In this Caltrans News Flash, Public Information Officer Mark Dinger takes you to historic Old Sacramento for the first look at the new, high speed Charger locomotive, which was on display recently at the California State Railroad Museum. The locomotive is the first of its kind to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s strict Tier-4 emissions standards and is one of six that will soon be in service on Amtrak California’s Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin passenger lines.
The new locomotives are the very first to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s strict Tier 4 emissions standards, which reduce emissions by 85 percent. The Charger is equipped with a 4,400 horsepower-rated Cummins QSK95 Cummins Diesel engine, designed to operate at speeds of 125 mph.
The Chargers were purchased as part of a multi-state procurement contract that will eventually add 22 new locomotives to Amtrak California’s fleet. Each locomotive costs nearly $6 million, and were funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Proposition 1B, approved by voters in 2006.
