Siemens Chargers coming to life
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefSiemens reached a production milestone at its Sacramento, Calif., manufacturing plant with installation of the first Cummins QSK95 diesel engine and traction alternator into the carbody of a new higher-speed diesel-electric Charger locomotive.
The 21-ton power unit, the first diesel engine to be installed at the Sacramento plant, was successfully lowered into the locomotive by overhead crane.
Siemens is manufacturing 69 Chargers for the Departments of Transportation in Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri, Washington and Maryland, and for Brightline, the privately owned and operated express passenger rail service to be offered by Florida East Coast Industries subsidiary All Aboard Florida that will connect Miami and Orlando. Siemens is also building Brightline passenger coaches in Sacramento.
The Cummins QSK95, which is manufactured in the U.S. at the company’s Seymour, Ind., plant, is a 16-cylinder, 95-liter-displacement engine rated at 4,400 hp. It is, says Siemens, “engineered with modern technologies and design features that ensure the highest performance, lowest fuel consumption, cleanest emissions, and lowest total cost of ownership of any locomotive engine.” It meets EPA Tier IV emission standards.
Charger locomotives are designed to operate at speeds up to 125 mph. The Siemens rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento employs more than 800 people, has been in operation for more than 30 years, and sources up to 80% of its energy from two megawatts of solar energy. The plant recently completed a 125,000 square-foot expansion to help accommodate growing production needs.
Click HERE to see a video of the first Cummins QSK95 being installed in a Charger locomotive.
