2Rail proto2 cab#1233 pumpkin scheme. Only 1 engine in stock.
Known also as an Ultra Low Emissions Locomotive (ULEL), the GenSet engine was the brainchild of Mike Iden of the Union Pacific. Looking to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, Iden envisioned a diesel locomotive with multiple engine/generator sets, each of which would turn on only when needed. Working with diesel builder and remanufacturer National Railway Equipment, Iden created an experimental prototype that proved its worth in 2005 and spawned a new type of road switcher — the ultimate “smart” locomotive.
Today’s NRE 3GS-21B — 3 Genset, 2100 horsepower, B-truck (4 wheels) — is perhaps the perfect marriage of heavy machinery and computers. Each of its three 700-horsepower GenSets turns on only when a microprocessor senses it’s needed. At idle (which is a majority of the time for a switcher), only one engine runs, and even that turns off after a certain period of inactivity. Unlike traditional railroad diesels that require an elaborate startup procedure, the Cummins diesels used in GenSets are based on a truck engine design that can be started up instantly. When the locomotive is under load, the second and third GenSets power up and down as needed. The result is a locomotive that delivers fuel savings of 40% and more, compared with traditional yard and road switchers, and an 80% reduction in noxious emissions. No wonder that many GenSet purchases have been funded with government grants targeted at making the air more breathable.
The MTH model of these “Engines of Change” feature the superb level of detail you expect in a Premier model, as well as Cummins diesel recordings from an actual 3GS-21B and, like the prototype, the sound of additional GenSets coming on line as you advance the throttle. If you’re running the latest low-emissions EMD and GE diesels on your main line, you’ll surely want a GenSet or two for your branch line or yard.
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