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Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. & Transnet Rail Engineering Unveil the First of 50 New GT26CU-3/Class 39-200 Locomotives Being Assembled in South Africa

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 March 2009, 23:00 CDT

KOEDOESPORT, South Africa, March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (EMD) and Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) has rolled out the first GT26CU-3/Class 39-200 3,000 THP locomotive at the Transnet Rail Engineering facility in Koedoespoort, South Africa. The balance of the order for 50 units is scheduled for delivery by the end of the third quarter of 2009. This marks the first new diesel locomotive to be delivered for service to Transnet Freight Rail in 20 years. With over 40% of the parts to build the locomotive sourced in South Africa, EMD believes this is just the beginning of a long-term relationship between EMD and TRE in building or rebuilding locomotives and locomotive subassemblies. EMD has delivered to Transnet Freight Rail in the last 40 years over 600 diesel electric locomotives, which do form the backbone of Transnet Freight Rail's diesel fleet.

These units were assembled, painted and tested at TRE by a joint labor force of EMD and TRE employees. The EMD GT26CU-3 is equipped with a 3,000 THP 16-645E3 16 cylinder engine. The GT26CU-3 is also equipped with an AR10-CA5 alternator, high voltage cabinet and EM2000 microprocessor locomotive control system with FIRE(TM) display system. TRE has the role as the main subcontractor on the project. Some of the major components being fabricated and supplied from South Africa include the fuel tanks, cab structures, engine hoods, cooling hoods, underframe structures, bogie frames, sand boxes and equipment racks.

EMD has incorporated several new designs into the locomotive to enhance driver comfort, safety and maintainability of the locomotive. TRE has worked closely with the project team and technical team from EMD giving TRE the skills to build a modern EMD locomotive in a production environment. The transfer of technology has come as a direct result of the GT26CU-3 /Class 39-200 locomotive project.

According to Albert Enste, Vice President International Sales & Service, "The success of the GT26CU-3 locomotive is vital to providing safe and reliable cost effective diesel freight locomotives for rail operators in the South African region that would otherwise not be able to replace older fleets that have become unreliable and, in some cases unsupportable through obsolesce."

Building the GT26CU-3/Class 39-200 locomotives utilizes the combined efforts of EMD's technology and TRE facility and resources, which will have long lasting benefits for both companies. With EMD's commitment to providing core components and technical assistance, as well as locomotive assembly provided at TRE, and the large amount locomotive content being sourced in South Africa will make locomotive maintenance and scheduled overhauls run smoothly, providing reliable locomotive service with minimal down time. "The GT26CU-3/Class 39-200 locomotives will be the best, most reliable locomotives in the Transnet fleet. Feedback from drivers, operators, maintenance personnel, ergonomics, and safety experts have all been very favorable, and they cannot wait to get these units into service," says Steve Hoisington, Vice President of South Africa Operations.

Founded in 1922, Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. is one of two U.S. original equipment manufacturers of diesel-electric locomotives. Headquartered in LaGrange, Illinois, with additional facilities in London, Ontario, Canada, EMD designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric locomotives for all commercial railroad applications and has sold its products in more than 73 countries worldwide. The Company is the only diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer to have produced more than 70,000 engines and has the largest installed base of diesel-electric locomotives in both North America and internationally. In addition to its locomotive manufacturing activities, EMD has an extensive aftermarket business offering customer's replacement parts and a range of value-added services for its locomotives. The Company is also a global provider of diesel engines for marine propulsion, offshore and land-based oil well drilling rigs, and stationary power generation.

Additional information may be found at www.EMDiesels.com.

SOURCE Electro-Motive Diesel Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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