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RailPower's Green Goat Locomotives; Hybrids and Gensets

The RailPower Technologies’ fleet of Green Goat locomotives has made the company quite famous over the last seven years although sales for this extremely “green” form of motive power is still lackluster at best. RailPower began in the summer of 2001 and sells yard and road-switcher locomotives rebuilt from original frames (such as EMDs and GEs) using ultra low emissions (although the company is best known for its switcher line). Today, you can most commonly find Green Goat locomotives in yards and large cities, such as in the State of California, where emission standards are quite high.

While RailPower builds other machinery besides just locomotives these are what it is best recognized for. Its Green Goat, or GG Series of switchers work by using small, diesel generators (called gensets) for power only when the locomotive’s large bank of batteries needs recharged (so essentially batteries are their prime mover). What’s more the locomotive does not idle and according to the company’s website it “delivers 20-60% cuts in diesel fuel use and greenhouse gases emissions and 80-90% reductions in smog-precursor oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulates.”

Perhaps, though, what is most impressive about this little switcher is that for all of the emission savings it provides Green Goat locomotives can be purchased in either 1,000 hp or 2,000 hp models! The current models available for purchase are:

· GG10B - Green Goat: 1,000 hp, B-B wheel arrangement

· GG20B - Green Goat: 2,000 hp, B-B wheel arrangement

· GK10B - Green Kid: 1,000 hp, B-B wheel arrangement

· RP14BD – Road Switcher: 1,400 hp, B-B wheel arrangement, three engine diesel

· RP20BD – Road Switcher: 2,000 hp, B-B wheel arrangement, three engine diesel

· RP20BH - Road Switcher: 2,000 hp, B-B wheel arrangement, two engine hybrid

· RP20CD - Road Switcher: 2,000 hp, C-C wheel arrangement, three engine diesel

· RP20CH - Road Switcher: 2,000 hp, C-C wheel arrangement, two engine hybird

Thus far Green Goat locomotives and their road-switcher brethren have been purchased by BNSF Railway (4), Canadian Pacific Railway (originally purchased 4 but was unsatisfied with the units and returned them to RailPower), and Union Pacific Railroad (at 135 units purchased UP has likely by itself kept RailPower in business with its large orders).

To date I have heard mixed feelings about the RailPower products and as you can tell, sales have been sluggish at best. The reason for the builder’s slow orders and uneasiness from railroads is likely a mix of reliability issues and the fact that switcher locomotives just are not as widely used today as they were in years past. In any event, hopefully RailPower can get things going and begin making steady sales and become a leading locomotive builder.

For more reading on diesel locomotives like Green Goats consider Modern Diesel Locomotives by author Hans Halberstadt. The book covers nearly 100 pages (with excellent photography and illustrations) of information on new locomotive types and designs built since the 1970s. Mr. Halberstadt's work has received excellent reviews by readers and makes for a nice resource guide if you are interested in modern diesels.

Another book that covers modern diesel locomotives is Locomotives: The Modern Diesel and Electric Reference by author Greg McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell's book is much larger in scope than Modern Diesel Locomotives, covering newer diesels and electrics on nearly 250 pages which are packed full with excellent photography, illustrations, and diagrams. The book has received superb reviews by readers and is perhaps the best current work out there covering the topic. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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