NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit’s Staten Island Railway has taken delivery of four new diesel locomotives manufactured by the Brookville Equipment Corporation of Brookville, Penn.
The locomotives traveled by rail to Port Newark and then by barge to the Stapleton Home Port. The cars were lifted by crane and trucked to the Clifton shop, where they were again lifted by crane and placed onto the tracks. They will undergo testing for about a month before entering service.
These new locomotives will replace four old second-hand locomotives: two that date from 1968 and two that date from 1940s. They will be used year-round to support maintenance-of-way efforts in maintaining tracks, right-of-way and structures. They will be used daily during the autumn months to propel work equipment that steam-clean the running rails and apply traction-enhancing gel.
In addition, during winter months, they can be used to clear the line in the event of a major snowstorm. And, they may even be used to haul passenger cars to maintain limited service should there be a temporary third rail outage.
Funded in 2006 with an $8.8 million capital budget, the final cost came in significantly under budget at approximately $1.6 million per locomotive. The locomotives were part of a combined order that totaled 16 units: six for Metro North Railroad, six for Connecticut DOT and four for Staten Island Railway.
These low-emission locomotives each weigh 230,000 pounds with 2250 horsepower and are expected to remain in service for 35 years.
