(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on December 15, 2009.)
Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) recently received a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to install repower kits on five locomotives to extend service life, reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions, according to an item posted on the “KCS News” Web site.
The repower kits will be manufactured by Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. (EMD) and installed by KCSR employees in the Shreveport, La., mechanical shop. Repowered locomotives can reduce fuel consumption 25 percent and cut nitrogen oxide emissions 42 percent; particulate matter emissions, 67 percent; carbon monoxide emissions, 81 percent; and hydrocarbon emissions, 86 percent compared with conventional locomotives, according to EMD.
KCSR also received a $50,000 EPA grant through the state of Missouri to install automatic start-stop devices on five switchers assigned to the Kansas City area.