GE "AC4400CW" Locomotives: Data, Specs, Roster

Last revised: January 1, 2025

The AC4400CW was basically a variant of the C44-9W in that it featured AC (alternating current) traction motors instead of the more traditional DC (direct current) traction motors.

Different from the traditional DCs, AC traction motors are much more simple, reliable, and easier to maintain albeit they costs far more.

Aside from their reliability and simplicity they provide phenomenal pulling power and are ideal for use in heavy drag service hauling freight over stiff grades.

Because of this, and the need for power at the time, railroads loved the model and it went on to become the most successful present day locomotive.

They have since been replaced by GE's newer ES44AC model but almost all of the AC4400s remain in revenue service on every Class I in North America except for CN and NS (which did not purchase the model).

As such, if you are a railfan roaming the main lines in the United States or Canada there is a high probability that you will run across one at least once.

Note that the model's days may be growing short. Many are more than 20 years old and as new designs are cataloged the 4400's are being pushed down the roster.

In addition, some Class I's have opted to rebuild older units in their fleet instead of purchasing new. This has included some 4400's, such as on Union Pacific where a handful are now classified as C44ACM's.

Photos

CSX AC4400CW #503 eases its way south on the Ohio River Subdivision at Sistersville, West Virginia on May 5, 2002. Wade Massie photo.

Background

The AC4400CW was General Electric's answer to Electro-Motive's SD60MAC released in June, 1991. Interestingly, EMD's test was successful with four demonstrator units ultimately produced for Burlington Northern, #9500-9503.

However, the builder never cataloged a model with alternating current traction motors until its SD70MAC two years later. In the mean, GE recognized the market for AC motors had arrived and began development on what became the AC4400CW.

For GE it was the first locomotive in its catalog with AC traction motors and railroads quickly recognized the effectiveness of this new technology.

By the early 1990s the company was already the top manufacturer thanks to the success of its Dash 8 line. These locomotives were the first to feature microprocessors and a game changer in operational efficiency.

The Dash 9 series continued its predecessor's accomplishments and boasted the latest technological developments such as split cooling, electronic fuel injection, and high adhesion (or HiAd) truck.

Aux Cab

The AC4400CW was nearly identical to the C44-9W in outward appearance and inward components. Its notable spotting feature, as Greg McDonnell notes in his book, "Locomotives, The Modern Diesel & Electric Reference: 2nd Edition," was the addition of a large box just behind the left side of this cab.

This so-called "Aux Cab," as GE described it, held all of the A.C. traction circuitry. The basic premise of the AC4400CW's is that its inverters held in this cabinet (the original models featured six "Gated Turn On" devices per inverter, or 36 in all) convert DC power from the main alternator to three-phase AC power used by the traction motors.

Interestingly, AC44's built after 1998 replaced these GTO's with what GE called Integrated Gate Bipolar Transistors or IGBT's. This new technology essentially made the "Aux Cab" irrelevant.

A pair of new CSX AC4400CWs, #66 and #74, lead a westbound freight past the historic depot in Hamlet, North Carolina in March, 1995. Warren Calloway photo.

One final upgrade was the introduction of GE's steerable truck. Electro-Motive, once again, had pioneered this technology with its HTCR-II.

While industry experts often view EMD's as superior, which helped it sell thousands of SD70 series models in the 1990s and 2000s, GE created a radial version of its HiAd in 1996 that has proven satisfactory.

GE's model designation for the AC4400CW was as follows:

"AC" referred to alternating curren

"4400" listed the horsepower rating

"C" noted the unit as having C-C trucks n(three axles per truck)

"W" described its wide, North American Safety Cab

Officially, the AC4400CW went into GE's catalog in the summer of 1994 and became so successful it remained in production until the company unveiled its new design, the ES44AC which was part of its new Evolution Series, in early 2005.

