(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on July 20, 2010.)
Tomorrow, the Iowa Northern Railway Co. and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan to demonstrate a newly converted railroad slug in Waterloo, Iowa.
A slug is a locomotive accessory that’s designed to reduce air emissions and fuel usage while increasing a locomotive’s pulling and braking power. Slugs have no diesel engine and draw power generated by an attached locomotive to run their own set of traction motors.
Iowa Northern obtained $303,800 in federal funding last year from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Clean Diesel program to convert two locomotives into railroad slugs, which began operating this month.
“This project is expected to eliminate 220 tons of air pollutants, including 194 tons of nitrogen oxides, 10 tons of particulate matter and 14 tons of hydrocarbons,” said EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks in a prepared statement.
The EPA has awarded the Iowa Department of Natural Resources a total of $1.7 million in stimulus funds to support clean diesel projects, including the railroad slugs. Nationwide, the EPA has awarded $7 billion in stimulus funds for various environmental efforts, such as clean diesel projects that involve engine idling reduction and retrofit technologies, and engine and vehicle replacements.