Siemens Charger
The Siemens Charger is a family of diesel-electric passenger locomotives built by Siemens Mobility for use in North America. The Charger family includes several variants developed for specific operators and service types including long-distance, inter-city and commuter rail.
The SC-44 model is used primarily for state-supported inter-city routes and commuter rail services. The SCB-40 variant was developed for Brightline in Florida, while the SCV-42 is used by Via Rail in Canada. Amtrak operates the ALC-42 for its long-distance routes and has ordered the ALC-42E, a dual-mode version capable of operating on overhead electric power, for routes that travel over portions of the Northeast Corridor; Charger-family locomotives will eventually replace the aging GE Genesis fleet. A third rail dual-mode version, the SC-42DM, is also available.
The first production Charger locomotive, an SC-44, was unveiled on March 26, 2016, and began revenue service on August 24, 2017. Charger locomotives are often paired with Venture passenger cars, also manufactured by Siemens, as part of a trainset.
Design
The Charger is powered by a Cummins 16-cylinder QSK95 4-stroke high speed diesel engine, which meets United States Environmental Protection Agency's more stringent Tier 4 emissions standards that took effect in 2015. Power output varies by model: the SCB-40 produces, the SC-44 produces, and the ALC-42, SCV-42, SC-42DM produce. The maximum speed in service is.The locomotive shares much of its overall design with the Siemens Vectron diesel and electric locomotives used in Europe and the Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive built for Amtrak.
Four Insulated-gate bipolar transistor power inverters carry electric current to each of the four AC traction motors. A static inverter off of the main prime mover supplies head-end power. The locomotive also features dynamic braking with regenerative capability, allowing the locomotive to divert power generated by dynamic braking away from the resistor grids to HEP and onboard locomotive auxiliary power demands.
In response to a 2013 request for information from Metro-North Railroad, Siemens said they would be capable of producing a dual-mode variant capable of operating on third rail power with onboard energy storage for use by Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road, as well as intercity service on Amtrak's Empire Corridor. This would become the SC-42DM.
California's SC-44s have aerodynamic "spoilers" on the rear of their roofs that match the height of bi-level California and Surfliner cars.
The Charger series competes with other Tier 4 compliant locomotives, such as the EMD F125 and the MPI MPXpress MP54AC. However, unlike the Charger series, both the F125 and MP54AC have struggled to find customers, selling fewer than 50 units each.
Service history
The first production SC-44 unit was unveiled on March 26, 2016. The first two Charger locomotives to leave Siemens' factory in Florin, California were transported to the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado in June 2016 and underwent testing of performance metrics such as acceleration and braking. The first Brightline SCB-40 locomotives were delivered in December 2016 to undergo testing in Florida.In February 2017, Amtrak and the Washington State Department of Transportation began testing one of the Midwest-bound SC-44 locomotives along the Cascades corridor in the Pacific Northwest for federal certification. Additional test runs were conducted on the Midwest and Northern California routes in April and May. Testing at up to was conducted at TTC and on the Northeast Corridor in September 2016 which resulted in federal certification for operations.
Revenue testing on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins routes in Northern California began on May 25, 2017. During these tests, the trains operated with a second locomotive in case of failure. The Northern California units were formally accepted and approved for solo service on October 23, 2017. The SC-44 entered revenue testing on the Midwest routes in July 2017, with solo revenue service beginning on a Hiawatha train on August 24, 2017. Revenue service on the Cascades route began in November 2017.
Brightline began revenue operations with its SCB-40 locomotives on January 13, 2018. The first Chargers for MARC began testing that month, and revenue service began on April 5, 2018. Pre-revenue testing began on the Pacific Surfliner in October 2018; revenue service began later that year.
The first ALC-42 for Amtrak's long distance trains was put into service on the westbound Empire Builder on February 8, 2022, after extensive testing in the Midwest and on the Empire Builder route. Of the two units on the inaugural service, one was Amtrak's "Day 1" heritage unit #301.
Winter weather unique to the Americas had caused problems for the ALC-42s in service on Amtrak's long-distance trains. An FRA spokesman said that "the light-dry snow of the mid-west was not anticipated by Siemens." The air filters of the dynamic brake system allowed the snow to enter, causing ground faults that would stop the train. This issue was remedied in 2023.
