It's the only all-electric, plug-in locomotive in the world.

Norfolk Southern and BNSF introduced the new engine at a news conference Monday featuring a slew of shop workers and dignitaries, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Shuster, R-9th District, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., initiated the project two years ago, bringing Norfolk Southern together with the U.S. Department of Energy and Penn State University, which supplied critical help with managing the batteries, said Mark Manion, Norfolk's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

No. 999 is a switcher, powered by 1,080 12-volt batteries, which fully charged can operate the engine for three shifts.

The locomotive emits no pollution, unless you count what's emitted by power plants generating the electricity to recharge the batteries - and that's much less than what's thrown off by standard diesel-electric locomotives.

They expects to build an over-the-road version with more batteries by 2011.

That locomotive would run coupled at first with regular diesels, which could help recharge its batteries - though eventually, battery engines could power a train by themselves. They require about the same manpower to build as a diesel, but are cheaper to maintain.

Norfolk Southern named the engine 999, echoing the NYC&HR 999, the first locomotive to go 100 mph.


The locomotive was considered a sucess. This is the final nail in the coffen for a steam comeback.