"The original hybrid test locomotive was nicknamed "Green Goat" for its environmentally symbolic green paint scheme by its builder, Railpower Technologies, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Goat is a traditional railroad term for locomotives used in yard switching operations”, according to Union Pacific.

The Green Goats are powered by large banks of batteries connected to the hybrid power-train. When the batteries start to become depleted, the clean-burning diesel engine kicks in to power a generator to recharge the batteries. They will be used in rail yards to separate and sort out railcars for inbound trains and line up outbound trains.

Already flocking to California, these diesel-electric hybrid trains can decrease between eighty to ninety percent emissions and cut fuel consumption between forty to sixty percent.

The Union Pacific’s green locomotives have already met, and even exceeded, the Environmental Protection Agency’s most stringent Tier 2 requirements. Moreover, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has already categorized the Green Goats as ultra-low emitting locomotives since their nitrous oxide levels significantly exceed the federal limits.

With the Union Pacific Hybrid Trains or the Green Goats, we can now kiss the days of black-soot-belching trains goodbye. The coughs we make when a locomotive passes will now be just a faded memory.