Posted 11th September 2009 | 7 Comments

New fuel-efficient loco on test in America

THE first two Class 70 PowerHaul locomotives for Freightliner are now under test at the GE Transportation factory in Erie, Pennsylvania, in readiness for delivery to Britain.

The first of 30 brand new diesel-electric locos ordered by the company two years ago - locos 70001 and 70002 - will be delivered in November, with the next four to arrive the following month.

The locomotives incorporate "revolutionary" technology to fit British infrastructure, providing greater load-hauling capacity, increased acceleration and tractive effort, and improved fuel efficiency to help protect the environment.

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • stephen batty, np11 3aw, south wales.uk

    If we as a nation and the current coalition government want people in work, why not create jobs by using rail operators -- for example, Arriva and Network Rail -- to set up a electrification depot along the South Wales main line and a training academy?

    This will create skills that will benefit the GW Main Line and help Wales bid for a new modern train building facility. It will also put up overhead lines to test these trains and also move from diesel to electric on the Valley Lines and speed the curent timetable up.

    We should stand up as a nation for once our lives and make one goverment listen to those who vote and pay them to do a job that is not being done.

  • PJ, wisbech, United Kingdom

    Send the new 70's back, they are pig ugly. Perhaps we should nickname them "Pig Ugly's". Our own guys over here could have made something much better looking that would have done the job just as well if we still had the capacity.

  • John Gaughan, Hanover, PA, USA Ex UK

    Seems to me that that the UK diesels 37's, 56's, 47's, 50's and 55's were maintenance dogs compared to the USA GM-GE locos. The initial quality of the UK products was not there and continued throughout their working days. I do agree that a UK manufacturer should be given the opportunity to bid for this business. As far as DMU and EMU's the same thing goes. I am originally from the UK, Gloucester and visit every two years or so and am very familiar with the Brit Rail System as I have over 75,000 miles travelled over the system.

  • Michale Paddington, New York, NY, USA

    Loco's from America are the best!

  • Paul Reed, New Brighton, Cheshire

    I think its sad to think of all the great locomotives we used to build. Now that there is hardly anything left. It looks as if this government does not seem to care about this once great industry. This country could still make some of the best locomotive in the world, if they were given the chance. So much for British industry and British jobs. To make our railways proud we need good quailty British trains.

  • andrew ganley, cheam, e

    Abs right BM! you can thank Maggie Thatcher and John Majors Tories for that
    back in the 90s we had a perfectly good rail works at York,Crewe etc but no they had to be sold off folowed by the inevitable closure(York).
    The result of which is a sea of GM locos and German DMU/EMUs.

  • Brian Moore, Milton Keynes, England

    Why do we have to keep buying locos from america!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!

    PATHETIC!