GE Dash 9-44CW

The GE C44-9W is a 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie, Pennsylvania. Keeping in tradition with GE's locomotive series nicknames beginning with the "Dash 7" of the 1970s, the C44-9W was dubbed the Dash 9 upon its debut in 1993.

GE C44-9W
BNSF C44-9W #5518 at the Port of Long Beach on February 4, 2005.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model C44-9W Build date 1993–2004 Total produced 3,682
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Brazil Trucks GE HiAd Wheel diameter 42 in (1,067 mm) Length 73 ft 8 in (22.45 m) Width 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) Height 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m) Loco weight 425,000 lb (192,800 kilograms) or 212.5 short tons (189.7 long tons; 192.8 t) Fuel capacity 5,000 US gal (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal) Prime mover GE 7FDL16 Engine type four stroke cycle V16 diesel engine Aspiration Turbocharged Alternator GE GMG197 Traction motors GE 5GE752AH DC Cylinders 16 Transmission diesel electric with silicon diode rectifiers,
Performance figures Maximum speed 74 mph (119 km/h) Power output 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) Tractive effort Starting: 142,000 lbf (64,410 kgf) @25% Continuous: 105,640 lbf (47,917 kgf) @13 mph (21 km/h)
Career Operators Various, see table Locale North America, Brazil, Australia

Part of GE's "Dash 9" series of locomotives, the Dash 9-44CW shares its frame, HiAd trucks, 16-cylinder 7FDL engine, and 752AH-31 traction motors with the GE Dash 9-40CW. But while the more common 9-44CW offers 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW), software in the 9-40CW's engine-governing unit restricts its power output to 4,000 horsepower (3,000 kW).

The design has since proven popular with North American railroads, although some railroads, such as CSX and Canadian Pacific, preferred its AC equivalent, the AC4400CW. Because of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect in the United States on January 1, 2005, the Dash 9-44CW has been replaced in production by the GE ES44DC.

Many North American railroads have ordered the C44-9W. They were originally ordered by Chicago & North Western Railway, Santa Fe, BNSF, CSX, Southern Pacific, Canadian National Railway, BC Rail, and Union Pacific Railroad. Norfolk Southern purchased the very similar Dash 9-40CWs.

Rebuilds

The BNSF AC44C4M is an Ex-ATSF GE C44-9W rebuilt with AC traction motors and an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement. The internal controls are similar to those of the newer GE ES44C4.^[1]

Original owners

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers	Notes	Ref(s)
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	100	600–699	To BNSF 600-699; ATSF 666 renumbered to BNSF 599 in the early 2000s; 21 units rebuilt as AC44C4M. 616 was sold to Wabtec.
BC Rail	14	4641-4644; 4645–4654	4641-4644 equipped with 'Canadian style' four-window cab, classified as Dash 9-44CWL. 4643 was burned from an engine fire and scrapped & later rebuilt into an AC44C6M.
BNSF Railway	1697	700–799, 960–1123, 4000–4199, 4300–5532	4470-4537, 4556-4587, 4591, 4592, 4772-4978, and 5370 sold to GECX following lease expiration with some being resold to G&W. 4385 and 4934 were wrecked and retired in 2002 and 2013 respectively while 5162, 5212, and 5416 were all wrecked and retired in 2016. Some units sold to Fortescue Metals Group, Quebec, North Shore & Labrador, Canadian National, and Norfolk Southern and rebuilt into AC44C6M models. 100 units sold to KCS; 45 of them were later sold to NS and returned to GECX by 2025. 5530-5532 are warranty protection units, which were renumbered from 5841-5843. 25 of the GECX units were rebuilt to NS AC44C6Ms.
Canadian National Railway	233	2200-2205; 2500–2522; 2523-2726; 2727	2500-2522 equipped with 'Canadian style' four-window cab, classified as Dash 9-44CWL; 50 units rebuilt into AC44C6M models. 2727 rebuilt from 2667. Units 2697-2726 sub-lettered for Illinois Central. Non four-window cab variants came equipped with a different style cab where the nose slants down on both sides, allowing the windows to be notched at the bottom outer corners, known as "teardrop" windows. 2584 was wrecked and retired, Its cab was later reused on UP 6759, a GE AC4400CW.	[2]
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company	130	8601–8730	To UP 9665-9699, UP 9740-9834. UP 9775 rebuilt with cab salvaged from SP AC4400CW #145. 26 units returned to Wabtec in 2025. 9760 was sold to LTEX in 2025.	[3]
CSX	53	9000–9052	Dash 8-40CW carbody with Dash 9 software. Many units sold off. Unit 9011 was wrecked and scrapped in 2005.
Estrada de Ferro Carajás (Brazil)	67	801–867
Ferrovia Norte do Brasil (Brazil)	50	9001–9050
Fortescue Metals Group, Western Australia	23	001–015 (new) 016-023 (RTO)	016-023 are ex-GECX/BNSF. 003 and 006 were scrapped in April 2025.
General Electric (testbed)	1	905
Pilbara Rail, Western Australia	72	7043–7050, 7053–7098, 9404–9409, 9428–9436, 9470–9472 (re-numbered to 9401–9403)		[4][5]
Norfolk Southern	1090	8889–9978	Dash 9-40CW: 4,000 horsepower (3,000 kW), although the engineer could override this restriction to obtain 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW). Norfolk Southern uprated the units to 4,400 horsepower between October 2013 and September 2014, changing the model designation to Dash 9-44CW. All to be rebuilt as AC44C6Ms. 8917, 9100, 9368, 9522, 9632, 9796, 9847, 9874, and 9939 were wrecked and retired. 35 units sold as AC44C6M rebuild cores to FXE.
Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway	11	404–414	Retired.
Southern Pacific Railroad	101	8100–8200	To UP 9564-9664. 9593 was wrecked and retired.	[6]
Union Pacific Railroad	40	9700–9739	To be rebuilt into AC44C6M. Classified C44ACM. 9707, 9716, and 9731 were wrecked and retired. 25 units returned to Wabtec in 2025.	[7]
Totals	3,682	—	—	—

Gallery

• 
  Santa Fe #664 in Wyoming
• 
  Canadian National #2557 in Canada
• 
  Norfolk Southern #9562 in Ohio
• 
  BNSF # 5087 in Sacramento

See also

• GE C38AChe, based on the GE Dash 9-44CW design and operating on the Qinghai-Tibet route in China