MG Rail saves fuel, reduces emissions with slug locomotives

By MELISSA MOODY
Melissa.Moody@newsandtribune.com

August 08, 2008 12:23 pm

— Public and private sectors don’t always work well together.
But at the Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville, MG Rail is showing that its partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the federal Environmental Protection Agency is beneficial to everyone involved.
“You hear around the port sometimes that IDEM and the EPA is the enemy,” said Brian Nutter, the local port director. “We don’t agree — we’re partners and they help make sure we’re doing everything right.”
MG Rail — a subsidiary of Consolidated Grain and Barge Enterprises at the port — matched a $200,000 grant through the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative to improve the fuel efficiency and emissions in its diesel engine locomotives. Two locomotive “slugs” and four auxiliary power units were added to MG Rails five-engine fleet.
“This is an example of how you don’t have to have an adversarial relationship with the people who are trying to keep our environment clean,” said Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind. “We have a real issue with global warming. The real debate is how severe it is, not whether it is occurring.
With this new program partnering IDEM, the EPA and MG Rails, “we can kill two birds with one stone,” Hill said. “We can become more fuel efficient and reduce emissions.”
A rail “slug” is basically an electric locomotive with no engine or cab, used as an accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive. Slugs increase the power of the locomotive engine by increasing the number of traction motors available.
MG Rails’ first slug was installed in October and the company has seen a more than 16 percent reduction in fuel consumption in the first six months of its use. The second slug just began operation, and a third may be added to the fleet in the near future.
The auxiliary units, or “hot-starts,” are electrical devices installed to keep the engine warm when it’s shut down — allowing for a faster startup and reducing engine warming and idling times. MG Rail now has them installed in all five locomotive engines, and has seen a 33 percent reduction in fuel consumption.
MG Rails has saved more than 16,000 gallons of fuel since the program began, and reduced emissions by 25 percent.
“In relation to rail (initiatives), this is the first we’ve had sponsored by IDEM and hopefully not the last,” said Shawn Seals, a senior environmental manager at IDEM. “This 25 percent decrease — when you consider the massive emission reductions — is huge compared to the emissions coming out of the tailpipe of an 18-wheeler.
“What makes this so special is MG Rail isn’t the size of CSX (a large rail company), and they don’t have the deep pockets of CSX; they put up a 100 percent match,” he said. “And because of their frugal nature — they only used half the money — we have money left to do additional work.”

So you know
• MG Rail has provided rail service to businesses at the Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville since the facility opened in 1985.

What’s a rail slug?
• A rail slug is effectively an electric locomotive with no engine or cab. Slugs are used in situations where pulling power is more important than speed, such as switching operations in rail yards.

About the Jeff port
• The Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville opened in 1985 and is the newest of the state’s three ports. As one of the fastest growing ports on the Ohio River, it is home to 27 companies — 14 of which are related to the steel industry. Last year, the port handled $374 million in cargo shipments.

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