This is General Electric's Evolution Series Tier 4 locomotive, the brand's latest model, built to produce minimal emissions according to new federal standards for trains. Before going into production, GE puts it through trial runs. Lots of them.
Near Norden, in California, where the elevation is nearly 7,000 feet, and the locomotive goes through a tunnel named "Big Hole," an unventilated passage that climbs 2,400 feet over 2 miles. The walls are about two feet larger than the locomotives that pass through it. If it can survive there, and other paths near Eugene, Oregon, and Denver, Colorado, it'll handle most situations.
For serious repetition, there's the Federal Railroad Administration's test circuit near Pueblo, Colorado. The pictures here, taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet, were shot at that facility. The train goes along about 20 miles of tracks, which loop around, hitting speeds of up to 70 mph — this is for slow-moving freight, not Japanese civilians. The Tier 4 locomotive's onboard software switches up the fuel mixture for high-altitude drives like this. The locomotives come from being assembled in Erie, Pennsylvania.
On those tracks, engineers measure the emissions, horsepower, and traction, making sure that all are up to snuff for the government and clients.
So far, GE says it has received orders for 1,355 Tier 4 locomotives.
As Editor in Chief, Alexander oversees all of Popular Mechanics’ editorial coverage across digital, print, and video. He has been a science and technology journalist for over 10 years and holds a Master of Arts degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was previously Technology Editor for Popular Mechanics and before that, a contributor to publications including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, Outside, and was a product tester and reviewer for The Wirecutter. He has been called on to appear on live and taped broadcast programs including Today and programs on MSNBC. He lives in Pennsylvania and rides a 2012 Triumph Street Triple R motorcycle.
