Railpower GG20B

{{Short description|Model of American battery-diesel-electric locomotive}}

{{Infobox locomotive

| name = Railpower GG20B

| powertype = Hybrid diesel/battery

| image = UNION_PACIFIC_Y2513_20070228.jpg

| caption = A Railpower GG20B hybrid genset in the Union Pacific paint scheme

| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}

| locoweight = {{convert|280000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

| fueltype = Diesel fuel

| fuelcap = {{convert|2100|impgal|abbr=on}}

| tractiveeffort = {{convert|80000|lbf|kN|1|abbr=on|lk=on}} Starting

| builder = Railpower Technologies (RPT)

| builddate = September 2004 – present

| buildmodel = GG20B

| maxspeed = {{convert|60|mph|abbr=on}}

| aarwheels = B-B

| cylindercount = 6

| primemover = Caterpillar C9[http://www.railpower.com/2support2/GG20B.pdf Railpower GG20B Specifications]

| enginetype = Four-Stroke six cylinder inline diesel

| aspiration = Turbocharger

| poweroutput = {{convert|300|hp|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}
{{convert|2000|hp|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} Tractive Equivalent

| totalproduction = 55

}}

The Railpower GG20B Green Goat is a low-emissions diesel hybrid switcher locomotive built by Railpower Technologies Corp. It is powered by a single Caterpillar C9 six cylinder inline engine developing {{convert|300|hp|lk=on|sigfig=3}}, which is also connected to a large battery bank where both sources combine for a total power output of {{convert|2000|hp|lk=on|sigfig=3}}. To date, there have been more than 50 GG20B diesel-electric hybrid switchers manufactured since their first introduction in 2004.[http://www.trainweb.org/gensets/railpower.html Railpower Genset Switchers]

Original Buyers

Total	55[http://www.trainweb.org/greengoats/gg20b.html Railpower GG20B Roster]
class="wikitable" ! Railroad !! Quantity !! Road number(s) !! Notes
Bechtel Group	style="text-align: center;" \| 1	2000	Now S&S Sales and Leasing SSRX 2000[http://www.sssalesandleasing.com/locomotive-parts/gg20b-generation-4-hybrid-locomotive-for-sale.php GG20B Generation-4 Hybrid Locomotive For Sale]
BNSF Railway	style="text-align: center;" \| 4	1210-1213	1205 Ex-Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway	style="text-align: center;" \| 6	1700-1705	Railpower contract later terminated, units sent to different owners: Amtrak 599, BNSF Railway 1205
Kansas City Southern Railway	style="text-align: center;" \| 2	1868-1869
Lubrizol Corporation	style="text-align: center;" \| 1	2006
Modoc Railroad Academy	style="text-align: center;" \| 1	2608	Now S&S Sales and Leasing SSRX 2608[http://www.sssalesandleasing.com/locomotive-parts/gg20b-generation-4-hybrid-locomotive-for-sale-54.php GG20B Generation- 3rd Generation Hybrid Locomotive For Sale]
Railpower Technologies	style="text-align: center;" \| 5	2401-2405	Demonstration Units
Railserve	style="text-align: center;" \| 10	414, 1602, 1621, 1810, 2402, 2605, 4495, 4547, 8049, & 9140	Ordered with non-consistent running numbers
Union Pacific Railroad	style="text-align: center;" \| 21	Y2004 & Y2300-2319	Units classed by UP as "GG20GE"
United States Army	style="text-align: center;" \| 4	6000-6003

Fuel-cell testbed

BNSF Railway and Vehicle Projects converted a GG20B to an experimental testbed, for the use of hydrogen fuel cells. The new locomotive is designated HH20B. The locomotive was publicly demonstrated for the first time on June 29, 2009, at Topeka, Kansas.{{cite web|title=New locomotive unveiled|url=http://cjonline.com/news/2009-06-29/new_locomotive_unveiled}}{{cite web|title=BNSF explores locomotive fuel cell|url=http://www.blet-bnsfmrl.org/index.asp?NewsStory=289|access-date=2009-07-09|archive-date=2011-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007235203/http://www.blet-bnsfmrl.org/index.asp?NewsStory=289|url-status=dead}}

The locomotive, BNSF 1205, was originally built in 1957 as Canadian Pacific 8637 (renumbered 1544 in the 1980s), a GMD GP9 locomotive.{{cite web |last1=Franz |first1=Justin |title=BNSF Donates Hydrogen Test Locomotive To Oklahoma Museum |url=https://railfan.com/bnsf-donates-hydrogen-test-locomotive-to-oklahoma-museum/ |website=Railfan & Railroad Magazine |access-date=30 December 2023 |language=en-CA |date=15 August 2023}} In 2006, it was rebuilt into a GG20B for the Canadian Pacific, but was not delivered, due to the cancellation of the order. It was sold to BNSF in 2008, and shipped to the railroad's shops at Topeka, Kansas for conversion. The diesel generator set was removed, and the fuel cell power unit was installed in its place. Hydrogen storage is in a set of tanks installed in a heavily vented enclosure on top of the locomotive's long hood, above the batteries.{{cite web|title=Pictures of BNSF 1205|url=http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=120230}} To date, it is the largest land vehicle on earth to be powered exclusively by hydrogen fuel cells.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/news-events/news-archive/2012/february/partnership-to-produce-five-fuel-cell-mine-locomotives|title = Partnership to Produce Five Fuel Cell Mine Locomotives}}

In 2023, the locomotive (without its hydrogen components) was donated to the Oklahoma Railroad Museum, which plans on using it as a control car and for electricity generation on the end of its excursion trains.{{cite web |last1=Garrison |first1=John |title=BNSF’s first hydrogen locomotive |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/locomotives/bnsfs-first-hydrogen-locomotive/ |website=Trains |access-date=30 December 2023 |date=31 August 2023}}

References

Category:B-B locomotives

Category:Railpower locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 2004

Category:Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States

Category:EPA Tier 2-compliant locomotives of the United States

Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States

Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of Canada

Category:Shunting locomotives

Railpower GG20B

Original Buyers

Fuel-cell testbed

See also

References