While most Short Line Railroads and Industries use standard EMD and GE Locomotives operating with diesel locomotive engines.  Some short line railroads and industries have moved over to using hybrid locomotives.  Sales and Leasing has a 2006 Forth Generation Green Goat GG20 B Locomotive.  The GG20 B is an electric hybrid switcher that makes use of a diesel engine/generator and battery energy storage to allow it to offer a 50% to 80% reduction in fuel savings during yard switching operations while at the same time being quieter and producing 80% to 90% less NOx.  In contrast, the large diesel engine, in a conventional locomotive, has been replace by a large battery pack, and a relatively small diesel engine.  The GG20 B is based on a modified GP type locomotive.  Many original systems, particularly on the under frame, are retained unaltered, as is the Operator’s console in the cab.  In this way, although the system is different from the original, the general principles of operation are very much the same. 

Because of the ability to store large amounts of energy inside the battery pack, the GG20 B is able to responds instantly to full power commands of the operator.  Also to benefit the operator, the long, low hood cab offers excellent all-round visibility through heated glass, and comfort with heating and air conditioning.  In the GG20 B, the diesel engine is located at the extreme rear end of the locomotive and thus produces very little noise in the cab.  This locomotive currently has less than 300 working hours, making this essentially a new locomotive.

The GG20 B Locomotive has a system set capable of providing 2000 horsepower (continuous) to traction.   Because of the Hybrid Technology, the GG20 B Locomotive meets or exceeds all EPA exhaust emission standards and operates at noise emission levels well below the FRA standards.  The diesel engine is a Low Emission Deutz C9, 4-stroke, six cylinder, water-cooled unit.  It is capable of providing 205 continuous bkW (275 bhp) at 2200 rpm while meeting or exceeding Tier 2, Stage II emissions requirements.  The engine is started using 24 VDC current derived from two dedicated 12V storage batteries in series.   It is because the ability to significantly reduce the amount of emissions discharged from a locomotive, that locations where high emission standards are in place, such as the state of California, that this type of Hybrid Technology is being utilized, to assist in the reduction of emission and noise.

Although the GG20 B hybrid locomotive utilizes, to the greatest possible degree, the systems and controls found in conventional locomotives, the control of the traction power system is accomplished using solid-state technology.  This in turn requires a new form of system performance and alarm status annunciation and control call the Touch Screen.  The device, located above the Operator’s Control Stand, provides a rapid and convenient method for establishing the system configuration, status and performance as well as providing instantaneous indications of potential alarm or safety related situations.  Its operation is no more complicated than the screens now found on most Banking ATM’s, but can provide information regarding the locomotive systems which would otherwise take many pages of Operator’s Manual describe.

This State of the Art Hybrid Locomotive technology, and the yard switching design, the diesel engine in the GG20 B is able to maintain the batteries charge so that this locomotive has the ability to work 24 hours a day.

To learn more on Hybrid Locomotives contact S&S Sales and Leasing