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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by jgfuller Interesting that no one has mentioned SD70s. Big advantage I've seen is the radial truck. That, increased reliability, and better fuel economy would all be motivation to buy new SD70s, rather than rebuild 20-30 year old SD40s. Yes, they are new, but UP says the availability of their 1200 new SD70s is 96%. And they got these AFTER experiencing ACs of both builders. UP uses them in every type of road service. When SP got their 25, along with another 25 leased from EMD, the power delays at Roseville vanished! A fine locomotive. [/quote] Thanks from an ex-EMD engine support systems engineer! The love of the SD40-2's is understandable. The issue with running a 710 in an SD40-2 is not having compatible engine support systems (radiators, oil and fuel filters, fuel pump etc.), generator, control system, etc. Plus the new 710 has electronic fuel injection, split aftercooling, and a ton of other refinements that are truly decades beyond the beloved SD40-2. The engine and locomotive go hand-in-hand for the most part. Our friend jgfuller's point is a good one. Focus on the SD70 reliability and keep them as simple as possible! I was there for the big 6000 HP push and I knew it was going to be ugly on both sides. GE bought an engine off the shelf and got in the race quick but it was not meant to be on a locomotive. They had main bearing issues from the beginning. We on the other hand started from scratch with a new four-cycle design with a still developing locomotive (the phase II). The H-engine is a good engine but the whole locomotive has been plagued with issues. The SD90MAC-H's time may have passed, unfortunately. With the emissions requirements the future is the H-engine. Look for it with 12 cylinders producing 4500 THP on something called an SD75MAC...
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