After 50 years of using locomotives to haul coal by rail, Duke Energy has retired three of its older locomotives, replacing them with high-efficiency units that are expected to cut emissions at some of the company’s largest power plants.

The new locomotives are now operating at three facilities in North Carolina: Marshall Steam Station, Asheville Plant and Mayo Steam Plant.

The new locomotives meet 2015 EPA air quality standards. When compared with emissions from the older trains, the new ones reduce nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions by 75 percent. The machines are quieter, can work by remote control, and are safer and easier to operate. Instead of taking 20 minutes to crank up, they each take about 30 seconds.

The Marshall locomotive was purchased with the help of a $200,000 grant from the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology project at North Carolina Solar Center, a project focused on reducing transportation-related emissions in North Carolina counties that have air quality concerns. The others were acquired without assistance.

By mid-2015, four more locomotives will be purchased for other facilities – two for Belews Creek, one for Plant Allen and another for Marshall Steam Station. All meet 2015 EPA Standards.