Is this an SD70ECS?
The Railway is Coming...................
I have been training a group of new Railway Police today in Abu Dhabi, in Integrated Emergency Management. The Etihad Railway is in existance, Etihad in Arabic means 'Union'.
Track laying has begun in the desert and 7 new EMD SD70ECS locomotives have been ordered, for delivery in October this year. A picture I was given shows a locomotive in the corporate colours of grey and red. Is this an SD70ECS? Grey has been chosen because of the harsh heat and sun they will operate in and will fade the least.
The artwork from the company website shows a side view:
I think the boxes are the sand filters. They will have sand plows, together with special cooling for the extreme heat (it is +44c with 30% humidity or around +118f at my home in Abu Dhabi today, with blowing sand).
I suspect the side view is an artists impression, but not sure about the 3/4 front picture. I have to admit I wouldn't recognise an SD70 if it knocked me over 
. Are these SD70's anybody??
The first part of what will become quite an extensive network will carry sulfur granules the 270 kilometers from the Habshan oil field, on the Tropic of Cancer, to the port of Ruais on the Arabian Gulf.
Modeling a sand railway here is easy - I have hectares of the stuff in all different colours and grades right outside my home!
Happy modeling from the Land of Sand
Norman
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Comments
SD70ACs
This looks like the SD70ACs I worked on for display models. The 's' signifies sand. All exhaust louvers are covered, air inlets are filtered and the snow plow has been replaced with a sand plow, which is a tad more complex.
Since sand is not required as much by the Middle Eastern roads, the octagonal boxes on the sides are indeed sand boxes. The normal location for the sand boxes are taken up by additional equipment required for this operation.
More
According to Railway Gazette: http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/etihad-rail-orders-emd-locomotives.html those units will likely be the SD70ACs. These are 6 axles diesel-electric locomotives with AC traction motors and various sand filtration and suppression equipment.
Here are some pics of the SAR units: http://railfan.thegrebs.com/Saudi-Arabia-Railway-SD70ACs
The first image does not have
The first image does not have any of the trademark sand filters, so it is definitely also a artists Impression or photoshop.
Chris van der Heide
CPR Sudbury Division (Waterloo Region Model Railway Club)
Canadian Freight Car Gallery
Cab rides
Norman, are we going to get cab rides?
KSC inspired
Interesting that the Saudi Arabian SD70Ace's paint scheme looks a lot like the older (pre-Southern Belle) Kansas City Southern scheme.
Vaguely, I can see it.
Vaguely, I can see it. The trucks and under frame gear are actually a really dark gray not black. It looks like Etihad is using the same base scheme with changes only for the logo design. A really nice loco. Here are some shots from the models I helped with on the design side: http://www.trainlife.com/albums/view/5502
No doubt about it. SD70ACES for sure
Obviously has some added features due to the enviorment it has to operate in.But that is for sure an SD70.
FREE LANCE MODELING THE UNION PACIFIC FROM COLORADO TO COUNCIL BLUFFS IOWA
CLIFF MCKENNEY
ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?