Baseline fuel use and emission rates (FUER) were quantified for two recently acquired NCDOT locomotives based on rail yard (RY) and over-the-rail (OTR) measurements. The objectives of this work included: (1) benchmark baseline locomotive fuel use and emission rates (FUER) to EPA dynamometer measurements, other locomotives, and emission standards; (2) quantify the effect of transients on real-world trip fuel use and emissions (TFUE); (3) quantify the trade-offs in TFUE between double- and single-powered push/pull consists; and (4) calibrate, validate, and apply a locomotive power demand (LPD) model to predict 1 Hz FUER. Rail yard (RY) and over-the-rail (OTR) measurements of locomotive FUER using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) were conducted. The inter-locomotive variability in the fuel use rates indicates the potential to reduce fuel consumption for NCDOT passenger rail operations by operating more fuel-efficient locomotives more frequently than other less fuel-efficient locomotives.
