Rail supplier news from GE, Siemens, Schneider and NRC (Feb. 24)

GE has obtained a contract to power Tampa International Airport's automated people mover (APM). The contract was awarded by a team led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. GE's Power Conversion business will provide power equipment and be responsible for system integration, engineering expertise and installation of the traction power substation, which will provide around-the-clock power to the system. GE's technology will convert the incoming 13.2 kV of power to the 750 volts DC required to operate the APM, according to a GE press release.

Siemens this month installed the first Cummins QSK95 engine in one of its diesel-electric Charger locomotives. The 42,000-pound power unit was lowered into the locomotive by an overhead crane at Siemens' manufacturing plant in Sacramento, Calif. Siemens is manufacturing 69 diesel-electric locomotives under a contract with the states of Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri, Washington and Maryland. The units also are being built for All Aboard Florida's Brightline passenger-rail service connecting Miami and Orlando, Fla. Designed to operate at speeds up to 125 mph, the locomotives will be powered by the 16-cylinder, 95-liter displacement and 4,400 horsepower-rated diesel engines built by Cummins.

Schneider has opened a new 147,500-square-foot warehouse in Port Reading, N.J., to serve shippers using Northeastern ports. The fenced facility features 23 dock doors, space for 35 trailer spots and a clear height of 36 feet. The warehouse is located near Newark International Airport, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the Port of New York and New Jersey, which handled record-setting freight volumes last year.

The annual NRC Rail Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction is scheduled for April 14 in Little Rock, Ark. Equipment that's been available for purchase at past auctions include adzers/cribbers, air compressors, hi-rail trucks, rail heaters, rail manipulators and several more. The auction will feature consignments from dozens of contractors, suppliers and railroads. Anyone may attend the auction to bid on equipment. In addition, contractors, suppliers and railroads are invited to sell or donate  equipment. For more information, follow this link.