User Guide

MICROSOFT TRAIN SIMULATOR ENGINEER’S HANDBOOK
HOW TO DRIVE A DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE | 46
DASH 9 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The GE-9-44CW (commonly called “the Dash 9”) is a modern
diesel-electric locomotive manufactured by General Electric.
Using DC (direct-current) traction technology, the Dash 9 is
part of the highly reliable and cost-effective line of locomo-
tives descending from the Universal series of locomotives
(nicknamed “U-Boats) that first hit the rails as part of the
“Second Generation” diesel era in the early 1960s. The
locomotive’s design is very practical, with good visibility
fore and aft for the engineer and easy access to the engine
compartment for maintenance crews.
You can operate the Dash 9 on the Marias Pass route in
Montana, pulling freight between Shelby and Whitefish. If you
choose to try out this locomotive on another line, be aware
that these units are most effective pulling loads over long
stretches at freight-train speeds.
The Heritage II
The orange, green, yellow,
and silver colors are BNSF’s
new livery. The scheme is
based on the same orange
and green colors used in the
1940s and ’50s by the Great
Northern Railway Company,
one of the railroads that
merged to form Burlington
Northern (BN) in 1970, as
well as the silver and yellow
from the Santa Fe Railway,
which merged with BN in
1995. Great Northern owned
and operated the Marias Pass
route prior to the BN (and
subsequent BNSF) merger, so
the BNSF Dash 9s look right
at home hauling freight over
this Montana mountain pass.