ADVANCES IN RAILWAY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 2020-2021 SURVEY - LOCOMOTIVES

This survey reports on motive power development for the previous year ending in August 2021. Invitations to participate were sent to a number of locomotive builders. Railway industry trade journals and other rail magazines were also consulted for additional input. Similar to the previous year, new locomotive production has been very low with a strong emphasis placed on locomotive overhauls and modernizations. Of the few new locomotives constructed in North America, Progress Rail and Wabtec have both continued working on new power sources for locomotives including battery electric, biodiesel and hydrogen. In Sweden, Alstom operated the first train running on hydrogen. For the first time since 2001, Amtrak received new diesel road locomotives for its non-electrified routes with VIA Rail's new locomotives and trainsets not far behind. Finally, the survey will look at a motive power development of an 80-year-old locomotive as UP implements I-ETMS as Positive Train Control on their operational Big Boy steam engine using a trailing diesel locomotive. General information will be provided. For further details on any of the developments in the design of railway locomotives the reader is encouraged to reach out the original equipment manufacturers.