The GE Dash 8-32BWH, also known as the P32-8BWH, B32-8WH, or P32-8, is a

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...

used by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

in passenger train service, based on the GE Dash 8 Series of freight train locomotives. Built in 1991, they were the first locomotives purchased to replace the

EMD F40PH The EMD F40PH is a four-axle B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in several variants from 1975 to 1992. Intended for use on Amtrak's short-haul passenger routes, it became the backbone of Amtrak's ...

. Amtrak originally used the Dash8's on mainline trains but later used them largely for switching in yards, only being used on mainline trains when newer

GE Genesis The GE Genesis (officially trademarked GENESIS) is a series of passenger diesel locomotives built by GE Transportation for Amtrak, Metro-North, and Via Rail between 1992 and 2001. A total of 321 units were produced. Designed to meet Amtrak's ...

locomotives were unavailable. As of 2023, 16 of the original 20 remain in service with Amtrak, including two owned by

Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...

for use on

Amtrak California Amtrak California is a brand name used by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Rail for three state-supported Amtrak regional rail routes in Californiathe ''Capitol Corridor'', the ''Pacific Surfliner'', and the ...

services.

Design

The Dash 8-32BWH operates in a diesel-electric configuration that uses DC to power the

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains. Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...

s, the 7FDL-V12 diesel engine produces at 1047

rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...

. When providing

head end power In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, ...

to the train, the engine is speed locked to 900 rpm. Power output to the traction motors is when running in HEP mode with a 0 kW HEP load. Traction horsepower decreases to when providing the maximum HEP load to the train. The Dash 8-32BWH has a 74:29 gear ratio, resulting in a maximum operating speed of in passenger operation.

History

By 1990, Amtrak was looking to supplement its

fleet, which was beginning to show its age. Though Amtrak first explored the experimental EMD F69PHAC, cost concerns prompted the company to pursue a modification of an existing freight locomotive instead. Twenty GE Dash 8-32BWH locomotives were delivered to

in 1991, numbered 500 through 519 (two were funded by the

California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...

for use in that state). The locomotives were built by

GE Transportation GE Transportation is a division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generatio ...

as a modification of their existing Dash 8-32B with the addition of head-end power for supplying passenger cars, a comfort cab, and a number of changes to locomotive internals to meet Amtrak's requirements for weight and performance. To provide enough room for a second alternator (to support head-end power generation) these locomotives were built on the frame of a Dash 8-40BW. Amtrak decided its new locomotives should have a new paint scheme, and in the process considered over 100 possible designs. The locomotives were delivered in a wide-striped red, white and blue

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

, which angled upward across the middle of the body. The similarity to the design of

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

packaging led to the units being nicknamed "Pepsi Cans". By 2023, all units had been repainted into a standard Amtrak scheme. Originally used across the Amtrak system on passenger trains, the fleet has since been primarily relegated to yard switching (mainly in Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and Miami), but locomotives are sometimes called upon to pull mainline trains when a locomotive from Amtrak's fleet of

and

Siemens Charger The Siemens Charger is a family of diesel-electric/ dual-mode passenger locomotives designed and manufactured by Siemens Mobility for the North American market. There are five variants of the Charger, tailored for different operators and types ...

units are unavailable. Amtrak adopted the Genesis rather than the Dash 8-32BWH to fully replace its F40PH fleet, which was designed specifically for Amtrak as an all-new passenger locomotive. As of 2023, 16 Dash 8-32BWH locomotives remain in active service with Amtrak, which has held on to them for their reliability and ease of maintenance despite their age. Two of the locomotives, 501 and 502, were sold to the

(Caltrans). The locomotives were renumbered 2051 and 2052, and received the

paint scheme. They are used on the '' San Joaquins'' and ''

Capitol Corridor The ''Capitol Corridor'' is a passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, California, San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, California, Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. The route is named after the two ...

'' trains.

References

External links

General Electric Four-Axle Dash-8s
B-B locomotives 8-32BWH Passenger locomotives Amtrak locomotives Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1991 Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States {{US-train-stub American Passenger Locomotives