Short line buys Railpower Technologies locomotivesBrossard, Quebec-based Railpower Technologies Corp. says it has sold two Eco-Motive Ultra-Low Emission locomotives to Modesto & Empire Traction Co. The supplier says M&ET's decision was motivated by a replacement ratio of one Railpower RP20BD for three GE 600hp locomotives, average fuel savings of more than 40%, and no mechanical issues during the demonstration. "After working with a Railpower demonstration unit for over two weeks, the decision to purchase their Eco-Motive locomotives was easy for us, " said M&ET Vice President Ken Beard. "Not only does the model meet our area’s current and future emission standards, but it achieves a level of performance that our current fleet cannot match. The unrivaled tractive effort it delivers allows us to pull more with less, which positively affects our bottom line." "We are pleased to see the positive response from customers who tested our units on their tracks," said Jose Mathieu, persident and CEO of Railpower. "We are confident that when the customers see our locomotives' performance and reliability, they will appreciate the difference in comparison to other options available and the value they can add to their businesses."
I've made a few inquiries so that I may get more info asap. For a roster, check out mine, MET Roster. Yep, they just got two SW1500s. Those will probably be kept as backups to the Gensets. MET is open to selling or donating some of the 70Tonners to museums from what I've heard.
Reports have the two new gensets on their way. Should arrive by the end of the week, early the following week. They are numbered 2000 and 2001. I am awaiting full roster info on them.
These units should be or are almost home. Last reported in Barstow and headed to Modesto a couple/few days ago. Finally got some roster info too. Here is a brief breakdown. According to http://www.trainweb.org/gensets : #2000 was converted from green goat RPRX 2404 which was in turn converted from Midsouth GP10 #1060. Ex IC #8247 which was converted from GP9 IC #9247, ex ICG #9247, ex Gulf & Mississippi #9247 blt in 1957. #2001 converted from green goat RPRX 2401, converted from GP10 Midsouth #1043, ex IC #8322, ex GP9 IC #9322, ex ICG #9322 blt in 1957. I'll get all this included on the next update of my MET roster at Foothill Rails. Also of important note, MET is no longer railfan friendly. According to reports, authorities at MET believe railfans are to blame for the tarps covering these units during transit being removed. This has appearently caused some damage of sorts and MET is upset about this and is no longer welcoming railfans onto the property at this time.
Modesto Bee article... Modesto rail line buys two new locomotives, adds track Engine 607 of Modesto & Empire Traction Co. sits next to Engine 2000 the companies newest engine. For the first time in 60 years, the Modesto & Empire Traction Company (the short line railroad that serves the Beard Industrial District), has purchased two new high-tech engines, which cost about $1.5 million each. (Marty Bicek/The Bee) Modesto Bee By J.N. Sbranti jnsbranti@modbee.com last updated: December 24, 2008 12:05:41 AM All Aboard Some heavy loads to be hauled are livestock feed, including: - Dried distillers grain, a byproduct from corn's conversion into ethanol - Canola pellets, made from what's left after oil is extruded from rapeseed - Corn germ, a byproduct from the making of high- fructose corn syrup External Links Modesto Empire and Traction Company Web site Details on railroad improvements Getting a train set for Christmas is a holiday treat for many families. This season, the Modesto & Empire Traction Co. joined in the fun by unwrapping two new locomotives, and the short-line railroad is building a mile of new track for them to play on. "They're the first new locomotives we've bought in about 60 years," said Joe Mackil, M&ET's president and chief executive officer. The red-and- white locomotives cost $1.5 million each, and they're powerful enough to pull giant, 110-car trains through the Beard Industrial District. "They're ultra-low-emission diesel locomotives," Mackil said. "They each have three engines instead of just one, so you only have to run as many engines as you need for the load you're carrying." Some heavy loads need hauling through Beard's industrial park these days. Five years ago, a couple of local guys -- Mike Barry of Oakdale and Paul Konzen of Escalon -- started a business at Beard to supply feed for cattle and dairy cows. Their Central Valley Agricultural Grinding Inc. now sells enough grain to feed 88,000 animals a day. "They just kept growing and growing. Now they're one of our biggest customers," said Mackil. That's saying something, considering the M&ET hauls for E.&J. Gallo Winery, Frito-Lay, Del Monte and other food processing giants at Beard. "We had no idea there was such a need for our services in the Central Valley," Konzen said. "Five years ago it was a big deal for us to have a 10- to 15-car train. Now we need to handle 110 cars ... on trains that can be 8,000 feet long." Those so-called unit trains come loaded with grain from the Midwest and Canada. The Beard Industrial District and M&ET weren't set up for such long trains. "We've been hooking up six or seven of our older locomotives to move those trains," Mackil said. "And they were straining their guts out to do it." The railroad's locomotives -- which only haul freight around the 2,000-acre Beard complex -- primarily have 600-horsepower engines. The two new locomotives, however, have 2,000-horsepower engines, and together they've got more than enough strength to haul 110 cars. Besides needing lots of power, however, those 1.5-mile-long trains require lots of room to maneuver. To avoid blocking streets, M&ET has been breaking up the trains and moving them in sections around Beard, but that's inefficient and time-consuming. "There's a metamorphosis happening in the rail industry: Now bigger is better because bigger is more efficient," said Konzen, 44. Building a mile of track So, to accommodate the big trains, one mile of railroad track looping in front of a giant, new 4.5-acre grain storage facility is being built at Beard for Central Valley Ag Grinding. Another building covering the tracks also is being constructed so the grain can be unloaded inside without the train ever stopping. "It's a joint venture (with the railroad and the industrial park), and there's a financial contribution on our part," said Konzen, whose company will lease the buildings. "We've guaranteed (M&ET) a certain amount of business for the next seven years." Mackil said the new track and buildings will cost $5 million to $10 million. He's convinced the investment is worth it: "We'll make our railroad more competitive so we can keep jobs here. Over time, when you invest in your business, your business grows." The investment also will be good for Central Valley Ag Grinding. "We're doing it to expand and better service our customers and our community," said Barry, 38. He said his company already has benefited the dairy and cattle industries because it has "reduced a lot of truck miles hauling feed up and down the Central Valley." Cost of feed lowered Before the company opened, Konzen said, most of the region's livestock grain was trucked in from the Southern San Joaquin Valley. He said by bringing in large grain shipments by train to Beard's more centralized location, "it's lowered feed costs by $3 to $5 per ton" to our customers. Konzen said livestock feed typically costs $190 per ton, and his company sells about 500,000 tons a year. The company employs 22 people. With the new storage building, the more-efficient indoor unloading facility as well as the new track and locomotives to serve them, Konzen is optimistic about expanding his business and saving his customers even more money. Everyone benefits when businesses like his expand, Konzen said: "Anything that's good for the ag community is good for the urban community." Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at jnsbranti@modbee.com or 578-2196.