Data Sheet

Entered Production	6/1993 (General Electric #2000)
Years Produced	6/1993 - 11/2007
GE Class	AC4400CW
Engine	7FDL16 (16 cylinder)
Engine Builder	General Electric
Horsepower	4400
RPM	1050
Length	73' 2"
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	15' 4 2/3"
Width	9' 11"
Weight	408,000 - 432,000 Lbs
Fuel Capacity	5,000 Gallons
Air Compressor	3CDC (Westinghouse)
Air Brake Schedule	26L (Westinghouse)
Trucks	C-C
Truck Type	Hi-Ad Bolsterless (Steerable Trucks Optional)
Truck Wheelbase	13' 2"
Wheel Size	42"
Traction Motors	5GEB13 (6), GE
Traction Alternator	GMG196 or GMG192, GE
Auxiliary Alternator	GYA30A, GE
MU (Multiple-Unit)	Yes
Dynamic Brakes	Yes
Gear Ratio	83:20
Tractive Effort/Starting	180,000 Lbs
Tractive Effort/Continuous	145,000 Lbs at 13.7 mph
Top Speed	75 mph

Production Roster

(Total Built = 2,972)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
General Electric (Demo/Testbed)	2000	47530	1850	6/1993	1
CSX Transportation	9100-9102	47581-47583	1851	6/1994	3
Union Pacific	9997-9999	47634-47636	1850	8/1994	3
CSX Transportation	9103-9113	48031-48041	1853	10/1994	11
CSX Transportation	15-30	48042-48057	1853	10/1994-12/1994	16
Chicago & North Western	8801-8835	48169-48203	1855	11/1994-12/1994	35
CSX Transportation	31-115	48384-48468	1853	1/1995-4/1995	85
Canadian Pacific	9500-9582	48795-48877	1965	8/1995-10/1995	83
Southern Pacific	100-302	48473-48675	1857	4/1995-7/1995	203
Southern Pacific	303-378	48719-48794	1857	7/1995-10/1995	76
General Electric (Demo/Testbed)	4400	48878	1890	8/1995	1
Union Pacific	6838-6887	48925-48974	1866	10/1995-11/1995	50
CSX Transportation	116-173	48978-49035	1859	1/1996-5/1996	58
CSX Transportation	201-225	49036-49060	1859	5/1996-7/1996	25
Union Pacific	6738-6837	49185-49284	1870	3/1996-6/1996	100
CSX Transportation	226-280	49514-49568	1869	7/1996-12/1996	55
Union Pacific	6550-6699	49788-49937	1874	3/1997-7/1997	150
General Electric (Demos)*	4000-4009	49973-49982	1881	3/1997	10
Canadian Pacific	9583-9683	50089-50189	1880	9/1997-1/1998	101
CSX Transportation	281-301	50266-50286	1882	8/1997-9/1997	21
Union Pacific	7080-7100	50498-50518	1889	10/1997-12/1997	21
CSX Transportation	302-341	50520-50559	1890	2/1998-4/1998	40
Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM)	2600-2649	50576-50625	1891	5/1998-7/1998	50
Canadian Pacific	8500-8580	50826-50906	1992	2/1998-12/1998	81
Union Pacific	7101-7137	51025-51061	1895	6/1998-8/1998	37
CSX Transportation	342-366	51070-51094	1890	10/1998-11/1998	25
CSX Transportation	367-390	51384-51407	1902	11/1998-12/1998	24
CSX Transportation	391-421	51408-51438	1902	8/1999-10/1999	31
Union Pacific	7138-7262	51444-51568	1911	4/1999-9/1999	125
Union Pacific	6995-6999	51569-51573	1911	9/1999	5
Union Pacific	7263-7292	51574-51603	1911	9/1999-12/1999	30
Ferromex	4500-4549	51998-52047	1915	4/1999-9/1999	50
Kansas City Southern	2000-2049	52048-52097	1918	11/1999-12/1999	50
Union Pacific	7293-7297	52098-52102	1911	12/1999	5
Union Pacific	6525-6549	52127-52103 (Reversed)	1920	4/2000-1/2000	25
Burlington Northern Santa Fe	5600-5602	52128-52130	1916	9/1999	3
Ferrosur (Mexico)	4400-4414	52444-52458	1923	1/2000-2/2000	15
Union Pacific	6430-6524	52582-52488 (Reversed)	1920	11/2000-4/2000	95
CSX Transportation	422-496	52703-52777	1890	7/2000-9/2000	75
Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM)	2650-2674	52778-52802	1913	8/2000-11/2000	25
