1961-1977 (stands for Universal) -7: GE hood unit, 1976-1986 -8: GE hood unit, 1983-1994 -9: GE hood unit, 1993-2004 B: GE B-B unit (at end of designation for U-series; at beginning for later models) C: GE C-C unit (at end of designation for U-series; at beginning for later models) S: Alco or Baldwin end-cab switcher FA: Alco PA: Alco RS: Early Alco B-B hood unit RSC: Early Alco A1A-A1A hood unit RSD: Early Alco C-C hood unit C: Alco hood unit (at beginning of designation; stands for Century) M: Montreal Locomotive Works hood unit (if at end of designation); Alco design built by MLW (if suffixed to an Alco designation) H: Fairbanks-Morse hood unit (includes switchers) DS: Baldwin switcher DR: Baldwin streamlined cab unit DRS: Baldwin hood unit DT: Baldwin transfer unit
GE started using the "DASH" designation back in the 1970's when they upgraded the original U-Boats to their newer technologies. For instance, the original U-36C became the C36-7, pronounced "Cee Thirty-Six Dash Seven". The "DASH" number was used to designate the decade in which the design was authorized, i.e. "-7" for the 1970's design, "-8" for the 1980's design, and "-9" for the 1990's design. It was basically a gimmick developed by their Marketing Dept. I was wondering how GE Marketing would resolve this naming for the new Millenium...."Dash Oh Oh"? Fortunately GE didn't go that way, because I'm sure more than one comedian would have called them the "Dash Uh-Ohs!"
There were standard cab Dash 9s: C40-9s for NS only. They look sort of odd to someone used to more common GEs: "rollerblade" trucks but a standard cab. They're probably the last GEs I like the looks of. Anyway, back on topic - There were no widenose Dash 7s.
That woulda been the kindest thing an engineer woulda said about GEs in his power consist should they act up.......... ...........the rest woulda been unprintable.
I don't believe I've seen any BW or CW with a cab wider than a standard version. W does not stand for wide-cab. It stands for full width nose.
