FIRST SHOTS OF AN SD30C-ECO IN ACTION — Here's a tight shot of Canadian Pacific No. 5010. The unit, less the a month old, is leading a westbound empty ethanol train through Fonda, New York, at dusk. (Click HERE for an action shot.)
Here are the particulars of this locomotive model. The "C" denotes increased "crashworthiness" features for the cab, the frame, and the fuel tank. The "ECO" denotes an eco-friendly emissions system — which required a "flared" radiator design. The unit, in essence, is a rebuild of an SD40-2, with a new cab, fuel tank, and electrical system sitting on a recycled frame.
The unit is not on home rails. Fonda is on the CSX Mohawk Subdivision, and this locomotive is just visiting. Barely visible behind the trees is the Montgomery County Courthouse, built in 1836, the same year the Utica and Schenectady Railroad (a New York Central predecessor) operated its first train through town. The old building has been a silent sentinel to lots of "firsts," and this, almost certainly, was its first chance to "see" an SD30C-ECO in the lead!
