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EMDs last longer? Oh, I don't know about that. GP50/SD50s are all being retired right along with the DASH-7s built at exactly the same time. Regardless, the fact that today I might see more 30-year-old EMDs running than 30-year-old GE's doesn't tell me which product is better right now. It only tells me which product _might_ have been better 30 years ago. OK, so now I know what I should have done 30 years ago. Heck, if I had that kind of foresight, I'd buy lottery tickets and to hell with locomotives. Besides, longevity of locomotives, especially in the second-hand market, is not completely influenced by which manufacturer's products are better. More important is the availability of parts and broad familiarity with maintenance and repair. In the used equipment market, that will overwhelmingly favor the manufacturer who had more market share to begin with (in this case, EMD). For instance, there's lots of people in the earthmoving business who think that by the late 60s Allis-Chalmers made just as good a dozer as Caterpillar, but while you will find it easy to sell an old Cat, you'll have trouble finding a buyer for an old A-C. People who are clever at repair and sourcing hard-to-find parts take advantage of this, because they can purchase the lesser-known product for a lot less money, and get the same job done. Desireablility in second-hand markets or for hanging onto the locomotive after 15 years is also influenced by what sort of locomotive jobs you have available. Great big honking GEs or EMDs aren't of much use for a branch line or yard. If you recall 20 years ago, there was a pretty good market for used Alcos. Every time I asked them, "why don't you just buy GP9s?" they'd shrug and say, "well, these are cheaper." Yes, they'd admit that parts were a problem. Now, we're seeing a significant number of GEs find second-hand markets, too. If one was to make a reasonable prediction of the future, you'll see GEs in the second-hand market in growing proportions--sheer numbers of available locomotives will influence that. "Better" will have little to do with it.
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