Union Pacific	5700-5769	53096-53165 (Not In Sequential Order)	1937/1946	1/2001-4/2002	70
CSX Transportation	497-546	53166-53215	1935	4/2001-9/2001	50
Canadian Pacific	8600-8650	53337-53387	1932	9/2001-10/2001	51
Québec Cartier Mining	18-29	53388-53399	1933	11/2001-6/2002	12
CIT Group	1001-1025	53458-53482	1943	11/2001-12/2001	25
Union Pacific	5771-5863	53537-53630	1942	1/2002-4/2002	93
Union Pacific	5864-5888	53631-53655	1942	9/2002-12/2002	25
CSX Transportation	547-556	53671-53680	1945	3/2002	10
CSX Transportation	557-599	53682-53724	1945	6/2002-8/2002	43
CSX Transportation	5101-5122	53725-53746	1949	8/2002-9/2002	22
Canadian Pacific	9700-9740	53930-53970	1954	10/2002-1/2003	41
Union Pacific	5889-5913	53979-54003	1942	11/2002-12/2002	25
Union Pacific	5914-5981	54104-54179	1955	1/2003-5/2003	68
Burlington Northern Santa Fe	5603-5653	54190-54240	1959	4/2003-5/2003	51
Ferrosur (Mexico)	4415-4429	54430-54444	1963	6/2003	15
Canadian Pacific	9750-9784	54445-54479	1965	7/2003-9/2003	35
Union Pacific	6023-6059	54714-54733 (Not In Sequential Order)	1968	9/2003	37
Burlington Northern Santa Fe	5654-5717	54615-54678	1970	1/2004-4/2004	64
Burlington Northern Santa Fe	5838-5840	54679-54681	1970	3/2004	3
Union Pacific	5982-6022	54480-54520	1968	9/2003-10/2003	41
Union Pacific	6060-6081	54734-54755	1971	3/2004-4/2004	22
Canadian Pacific	9800-9840	55070-55110	1976	4/2004-6/2004	41
Union Pacific	5554-5694	55147-55287	1977	6/2004-12/2004	141
CIT Group	1026-1059	55425-55458	1979	9/2004-11/2004	34
Ferromex (Mexico)	4550-4574	55475-55499	1981	11/2004-12/2004	25
Ferrominera Orinoco (Venezuela)	1058-1059	55500-55501	1991	12/2004	2
Ferrosur (Mexico)	4430-4437	55502-55509	1985	12/2004	8
Quebec North Shore & Labrador	415-421	56147-56153	1992	12/2005	7
Québec Cartier Mining	13-17	57062-57066	2001	4/2006	5
Carbones de Cerrejón (Colombia)	1014	57087	2002	8/2006	1
Quebec North Shore & Labrador	422-426	57088-57092	1905	10/2006-11/2006	5
Québec Cartier Mining	11-12	58444-58445	1923	11/2007	2

* Became Union Pacific #7000-7009.

Sources

Foster, Gerald. A Field Guide To Trains. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

McDonnell, Greg. Locomotives: The Modern Diesel & Electric Reference, 2nd Edition. Buffalo: Boston Mills Press/Firefly Books, 2015.

Solomon, Brian. American Diesel Locomotive, The. Osceola: MBI Publishing, 2000.

Solomon, Brian. GE and EMD Locomotives: The Illustrated History. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2014.

Solomon, Brian. GE Locomotives: 110 Years Of General Electric Motive Power. St. Paul: MBI Publishing, 2003.

Reception

By that time GE had sold a mind-boggling 2,972 units to every North American Class I except Norfolk Southern and Canadian National.

For lines like Union Pacific and CSX, the two biggest buyers of the AC4400CW, the locomotive has been an incredible asset in the movement of heavy freight, notably coal drags through Wyoming's Powder River Basin and West Virginia's Appalachian coal fields.

Today, while their carbody is virtually identical to other, similar GE models like the C44-9W, likely every other locomotive you will see pulling a freight is a AC4400CW or ES44AC as nearly all remain in active revenue service on Class I railroads.

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