Customers
Altamont Corridor Express
California regional commuter line Altamont Corridor Express ordered four SC-44 locomotives in April 2018, with deliveries beginning in December 2019. They entered revenue service in 2020.Amtrak
National network
On December 21, 2018, Amtrak ordered 75 ALC-42 locomotives with options for an additional 100. The first locomotive entered service in February 2022, with the last expected by 2024.Compared with the SC-44, changes were made to the ALC-42 to make it more suitable for long-distance service: additional positive train control systems for nationwide service, a larger diesel fuel tank, a larger diesel exhaust fluid tank, a larger sandbox, a more powerful 1,000-kilowatt head-end power generator, an extended nose section for easier repair in the event of minor front-end collision, and a prime mover de-rated to to lengthen maintenance intervals.
Assembly of the first ALC-42 began in March 2020. On August 5, 2020, Amtrak announced that one of the first six locomotives will be painted in a replica of the "Day 1" livery to commemorate 50 years of Amtrak service, while the other five will feature a preliminary "Phase VI" paint scheme. The remainder of the fleet will introduce a new "Phase VII" livery. By February 2021, 12 units had begun production, with the first locomotive, AMTK 300, delivered to Amtrak on June 17. The first ALC-42 locomotives entered revenue service on the Empire Builder on February 8, 2022. On the same day, Amtrak announced that they had ordered an additional 50 ALC-42s, bringing the total number of locomotives ordered to 125.
Northeast Corridor and Cascades
Amtrak plans to purchase at least 83 intercity trainsets with ALC-42E locomotives from Siemens as part of its nationwide Airo fleet procurement, including 75 trainsets for Northeast Corridor and 8 six-car trainsets for the service. The trainsets will be used primarily on routes that operate over both electrified and non-electrified track, which currently require costly and lengthy locomotive swaps when transitioning between electrified and non-electrified territory.The main difference between the ALC-42E and ALC-42 is that the ALC-42E features a power-bus that allows for a special trailer car to send electricity to the locomotive and enable it to run at electric mode as electro-diesel locomotive. However, unlike the SC-42DM, the ALC-42E is not a true dual-mode locomotive, as it does not have its own pantographs and voltage regulation equipment to draw power from overhead lines, and requires a trailer power car with that equipment for operation in electric mode. In diesel mode, the ALC-42E will work like a typical diesel–electric locomotive, using its diesel engine to generate electricity for its motors. Half of the space on the special trailer car will have equipment that enables running at electric mode and a passenger seating area on the other. There are currently two types of trailer car planned:
- An Auxiliary Power Vehicle will be used on trains that use track with overhead lines. Equipped with a pantograph and transformers, the APV will supply electricity to the ALC-42E as well as additional motors on its own powered trucks, resulting in a total trainset power rating of and a starting tractive effort of. The ALC-42E/APV pairing will replace Amtrak's existing Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives on trains that leave the electrified sections the Northeast Corridor for part of their route.
- A battery car will be used on trains that access New York Penn Station via the Empire Connection, which has a third rail instead of overhead lines. The battery car will supply electricity to the ALC-42E in areas where diesel engine use is prohibited. Power output in battery mode is approximately ; operating speed is limited to. Maximum range is 18 miles when operating at. The ALC-42E/battery car pairing will replace Amtrak's existing GE Genesis P32AC-DM dual mode locomotives, which draw electricity from the third rail in electric mode.
State-supported corridors
The Illinois Department of Transportation, in conjunction with its counterparts in California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington, purchased 32 SC-44 locomotives for state-supported corridor services, operated by Amtrak under contract.The $225 million order placed in March 2014 included options for an additional 75 corridor-configured locomotives In 2015, IDOT ordered 12 additional units for use on the upgraded Lincoln Service corridor. California ordered 16 additional units in November 2015 for use on the Pacific Surfliner beginning in 2018, plus two more units in 2016 for the Northern California services. Washington state ordered an additional unit to replace locomotive 1402, which was lost in the 2017 Washington train derailment and two more in connection with its purchase of new Siemens trainsets.
A total of 68 locomotives were ordered for Amtrak state corridors in this contract: 24 for California, 11 for Washington state, and 33 for the Midwest states. Another eight options were exercised by MARC, bringing total contract orders to 76.