| Posted by on February 14, 2013 | |
PHL doesn't want any of theirs either, total junk.
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They should put up one of those "Your tax dollars at work" signs up nearby. I wonder if there was a study funded prior to the Government making the purchase?
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When were they built, and by who(m)? Interesting shot!
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They were introduced from 2004 as a low emission diesel hybrid switchers manufactured by Railpower. The big Rairlroads bought a few each, obviously as trials in low emissions. Since 2004 only 55 have been built, looks like the manufacturers were using the Railroads as testers. It's unfair to blame the Army without including the likes of BNSF, UP, CP etc (all customers).
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I should apologize for sloppy fact checking. In 2009, Railpower entered Bankruptcy. They are now a subsidiary of R J Corman.
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Interesting subject matter, Alex, thanks for sharing. Martin, there is a difference between BNSF, UP, CP, etc. buying them and the Army buying them. So yes, it's completely fair to blame the Army for their wasted taxpayer spending.
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Hmm, these hulks will probably end up in a bombing range in the desert somewhere...
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| Posted by Kibu on August 18, 2014 | |
Catching fire wasn't their only problem. When purchased, the engines weren't built to deal with the desert heat (even in Ogden, it gets VERY hot) so they were prone to overheating. As if that's not bad enough, the batteries in them kept failing in the winter, prompting the Army to go "oh screw it."
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