Rail Power Technologies HO Scale Models

Railpower Technologies was founded in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Frank Donnelly and Gerard Koldyk, with the goal of developing locomotive propulsion systems that would reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions in railroad switching operations. The company's flagship product was a hybrid yard switcher marketed under the name Green Goat, constructed on the frame of a retired EMD GP9 but fitted with entirely new hood and cab assemblies above the frame. The Green Goat's propulsion system paired a relatively small 130 horsepower diesel engine with a large bank of 320 lead-acid batteries capable of producing a combined output of approximately 2,000 horsepower, making it well suited to yard switching work where locomotives spend considerable time idling. A smaller 1,000 horsepower variant called the Green Kid was also developed and demonstrated alongside the original unit during early testing conducted in both Canada and the United States. The timing of Railpower's launch proved advantageous, as federal and state governments in the United States were introducing programs that encouraged or required railroads to deploy lower-emission motive power, particularly in environmentally sensitive regions such as California and Texas. By late 2005 the company had accumulated approximately 175 orders for both its hybrid Green Goat locomotives and a newer line of genset switchers, the latter using multiple smaller diesel engines managed by computer controls that could selectively shut down individual engines when full output was not required. Customers including BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, Kansas City Southern Railway, and Canadian Pacific Railway all placed orders during this period, signaling genuine industry interest in the technology. Despite this early momentum, Railpower encountered serious difficulties related to the reliability of its locomotives in revenue service. Canadian Pacific reportedly returned its order after performance proved unsatisfactory, and a broader slowdown in the switcher locomotive market compounded the company's commercial problems. Railpower entered bankruptcy proceedings in early 2009 and was subsequently purchased by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, which announced the completion of that asset acquisition on June 18, 2009. Under Corman's ownership the company continued limited production, delivering several RP20D genset units to the Port of Montreal beginning in October 2010, though output remained modest. Corman announced the closure of the company's Erie, Pennsylvania manufacturing operation effective February 29, 2020. On February 7, 2025, Railpower Technologies was acquired by Sierra Northern Railway, which announced intentions to develop hydrogen-powered locomotives through the subsidiary, carrying forward the company's original mission of producing environmentally oriented motive power for North American railroad operations.