By Eric Berger

FORT WORTH — Wabtec recently modernized its 1,000th locomotive and to mark the occasion lined up unmodified and modified Wabtec/General Electric locomotives for comparison.

Norfolk Southern AC44C6M 4463 (originally GE Dash 9-44CW 9363) had the distinction of being the 1,000th locomotive to be revamped by Wabtec. Alongside the locomotive was Dash 9-44CW 9328, which was awaiting its own turn to be modernized.

Norfolk Southern ordered 1,090 of the six-axle Dash 9s between 1996 and 2004 and has sent 500 through the AC44C6M program already. Wabtec is also modernizing hundreds of aging AC4400CW units from Canadian Pacific and CSX Transportation. The result is up to a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency; more than a 40 percent increase in reliability; up to a 55 percent increase in haulage ability; and up to a 20 percent reduction in maintenance, repair, and overhaul expenses, according to Wabtec. These changes include new trucks, conversion from DC to AC traction motors, new electrical cabinets, additional weight, Distributed Power capability, and the addition of the GE Trip Optimizer/PTC (Positive Train Control) system.