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On Sept. 15, Kansas City Southern Railway Co.’s (KCSR) locomotive shop in Shreveport, La., completed a repower project designed to improve fuel consumption, reduce emissions and extend the life of five locomotives.

The railroad obtained a $2.9 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and provided $1.7 million for the project, which included the installation of new engines and all supporting components, emission controls and wires.  With each locomotive they found better ways to perform the work.

Shop employees found ways to reduce the time needed to complete the work, KCSR officials said in an item posted on the “KCS News” web page. The first locomotive required 3,500 manhours to complete while the fifth locomotive took only 1,500 manhours, the officials said.

One group of workers was dedicated to the repower project, another group managed the process of ensuring the necessary materials were ready when needed and a third group maintained the availability and reliability of other locomotives in the shop, according to KCSR.