EU-compliant engines for locomotives

[Robin1966]

Hi guys, I am trying to find information relating to when an EU-emissions compliant engine could be developed for railway locomotives, not just within the EU but for the UK also with its smaller loading gauge. If such an engine could be produced, presumably it would mean that locos could be retrofitted instead of having to scrap whole classes and replacing them with entirely new locos.

It would be great if someone could recommend any specialist engineers and/or companies with knowledge in this area, and I would be especially interested to know of any firms that specialise in the manufacture of engines for locomotives, if there are any.

Many thanks

Robin Whitlock
Freelance journalist

 

[Domh245]

The engines themselves tend to be simple enough, it is the exhaust scrubbing equipment that makes life difficult! The most recent locomotives are the class 68, which are fitted with a stage IIIA compliant CAT C175-16 engine. In order to make it stage IIIB compliant, the silencer would be replaced with a particulate filter, but because of the loading gauge, it'd be difficult.

http://www.railengineer.uk/2014/04/01/sleek-lines/


As for the point about retrofitting engines, fortunately grandfather rights are allowed, so older engines are allowed to still be used. In fact, before the deadline for the engines came in, EMD (the builders of the rather ubiquitous class 66 locomotives) imported some engines to the UK before then returning them to Canada to be fitted to the locomotives. This meant that those engines could now be used.

 

[Robin1966]

Brill thanks. Very informative. Cheers for that.

 

[coppercapped]

As Domh245 stated the issue is with the exhaust treatment, the size of the filters needed for high power (about 3,000bhp and above) engines make it very difficult to fit into the UK loading gauge.

A European manufacturer of engines which can be used in locomotives is MTU (erstwhile Motoren-und-Turbinen Union) of Friedrichshafen in Germany. It is now wholly owned by Rolls-Royce. The web site is <http://www.mtu-online.com/great-britain/company/?L=15?r=spaJ39Q7>, search under 'Products' and 'Applications' for engines for rail use.

Other manufacturers are available, for example GE builds the Powerhaul series based on a Jenbacher design which is used in the Class 70 locomotives operated by Freightliner and Colas Rail.