GE Transportation Systems
Encyclopedia
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric
. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad
, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania
. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine manufacturing takes place in Grove City
. In May 2011, the company announced plans to build a second locomotive factory in Fort Worth, Texas
in order to meet increasing demand.
Lorenzo Simonelli is the chief executive of GE Transportation.
and passenger applications in North America. It also produces related products, such as railroad signaling
equipment, and parts for locomotives and railroad car
s, as well as providing repair services for GE and other locomotives.
Current locomotives in major production include the GE Evolution Series
; for a complete listing, see the list of GE locomotives. In the spring of 2007, GE Transportation Systems rolled out a prototype hybrid
diesel-electric locomotive to increase fuel efficiency
and reduce emissions. In September 2010, GE Transportation announced plans to commercialise a hybrid design by 2014-15.
In addition to the railroad industry, GE Transportation also serves the following industries: Marine, Mining, Stationary Power, Drilling, and Drivetrain Technologies (wind gear boxes).
s and propulsion systems for the mining
, oil drilling, and wind turbine
industries. GE also provides medium-sized, medium-speed diesel engines for several smaller vessels, mostly tugboats and other similarly-sized vessels
. These marine engines are marinized versions of their locomotive engines.
, air caster
technology is used to "float" 200-ton diesel locomotives from one assembly station to another. Workers at the plant euphemistically refer to the assembly line as the "world's largest air hockey table." Thanks in part to more efficient movement and positioning of the locomotives, the company says it reduced build time by 16%.
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine manufacturing takes place in Grove City
Grove City, Pennsylvania
Grove City is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, approximately north of Pittsburgh. It is the home of Grove City College, a private conservative Christian liberal arts college; General Electric; Instron; USIS; George G. Howe Co.; and a number of small businesses. It is also the home to...
. In May 2011, the company announced plans to build a second locomotive factory in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
in order to meet increasing demand.
Lorenzo Simonelli is the chief executive of GE Transportation.
Rail products
GE Transportation is the largest producer of diesel-electric locomotives for both freightFreight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
and passenger applications in North America. It also produces related products, such as railroad signaling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
equipment, and parts for locomotives and railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s, as well as providing repair services for GE and other locomotives.
Current locomotives in major production include the GE Evolution Series
GE Evolution Series
The Evolution Series is a line of diesel locomotives built by GE Transportation Systems, designed to meet the U.S. EPA's Tier 2 locomotive emissions standards that took effect in 2005. The first pre-production units were built in 2003. Evolution Series locomotives are equipped with either AC or DC...
; for a complete listing, see the list of GE locomotives. In the spring of 2007, GE Transportation Systems rolled out a prototype hybrid
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
diesel-electric locomotive to increase fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
and reduce emissions. In September 2010, GE Transportation announced plans to commercialise a hybrid design by 2014-15.
In addition to the railroad industry, GE Transportation also serves the following industries: Marine, Mining, Stationary Power, Drilling, and Drivetrain Technologies (wind gear boxes).
Propulsion products
In addition to railroad locomotives and equipment, GE Transportation Systems also produces large electric motorElectric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s and propulsion systems for the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, oil drilling, and wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
industries. GE also provides medium-sized, medium-speed diesel engines for several smaller vessels, mostly tugboats and other similarly-sized vessels
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
. These marine engines are marinized versions of their locomotive engines.
Battery products
GE’s battery business serves the rail, marine, telecommunications and energy sectors, including new smart grid technology.Trivia
At the GE Transportation plant in Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, air caster
Air caster
An air caster is a pneumatic lifting device used to move heavy loads on flat, non-porous surfaces. Its operation is similar to a hovercraft, as it uses a thin layer of air as a way to float a very small distance off the ground...
technology is used to "float" 200-ton diesel locomotives from one assembly station to another. Workers at the plant euphemistically refer to the assembly line as the "world's largest air hockey table." Thanks in part to more efficient movement and positioning of the locomotives, the company says it reduced build time by 16%.
See also
- List of GE reciprocating engines
- List of GE locomotives
- GE InfrastructureGE InfrastructureGE Infrastructure was a subsidiary of General Electric, formed in 2005 as part of a company-wide reorganization under CEO Jeff Immelt, until it was split apart into GE Technology Infrastructure and GE Energy Infrastructure in another reorganization in 2008. The president and CEO of GE...
- GE Rail Services
External links
- GE Transportation Systems official website