NW-GC-500 Revised Generator Control

and Power Selection System with HEP Feed Option
from Northwest Rail Electric

At right is a photograph of the controls of our newly revised NW-GC-500. The NW-GC500 is a series of generator control systems for passenger car electrical lockers that is designed to allow for selection between accepting power from the HEP trainline, the on-car generator, or yard power on certain models. Additional model variations allow for yard power at either 480 volts, 240 volts, or 220 volts. Automatic controls allow for the generator to start and power the car electrical system automatically in the event that the HEP power fails. If yard power is an option, then the generator control will also automatically operate the generator if the yard power fails. The HEP feed setting of certain models of the NW-GC500 series checks the trainline for control loop completion and if no problems are found will allow the on-car generator to feed the HEP trainline.

An Adobe Acrobat version of the brochure for this product is also available in our PDF Files area. However, the new revision of the system is not featured on the brochure.

Our newly revised version features a new electronic control that integrates engine meters into the engine control unit. This significantly reduces the size of the control panel, and allows for mounting in cramped electrical lockers.

The new engine control also allows for easier programming, so that it is easier to tune the engine control to suit the particular generator controlled by the unit.

For engines requiring a complete electronic interface, such as SAE J1939, another variation of the NW-GC500 has been developed that has a complete electronic interface. The features are similar to what is described here, with the electronic control system being used to implement and display those features. A photograph and brief summary of this type of control is at the bottom of this page.

The Old Style NW-GC500 is Stil Available!

It is still possible for us to make older style NW-GC-500 series generator controls. However, the new microprocessor based system allows for more flexibility in a smaller package. New features are noted in boldface.

Standard Features of the NW-GC500 series of Controls:


Versions of the NW-GC500 for All-Electronic Engines

Completely electronic version of the NW-GC500
For generators with completely electronic engines, a more sophisticated control is required. Pictured above is an example of a NW-GC500 with such a control. In this case, the display screen includes (but is certainly not limited to) almost all engine paramaters, including coolant temperature, oil pressure, high voltage output and current, frequency, battery voltage, engine hours, and an event log.


An alternative system to the NW-GC500 is the GC-135 series of generator controls, which does not have any of the automatic power transfer features of the GC500. Instead, it is designed to provide power directly to the HEP power system. It is used in power cars and other cases where only a HEP feed package is desired.


Related Products from Northwest Rail Electric:

For those doing a complete upgrade on a railroad passenger car, we also offer:


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