ES44DC - MagnumMacKivler/RLCPT2 GitHub Wiki
A fresh-looking Canadian National ES44DC sits in a cold January morning in 2006 in CN's MacMillan yard. Photo credit Joe Zika.
The ES44DC is a DC powered, 4400HP Evolution Series locomotive created by General Electric in the early 2000s. This locomotive type a direct replacement for the C44-9W, was offered for meeting the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 diesel engine emissions standards.
The ES44DC also has two subvariants, the ES44DCi and the ES40DC. The ES44DCi has extra radiator cooling (similar to an AC6000CW) for desert conditions in the Australian outback. These locomotives were exclusively made for Rio Tinto mining company in Western Australia. The ES40DC (which has a second wiki page here for different data) is a 4,000 HP cousin to the ES44DC, and was made exclusively for Norfolk Southern.
An 6 month old Australian ES44DCi, which is an ES44DC that has an enhanced radiator for more effective cooling in the hotter Australian outback, waits at 7 Mile Yard in Dampier, Western Australia in November of 2008. Photo credit Bruce Kellett.
The ES44DC was purchased by a variety of railroads from April of 2003 to October of 2010, when the final order was purchased by Canadian National. A total of 1248 ES44DC types were made for various railroads from North America and Australia; from greatest to least, the purchasers were Burlington Northern Santa Fe (721), CSX Transportation (302), Canadian National (125), and Australian iron ore hauler Rio Tinto's ES44DCis (100)
As a whole, DC traction soon began to fall out of favor anyways for railroads in the 2010s, as railroads turned towards AC locomotives like the ES44AC and later ET44AC for their better ability to handle heavy trains at lower speeds. The A-1-A trucked, four motored, AC powered ES44C4 (and eventually the Tier 4 ET44C4) was later used to replace the ES44DC.
PT-Specific Information
| General Info | - |
|---|---|
| Prime Mover | GE-GEVO-12 |
| Horsepower | 4400 (1) |
| Truck Type | GE High Adhesion (2) |
| Axles | 6 |
| Traction Motors | 6 |
| Minimum Weight | 410,000 lbs |
| Maximum Weight | 420,000 lbs |
| Model Base Speed | 75 MPH |
| Top Speed | 75 MPH |
| Electrical System | - |
|---|---|
| Generator Max Current | 6676.3 Amps (3) ⚠ |
| Max Traction Motor (TM) Current | 1776 Amps |
| Max Continuous TM Current | 1370 Amps |
| Traction Motor Type | DC |
| Factor of Adhesion | 33.81% ⚠ |
| Transition Mode | Automatic, no selector |
| Transition Groups | 1 |
| Transition Shunts | 1 |
| Generator Transition | Yes |
| Traction Control | Electronic Traction Control |
| Dynamic Braking (DB) Mode (if used) | Electrical Blowers |
| DB Max Current | 920 Amps |
| DB Max Continuous Current | 910 Amps |
| Blended Braking | No |
| Miscellaneous | - |
|---|---|
| Head-End Power (HEP) | No |
| HEP Power Consumption | N/A |
| HEP Standby/Run Mode | N/A |
| Load Ramp Speed | 3 Amps/Tick ⚠ |
| TM Overload Protection | Yes |
| Starter Mode | Automatic Start |
| Air Brake Schedule | 26-L |
| Compressor CFM | 236 (Wabco 3CDC @ 1050 RPM) (6) |
| Main Reservoir Volume | 35 Cu.Ft ⚠ |
Notes
⚠: Not Verified or Educated Guess
(1) GE lists the GEVO-12's HP for traction at 4365 as of 2016, earlier manuals list it at 4390.
(2) Could also be ordered with a Self-Steering truck, which would supposedly reduce wear on the wheels.
(3) Current listings are an approximation of the AC4400CW's GMG192 alternator. The Evolution series uses the 5GMG206A alternator instead.
(6) The GEVO-12 only runs at 1050 RPM under load and below 20 MPH, for normal operation CFM is rated at 205.965 @ 995 RPM.