Sustainability Efforts Include Two New Switchers

It’s widely known that railroads are an environmentally friendly form of freight transportation, producing less than 2% of transportation-related emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Watco is taking sustainability a step further with two new zero-emissions switching locomotives.

“Think of it as a Tesla, but a locomotive,” says Aaron Jensen, senior vice president of materials services. “They are fully battery-operated — placed on a charger. They don’t directly use any fossil fuels.”

Watco is in the process of converting a pair of switching locomotives: an SW1200 built in the 1950s, and an SW1500 from the 1960s. Both are Texas-based machines that had been out for repairs. With a grant from the Texas Emissions Reductions Plan program, Watco is building the switchers in partnership with Medha, a designer and manufacturer of locomotive control systems and other rail-related electronics.

“Medha is providing key components of the power and controls systems, and Watco personnel will reassemble the locomotives,” says Keith Testerman, vice president and chief mechanical officer. He says the locomotives “are completely disassembled now, and we’re performing some sheet metal repairs. We meet weekly with Medha on the design review and come to an agreement on how to put them back together.”

Watco’s Brandon Jenson, director of locomotive support systems; Tex Inman, director of locomotive support; and Tayler Wright, mechanic apprentice, are building the new units along with the support of some of the Scottsville, Texas, team.

By not returning the two diesel-powered switch engines to service, Watco estimates it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 19 metric tons annually. In addition, the electric locomotives will provide operational cost savings, Jensen and Testerman anticipate about a 30% annual reduction in maintenance expense versus an older, diesel locomotive.

“Electric locomotives will be easier to maintain; there are significantly less moving parts,” notes Jensen. While there will be a cost to charge their batteries, the electric engines also should realize about a 60% annual reduction in the cost of fueling when compared to burning diesel fuel.

Using this technology, a battery can be fully charged in eight to 10 hours and can operate up to 12 hours before needing a recharge. Their life expectancy is 8 to 12 years.

“Individual (battery) banks can be replaced over time, spreading out the replacement cost,” says Jensen. “The banks are also recyclable, and can be used in lower power applications, like emergency building lighting.”

The conversion timeline calls for testing at the end of the second quarter of this year, with the switchers placed in service at Greens Port by the end of the third quarter.

How Medha Became a New Watco Partner

In late 2017, Keith Testerman began getting calls from a guy pitching his company’s solution to upgrading the control system common to many diesel-electric locomotives.

“We had a fleet of about 40 GP35 locomotives with this system that were built in the 60s and were kind of complicated in terms of wiring,” says Testerman, vice president and chief mechanical officer. “They weren’t a desirable locomotive in the marketplace, so I was unsuccessful in selling them.”

Having also tried to upgrade several times without landing on a suitable solution, Testerman had no interest in talking to the caller from the Dallas, Texas, office of Medha, an India-based company he’d never heard of at that time. But the Medha rep was persistent, and eventually Testerman gave in. “If you want to drive to Hugo, Oklahoma, for lunch,” he said, “I’ll talk to you.”

The two met at a restaurant in Hugo, where Testerman lives and works. “As soon as I saw the components,” Testerman recalls, “I was like, ‘This is what I’ve been looking for.’ I agreed to let him do one locomotive. We upgraded one of our GP35s with their control system, and that was so successful that all of a sudden, the GP35s were desirable. We’ve upgraded 25 to this day, very successfully. It’s just been a huge success.

“Out of that is where the idea came up, in general discussions about building the battery-powered locomotive, to partner with Medha. The confidence in Medha was already there for Watco.”