UP testing experimental locomotive in Chicago area - Industry Today - Union Pacific, battery-powered locomotive Green Goat, Illinois - Brief Article

Railway Track and Structures, April, 2003

Union Pacific is testing a hybrid, battery-powered locomotive called the "Green Goat" in its Chicago rail yards in order to determine if it is a feasible alternative to conventional diesel-electric locomotives.

In addition to reducing fuel consumption, this locomotive could also reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides by as much as 90 percent compared to current diesel-electric locomotives.

UP had been testing the unit in its rail yard at Roseville, Calif., since March 2002. Testing in the Chicago area, scheduled to be completed in June, will help UP gain a better understanding of the locomotive's performance in cooler temperatures.

The batteries in the unit produce the same amount of energy as a locomotive powered by an electrical generator attached to a 2,000-hp diesel engine. A small diesel engine attached to an alternator recharges the batteries, which have an estimated 10-year service life.

UP also is raising the train speeds through four Texas communities: Abilene, Grand Saline, Midland and Sinton. At each location, train speeds will increase incrementally each week until the new limit is reached. Recent track improvements in all four towns now permit higher operating speeds.