GE Dash 9-44CW

The GE C44-9W is a 4,400 hp 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.

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, like 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.

BNSF Dash 9 #4723 is featured as a drivable locomotive in Microsoft Train Simulator and the actual Dash 9 has stickers on its cab noting this, and Dash 9s are also featured as drivable locomotives in RailWorks 3 and Trainz Simulator.

Rebuilds
The BNSF AC44C4M is a 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.

Norfolk Southern also is experimenting with converting their Dash 9-44CW units to A.C. the first unit, (8900) is still being tested. As of November 2015, the rebuild have been officially classified as an AC44C6M.

Norfolk Southern has also converted Dash 9-44CW number 8946 into a AC44C6CF, numbered 8520.