GE Dash 9-44CW


The GE C44-9W is a road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie, Pennsylvania. Keeping in tradition with GE's locomotive series nicknames beginning with the "Dash 7" of the 1970s, the C44-9W was dubbed the Dash 9 upon its debut in 1993.
Part of GE's "Dash 9" series of locomotives, the Dash 9-44CW shares its frame, HiAd trucks, 16-cylinder 7FDL engine, and 752AH-31 traction motors with the GE Dash 9-40CW. But while the more common 9-44CW offers 4,400 horsepower, software in the 9-40CW's engine-governing unit restricts its power output to 4,000 horsepower.
The design has since proven popular with North American railroads, although some railroads, such as CSX and Canadian Pacific, preferred its AC equivalent, the AC4400CW. Because of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect in the United States on January 1, 2005, the Dash 9-44CW has been replaced in production by the GE ES44DC.
Many North American railroads have ordered the C44-9W. They were originally ordered by Chicago & North Western Railway, Santa Fe, BNSF, CSX, Southern Pacific, Canadian National Railway, BC Rail, and Union Pacific Railroad. Norfolk Southern purchased the very similar Dash 9-40CWs.

Rebuilds

The BNSF AC44C4M is a GE C44-9W rebuilt with AC traction motors and an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement. The internal controls are similar to those of the newer GE ES44C4. Only some ex-Santa Fe units were rebuilt, as the rebuild program was suspended before any others could undergo rebuilding.
Norfolk Southern has also converted many of their Dash 9-44CW units to A.C. As of November 2015, the rebuild have been officially classified as an AC44C6M. As of March 2020, 158 Dash 9-44CW units have been rebuilt into AC44C6M with hundreds more planned to be rebuilt in 2020, 2021, and 2022
Norfolk Southern has also converted Dash 9-44CW number 8946 into an AC44C6CF, numbered 8520.

Original owners

Incidents