GE AC4400CW

The GE AC4400CW, sometimes referred as "AC44CW" is a 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW) diesel-electric locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems between 1993 and 2004. It is like the Dash 9-44CW, but features AC traction motors instead of DC, with a separate inverter per motor. In appearance, the AC4400CW is somewhat similar to GE's more powerful locomotive, the AC6000CW.

GE AC4400CW
CSX AC4400CW #209 in Newport News, Virginia, next to a former C&O coaling tower.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderGE Transportation Systems
ModelAC4400CW
Build date1993 – 2004
Total produced2,834
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
 • UICCo'Co'
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Wheel diameter42 in (1,067 mm)
Wheelbase13 ft 2 in (4.01 m)
Length73 ft 2 in (22.30 m)
Height15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Loco weight426,000 lb (193,000 kg)
Fuel capacity5,000 US gal
(19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal)
Traction motors6
Performance figures
Power output4,400 hp (3,300 kW)
Tractive effort180,000 lbf (800 kN) Starting
145,000 lbf (640 kN) at 13.7 mph (22.0 km/h)
Career
OperatorsVarious, see table
LocaleNorth America

2,834 units were built for North American railroads over an 11-year production. In 2005, all Class I freight railroads except Norfolk Southern and Canadian National owned at least one AC4400CW. Norfolk Southern ordered the very similar C40-9Ws, although NS would later acquire 36 former CEFX AC4400CWs in August 2023. As a result of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect on January of that year, GE no longer offers the AC4400CW, replacing it with the ES44AC.

CP AC4400CW #9560 and CP SD40-2 #6029 head west towards the NS Elkhart Yard, 2009
Kansas City Southern AC4400CW no. 4575 with self-steering trucks in October 2014
UP 5739 (AC4400CW), in Roseville, CA
UP 6521 with a trailing x Southern Pacific AC44CW
UP 6521 with a trailing x Southern Pacific AC44CW

Design variations

The AC4400CW was the first GE locomotive to offer an optional self-steering truck design, intended to increase adhesion and reduce wear on the railhead.[1] This option was specified by Canadian Pacific, Cartier Railway, CSX for their units 200-599, Ferromex, Ferrosur, and KCS.

CSX ordered many of its AC4400CW locomotives with 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) extra weight to increase tractive effort. These same units were also modified in 2006-2007 with a "high tractive effort" software upgrade and redesignated CW44AH.[2]

Rebuilds

In 2017, the Canadian Pacific Railway requested that General Electric modernize 30 of its 9500 and 9600-series AC4400CW units. The original units had the original front cab completely removed and upgraded to current GE standards with upgraded electrical systems including PTC and FTO systems. Other improvements GE has made include up to 10 percent fuel efficiency gains, 40 percent increase in reliability and 50 percent increase in haulage ability. The units were subsequently placed into service with the designation AC4400CWM (for Modernized). The first batch of rebuilds (8100-8129) also had their original Steerable trucks replaced with GEs High Adhesion trucks, where later batches each individual engine kept the trucks they already had.

The following year Canadian Pacific asked GE to similarly rebuild several more batches for a total of 110 locomotives. The second order (8130-8144) retains their steerable trucks. The third batch (8000-8064) will feature an Evolution Series sized fuel tank and radial trucks. In 2019 a fourth batch of rebuilds happened, 8145-8160 & 8064-8080 from the 95/9600-series. In 2021 both the 8500 series is slated to be rebuilt at 8201-8280 and the 8100-series be completed.[3]

The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) ordered many of their AC4400CWs with Controlled Tractive Effort software, giving them the designation of AC4400CW-CTE. This software package is now standard on a portion of their ES44ACs as well. CTE limits tractive effort to mimic TE level of Dash series locomotives.

In 2018, UP placed a small order for 20 rebuilds from GE of their AC4460AC fleet and later announced that they would be upgrading 1,000 of their AC4460ACs and AC44s into the new C44ACM class over the next 15 years. Unlike CP, the original 20 rebuilds did not receive a new crew cab.

