PL42AC
Encyclopedia
The PL42AC is a diesel-electric 4-axle locomotive
built by Alstom
, EMD
and Vossloh España for New Jersey Transit
. The first 33 locomotives were manufactured at the Vossloh España plant in Valencia, Spain
in 2003. Later units were assembled at the Alstom Transport plant in Hornell, New York
in 2004 and were still produced as of early 2006. The power rating of the PL42AC locomotives is about 4200 hp
(3.1 MW
) total for tractive effort
and head-end power.
At the time of delivery this locomotive was considered the most advanced passenger diesel locomotive in the United States. It uses IGBT technology with very precise traction computers for tractive effort. The PL42 has 800 kilowatts head-end power and WABCO
's EPIC II braking system, along with an E-7 wheel slide device, made by Wabtec
, preventing flats spots on the wheels through software and hardware.
It has an Intelligent Display Unit (IDU) based on Bombardier Transportation technology from which an engineer or technician can view data or download events and faults from the previous weeks or months. The technician can do a host of tests from the IDU to determine if a specific system is operating correctly.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
built by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, EMD
EMD
- Music :* E.M.D., a Swedish band* The Explorations in Music and Dance / EMD Network, represents diverse higher education institutions of dance and music in Greenland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with additional institutional partners in the European...
and Vossloh España for New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
. The first 33 locomotives were manufactured at the Vossloh España plant in Valencia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 2003. Later units were assembled at the Alstom Transport plant in Hornell, New York
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
in 2004 and were still produced as of early 2006. The power rating of the PL42AC locomotives is about 4200 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(3.1 MW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
) total for tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
and head-end power.
At the time of delivery this locomotive was considered the most advanced passenger diesel locomotive in the United States. It uses IGBT technology with very precise traction computers for tractive effort. The PL42 has 800 kilowatts head-end power and WABCO
WABCO
WABCO can refer to:*Westinghouse Air Brake Company **WABCO Vehicle Control Systems - a part of the former Westinghouse Air Brake Company...
's EPIC II braking system, along with an E-7 wheel slide device, made by Wabtec
Wabtec
Wabtec Corporation is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999....
, preventing flats spots on the wheels through software and hardware.
It has an Intelligent Display Unit (IDU) based on Bombardier Transportation technology from which an engineer or technician can view data or download events and faults from the previous weeks or months. The technician can do a host of tests from the IDU to determine if a specific system is operating correctly.
Use of Software on Locomotive
The PL42AC uses computer hardware and software to control many functions and to protect the engine. For example, if the on-board computer detects too little oil in the system, it will shut down the engine to avoid damage.