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Cleaner Locomotive Starts Its Port Duty

By Louis Sahagun

Pacific Harbor aims to replace its entire fleet of grimy 50-year-old locomotives with 16 custom-built, low-emission machines, which operate on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's standards for air pollutant reduction.

Each new locomotive costs about $1.3 million.

The locomotives burn 30% less fuel than the old ones and will cut smog-forming nitrous oxides by about 46% — or about 163 tons — each year, officials said. They will also reduce harmful diesel particulates by about 70% — or about three tons — each year.

"Even the old locomotives at their worst are better than the alternative, trucks, at their best," said Andrew Fox, president of Pacific Harbor Line.

By January, Pacific Harbor will have one of the lowest average emissions profiles of any railroad in the United States, according to port authorities, who lauded the move as an important step under their 2006 Clean Air Action Plan to reduce harmful harbor air pollutants by 50% within five years. Click here to read the full story.