CSX and Wabtec have announced a partnership in rebuilding CSX's large AC4400CW fleet. An initial batch of 10 CW44ACs were rebuilt at Wabtec's Erie, Pennsylvania facility, with 40 more to follow into 2020. The rebuilds will be numbered in the 7000, 7200, and 7500 series and CSX is referring to them as CM44ACs.[4][5][6]

Operators

AC4400CW owners and operators past and present include:

Owners Qty Numbers Year delivered Notes
Union Pacific1,338 5554-6887 and 7080-7297 1994-2004 Most units rebuilt to C44ACMs.
CSX Transportation615 1-173, 201-599, 5101-5122 1994-2002 Units to be rebuilt to CM44AC/CM44AHs and renumbered to 7000-7299 and 7500 series
Canadian Pacific438 8500-8580, 8600-8655, 9500-9683, 9700-9740, 9750-9784 and 9800-9840.[7] 1995-2004 9777, 9782, 9758, and 9751 used during filming of Unstoppable. Most units rebuilt to AC44CWMs and renumbered 8100-8280.
Southern Pacific279 100-378 1995 All to Union Pacific. Unit 145 destroyed in wreck in 1996
Kansas City Southern175 4500-4574, 4575-4596, 4597-4608, 4609-4624 (formerly 2000-2039) 1999 KCSM 4500-4574 are ex-TFM 2600-2674.
BNSF121 5600-5717, 5838-5840 1999-2004 40 units leased to Metrolink in 2016
Ferromex75 4500-4549 and 4550-4574 1998-2000
CIT Capital Finance60 1001-1025, 1026-1059 2001-2004 1002 and 1006 sold to CMQ in 2017, and later returned in 2020s. 36 units sold to NS in 2023.
Ferrosur38 4400-4414, 4415-4429, 4430-4437 2000-2004
Chicago & North Western35 8801-8835[8] 1994 All to Union Pacific which became #6703 - #6737 by UP.[9]
Cartier Railway17 11-12, 13-17 and 18-29 2001-2007
Quebec, North Shore and Labrador12 415-421 and 422-426 2005-2006
Cerrejón5 10010-10014 unknown
General Electric Corporation Leasing11 2000, later renumbered 4400, 4000-4009 1993-1997
Central Maine and Quebec Railway2 1002 and 1006 2001 (Acquired 2017) Ex-CEFX, returned in 2020
Ferrominera del Orinoco2 1058-1059 2004
Norfolk Southern36 3964-3999 2001-2004 (Acquired 2023) Ex-CEFX
Total3,223 - - -

The plot of the movie Unstoppable required Denzel Washington and Chris Pine to climb aboard the lead locomotive of a runaway freight train. To film the movie, four Canadian Pacific AC4400CW locomotives (Nos. 9777, 9758, 9782, and 9751), were repainted as two fictional "Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad" locomotives (Nos. 777 (nicknamed "Triple 7") and 767). 9777[10] and 9782[11] were painted as 777, while 9758[12] and 9751[13] were painted as 767.

References
  1. McDonnell, Greg (2002). Field guide to modern diesel locomotives. Waukesha, Wisc.: Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 70–73. ISBN 0-89024-607-6. OCLC 50411517.
  2. Potter, Jay (November 2006), "CSX's mountain climbers", Trains
  3. GE Transportation (March 20, 2018). "GE Transportation's Modernization Program Hits New Milestones" (Press release). Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
  4. Koenig, Stephan M. (May 2, 2019). "GE Locomotive Modernization program expands under Wabtec". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  5. Koenig, Stephan M. (September 24, 2019). "First of the new CSX re-builds rolls out of the Wabtec plant in Erie". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  6. "Wabtec locomotive remanufacturing program completes 1,000th unit". 7 August 2021.
  7. "(home)". CPR Diesel Roster. Archived from the original on 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  8. Strack, Don (December 2, 2014). "Chicago & North Western Railway; Roster of Diesel Locomotives, 1926-1995". Utah Rails.
  9. "Union Pacific Railroad: Roster of Diesel and Turbine Locomotives, 1934-2009". Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  10. "CP 9777". CPR Diesel Roster. Archived from the original on 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  11. "CP 9782". CPR Diesel Roster. Archived from the original on 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  12. "CP 9758". CPR Diesel Roster. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  13. "CP 9751". CPR Diesel Roster. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
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