ILW eco-425 demonstrator 425-1 in big sky(ish) blue

In 2024, ILW introduced an updated version of their now-discontinued eco-414 end cab roadswitcher. The eco-425 is much like the eco-418 roadswitchers that ILW built for the Cape Breton Railway, but sit on a switcher frame and use a more-powerful Cummins QSK50 instead of the (now discontinued) QSK45’s that the 418’s use (the radial trucks it uses are stickier than the EMD GP and GSC swing bolster trucks the 414 has, so it can put more horsepower down on curvy rail without wheelslip.)

These units are too small for most of the class 1 railroads out there (the Parsons Vale is an exception in that it still uses small switchers) but smaller regionals & branchlines are interested and have been ordering them even while the demonstrators are still booming around north america.

The Parsons Vale has 12 of them on the roster, displacing an equal number of leased EMD roadswitchers.

  • Copyright © 2024 by Jessica L. Parsons (orc@pell.portland.or.us) unless otherwise noted
    Wed Feb 07 14:32:48 PST 2024