OmniTRAX on Sept. 18 reported that its Great Western Railway of Colorado affiliate recently pilot tested and purchased a new technology aimed at reducing locomotive emissions and fuel consumption.
The 80-plus-mile short line “successfully implemented North America’s first Plasma AirJet system tailored for locomotives,” according to AnoDynamix, distributor of the CLACK Technologies-developed system. Plasma AirJet and CLACK’s PurePurple emissions control technology are said to “work together to enhance engine efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve fuel economy across various engine platforms.”
“Our emissions testing has consistently shown a 50%-plus reduction in carbon particulate (soot) emissions at various throttle settings,” AnoDynamix President and CEO Kevin McKelvy told Railway Age. “We have also experienced a 5% to 15% reduction in fuel usage, again, dependent on the variables of throttle settings, weight, distance, etc. In locomotives, such as those installed at OmniTRAX, the device drops into the air box directly in front of the turbo, enhancing and cleaning the internal combustion process.”
OmniTRAX conducted the pilot test for six months using an EMD GP40-2 and an EMD SD40-2 on the Great Western Railway of Colorado before purchasing the devices, according to Scott Remington, Vice President, Corporate Development for OmniTRAX. The railroad, which serves the agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors and the 3,000-acre Great Western Industrial Park, provides railcar storage and repair, as well as transloading. It interchanges with BNSF at Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colo., and with Union Pacific at Greeley, Colo.
“This advanced technology delivers positive benefits to our fleet’s environmental performance,” said Sergio Sabatini, President and COO of OmniTRAX, which manages 28 small roads nationwide. “OmniTRAX is deeply committed to our customers and the communities we serve, and we are proud to pioneer the use of technologies that enhance community health and safety.”
