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Who We Are

Knoxville Locomotive Works was established in 1998 to upgrade Gulf & Ohio Railroad's locomotives from 1st to 2nd generation by remanufacturing heavy bad-order units purchased from Class 1 railroad companies. In 2010, KLW developed and began manufacturing EPA-certified and CARB-verified Tier 4 near-zero-emissions locomotives that were sold throughout the country.
 
Responding to environmental carbon-reduction goals announced by Class 1 railroads, in late 2024 KLW developed and began producing Belle, a patented 3200 hp-equivalent battery-powered locomotive with an onboard 700 hp charging genset that eliminates the need to recharge the battery using shore power. The self-sustained, scalable hybrid solution does not require DEF and will accommodate shore-power charging when available. Belle produces 50% or greater fuel savings in a variety of applications including hump service, local service, and flat switching.
 
While continuing to produce its traditional near-zero-emission products, KLW has expanded its battery offerings to now include wayside batteries and starting batteries and will offer additional battery products for the rail market in the coming months.
 

What We Build

Battery Electric Locomotives

  • 50% or greater fuel savings in all applications

  • 24/7 Availability, shore power never required but optional

  • Available with AC or DC traction on all platforms

  • 10+ year life expectancy

 

Technical Report
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  • Regenerative braking

  • TMV control system

  • Lithium iron phosphate batteries offer thermal stability

  • Operational between -40°F and 140°F

  • No infrastructure costs

Battery Products

Starting Battery
  • ✓Starting batteries for rail applications
Wayside Battery
  • ✓Wayside batteries for rail applications
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Near Zero Emission Locomotives

KLW builds low and high horsepower locomotives that are both
EPA Tier 4 Certified and CARB Verified.
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Above 4K HP

High horsepower for heavy duty line-haul applications.

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Modernizations

AC upgrades for efficiency, reliability, and maintenance savings.

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Cummins Below 4K HP

Low to medium horsepower for local, industrial, and switch applications.

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MTU Below 4K HP

Low to medium horsepower for local, industrial, and switch applications.

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Why KLW

KLW personnel have over 300 years of collective railroad service.  Our employees have experience building, operating, and maintaining locomotives.  We offer assistance to customers for third-party funding opportunities.   

Meet Our Team

Sustainability

KLW locomotives meet or exceed the current Tier 4 emissions classifications of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).  Ongoing research and development with KLW suppliers insures KLW locomotives will be power system agnostic as the freight rail market continues its transition to a more sustainable future. 

Let Us Power Your Next Generation