| Progress Rail PR43C | |
| Powertype: | Diesel-electric |
| Builder: | Progress Rail Services Corporation |
| Poweroutput: | 4300lk=inNaNlk=in |
| Aarwheels: | C-C |
| Primemover: | Caterpillar C175-12 and Caterpillar C18 |
| Locale: | North America |
| Disposition: | All scrapped |
The Progress Rail PR43C was a 4300lk=inNaNlk=in C-C genset diesel-electric locomotive built by Progress Rail Services Corporation. It was the result of a conversion of existing EMD SD50 locomotives. This involved replacing the original EMD 645 prime mover with a pair of Caterpillar engines, a 3600lk=inNaNlk=in 12 cylinder C175 engine and a 700lk=inNaNlk=in C18 engine.[1] [2] The locomotive was jointly designed by Progress Rail and Norfolk Southern Railway. Development began in 2008.[3]
Three locomotives were built; they were manufactured at Progress Rail's Mayfield, Kentucky factory.[1] Two operated in revenue freight service on Norfolk Southern, while a third operated as a demonstrator unit for Progress Rail.[2] At one time Norfolk Southern had four more PR43Cs on order.[3] The locomotives operated by Norfolk Southern worked on freight trains in central Illinois, leading to speculation that they were being tested, as Caterpillar's headquarters are located in Peoria, Illinois.[1]
The process of converting an SD50 to a PR43C altered the external appearance of the locomotive; the original radiator section was replaced with a larger one similar in appearance to that of an EMD SD70ACe or SD70M-2.[1]