Tier 4 Evolution Series prototype unveiled

Hummmmm…..
Looking t the first photo again, it doesn't look like an appearance that could be given by fixed slats. May the slats are movable, and in the photo the ones on the right are open and those on the left closed?

I ***think*** I remember that the Tier4 version of the GEVO-12 engine uses two turbochargers. The emissions control technology involves recycling some of the exhaust gas: perhaps this means that the exhaust opening can be closed (partially or entirely) to redirect the exhaust? And the flow of air and exhaust is controlled separately for the two turbos? This is speculation, but it would account for having control slats like those I suggest.

Photo by Paul Keogh:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/1 ... C_0501.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to see in the picture, but the model designation is "ET44C4"

Interesting, thanks for posting. Glad they shortened the EGR 'hump', but it still will take some getting used to.
Regarding the 'T', I am not surprised that GE is altering the naming convention for Tier IV units. They are significantly different from earlier versions.

ET44C4…
Now, what does each character stand for?
The final 4 and the C are easy: four powered axles, six-wheel trucks.
The E stands for "Evolution Series," with T4 -- that's easy, it means Tier IV -- replacing the S.
44 stands for power in hundreds of hp.
So… ET444C4.
Shortened by writing two of the 4s in the same place!
(Grin!)

Photo by Matthew Griffin:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=532695" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks!
Typing ES44AC into the locomotive type spot and GE leasing (GECX) into the "railroad" spot in the railpictures search function gets a bunch of photos of these blue units… but not many taken from a high enough angle (wanted: rail photographer on bridge over tracks!) to help us with the puzzle about the exhaust stack.

Here are the best ones I could find:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4107817" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4124249" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4160298" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4059067" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Without a doubt, the stack is shifted to the engineer's side! And I'm not really seeing anything that looks like a mechanism to uncover a second stack.


And here's a builder's sticker, just for fun ("ES44A6" on this one):

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4165027" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MEC407--
Thanks! Those -- particularly the first and last -- are the clearest views I've seen, and look pretty conclusive: you were right, I was wrong (I was, I think, looking at the wrong roof-top feature in one of the seriously foreshortened views): stack to one side!

First CN Tier 4 ET44AC in action — video by David Othen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8qJaAzNBdY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not often that one sees a locomotive that clean and shiny in service!
Thanks for linking!
---
One nice view of a design difference between the ES and ET4 series. About three times (one is at about 7:79 or 8 minutes in) we see the locomotive consist pass us and get a view of the rear end of the Tier 4 leader and the trailing ES44AC: the pitch of the radiator housing is much steeper on the new unit (I assume from the need to fit bigger radiators into the loading gauge).

Who is getting them?
I'm assuming CSX, UP, BNSF?

Per Sean Graham-White, the following railroads will receive ET44ACs this year (or in the case of BNSF, ET44C4s):

BNSF, 161 units
CN, 39 units
CSX, 125 units
UP, 100 units

Expect many more next year as well.

Yup!
All of BNSF's order will be C4s?

That's what I gathered from Mr. Graham-White's message. His information is usually very accurate.

CSX is beginning testing
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... ne-testing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Quote:

Sources close to the railroad tell Trains News Wire the locomotive is en route to Erwin for testing on the railroad’s former Clinchfield territory. The locomotive will be used in heavy haul service on the railroad’s Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin and Spartanburg, S.C.