Thanks again for the info, guys. I must have gotten distracted and forgot about this thread. I'm also curious about the lengths of the 16-645 and 12-645. Basically trying to figure out if the inline-6 GEVO has any chance of being a serious competitor in the re-engine market. One would assume that it's pretty close to the same length as the GEVO-12, which isn't exactly a small engine, and probably longer than the FDL-12. Plus it would need bigger and more sophisticated cooling systems.
If a railroad wanted to rebuild a U23B, B23-7, or Dash 8-32B with a GEVO-6, would that be possible, given the existing length of those locomotives? Likewise (and this is probably a lot less likely to happen), if a railroad wanted to rebuild a GP38/GP39/GP40 with a GEVO-6, would that be doable?
Inline engines certainly have many advantages, but shortness of length is not one of them. It seems clear that if EMD had gone with an inline-8 710 instead of a V8 710, their ECO Repower program would be far less successful than it has been thus far. Sure, you could fit an inline-8 710 in an SD60, but I don't see how you could possibly fit it (and accompanying cooling system) into a GP. And it seems that the GPs are the most likely candidates for conversion at this point.
Is GE actually serious about this, and if so, do they have any chance of success? Wouldn't a V6 GEVO be much more suitable for a four-axle locomotive?
MEC407
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Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
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