What is the cost of a locomotive?

For example, a diesel-electric locomotive can cost between $1.5 and $5 million, while a high-speed electric passenger train can cost $20 million or more. The cost of maintaining and operating a railroad can also be significant. This includes costs such as fuel, maintenance, labor, and insurance.



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Ever check out the list prices of brand-new main line diesel-electric locomotives? They are expensive, about $3 million each.

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CN declined to say how much it is spending on the locomotives, but an industry source said they cost about $3-million (U.S.) each. The 195-tonne locomotives produce 4,500 horsepower and can pull a freight train at 110 kilometres an hour, GE says.

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The locomotive has a newly developed diesel engine that increases fuel efficiency while producing lower emissions. During the next nine months, CSXT will test three locomotives, costing more than $2 million each.

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BNSF Locomotives. We have one of the newest locomotive fleets in the industry. A typical BNSF locomotive will travel up to 4.8 million miles in its lifetime - equal to about 20 trips from the earth to the moon.

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Each one cost approximately $265,000 to build, or about $4.4 million in today's money. In the railroad world, the Big Boys were known as 4-8-8-4 articulated type locomotives.

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The Union Pacific Centennial is the largest and most powerful diesel locomotive ever built.

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The life expectancy of diesel-electric and electric locomotives is expected to be similar—about 25 years. Both types of motive power are subject to technological obsolescence.

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For a fuel cost of $0.84 per liter of diesel ($3.17 per gallon) (AAR (2012b)), this results in an average running fuel cost of $185 per locomotive-hour.

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Rather, the term is more specific: A freight train can move one ton of weight about 450 miles on a single gallon of gas. To match this mileage, a one-ton car would have to get 450 mpg, and a two-ton vehicle would have to get 225 mpg. To car owners, this seems unbelievable. How can railroads do it?

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The Union Pacific Railroad (reporting marks UP, UPP, UPY) is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over 32,200 miles (51,800 km) routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans.

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Yes, all over the road locomotives, and local use locomotives are equipped with toilets in small rooms in the front hood area of the locomotive. Some even have fold down sinks for hand washing. The toilets are similar to RV type toilets that have a hand pump for flushing, and holding tanks for the waste.

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Anyway, the reason for using two locomotives is pretty simple. Twice the number of locomotives means twice the power. This extra power boost is used for especially heavy loads or for trains going up steep grades.

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The majority of modern electrification systems take AC energy from a power grid that is delivered to a locomotive, and within the locomotive, transformed and rectified to a lower DC voltage in preparation for use by traction motors.

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Engines may be left idling to maintain important safety related functions such as maintaining engine temperature, air pressure for the brake system, the integrity of the starting systems, the electrical system and providing heating or cooling to a train's crew and/or passengers.

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Hydrogen-powered fuel cells, combined with batteries to store electricity, would be a zero-emissions solution to replace the diesel-electric locomotive, Moslener says.

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In temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine has to be kept warm for engine fluids to work properly, as antifreeze cannot be used in locomotive engines. Engines are also kept running to provide air conditioning or heat for the crew, which may be aboard even if the train is idling in a yard.

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