NS orders 65 more C40-9W's

[Anonymous]

I found out that NS has added 65 (the units will now go to 9976) to its C40-9W order, the units are starting to be released from Erie. *sigh* Now they will have almost 1,100. I'd expect 35 SD70M's, SD70M-2's, or ES40DC's also.

[SSW9389]

Dang, you would think that NS would get tired of a diet of catfish. Variety is the spice of life!

[Junctionfan]

I don't know why NS won't go for the extra 400 hp and make them C44-9Ws?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

I don't know why NS won't go for the extra 400 hp and make them C44-9Ws?

I heard from a GE technician that NS's Dash9-40CW's are indeed in reality Dash9-44CW's they are just held back from giving the extra 400 HP by means of the computer software. NS's Road Foremen of Engines carry with them a special key to release the extra HP when they think the situation justifys it.

They either don't trust their engineers with all that HP[:0] !!

Or they just want to simplify the power desk dispatching at 4000 HP like ATSF did for a time at rating the B40-8's at the GP60's HP rating of 3800 HP. But they never artificially held back the extra 200 HP.

From what I hear about NS's attitude towrard their employees it is probably BOTH!!

[dwil89]

I thought it was to save fuel too, as the extra 400 HP used more fuel than the benefit the extra horses provided.....Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Colin

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

I don't know why NS won't go for the extra 400 hp and make them C44-9Ws?

I heard from a GE technician that NS's Dash9-40CW's are indeed in reality Dash9-44CW's they are just held back from giving the extra 400 HP by means of the computer software. NS's Road Foremen of Engines carry with them a special key to release the extra HP when they think the situation justifys it.

They either don't trust their engineers with all that HP[:0] !!

Or they just want to simplify the power desk dispatching at 4000 HP like ATSF did for a time at rating the B40-8's at the GP60's HP rating of 3800 HP. But they never artificially held back the extra 200 HP.

From what I hear about NS's attitude towrard their employees it is probably BOTH!!

Huh...............(flaberghasted at NS reasoning)[:0]

[Overmod]

I think, all in all, it's much more likely that the 'derating' is to reduce 'wear and tear' and perhaps allow longer intervals for scheduled maintenance. Who here (Don Oltmann?) knows exactly what modifications were made in the engine-management software to accompli***he change?

[ajmiller]

Yay! More lupins!

[Anonymous]

The locomotives have a switch that enables the operation of the last motor to supply the extra horsepower. It is only used when needed, so horsepower is not wasted. When extra horsepower is needed, the engineer flicks a switch and the horsepower is available immediately.

[Clutch Cargo]

Ahhh...Grasshopper......
It should be so easy.

Kurt

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a fuel conservation thing to me.

[Allen Jenkins]

Yea, macguy, as Rush Limbaugh, says, follow the money.
Wear & tear, whatever, the derating, is always about the money.
The Norfolk Southern, figures, as stated, in their text, the locomotives shall give the work, same as a regular rated engine, and the power reduction, shall ultimately save fuel.
The CSX, studied the same objective, however, they activated a "delayed throttle," application, starting with the Dash 840-C locomotive. Twenty seconds to activation, after the throttle application.
A capital idea.
Enjoy Corporate Resource Conservation, In A Realtime Horsepower War!
ACJ.

[rrnut282]

No doubt some bean counter noticed the 4000 hp unit was $5 cheaper than the 4400 hp unit in G.E.'s catalogue and proved mathematically that the 400 hp wasn't worth $5 over the lifetime of the unit. Using the same logic that the Ford Taurus is cheaper than the Mercury Sable and both go down the same assembly line [D)] Hopefully, his/her bonus for figuring that out was $5.[:P][(-D]

[choochin3]

Let's hope they paint them instead of leaving them grey ghosts.[(-D]

[adrianspeeder]

Less horsepower = less fuel burned

I can derate my truck through the performance chip for greater efficiency on the highway when lots of power is not needed. But when i need to tow or when i'm at a redlight with a ricer next to me, the horsepower is upped and to heck with fuel milage. (american V8, YEAH!!)

Adrianspeeder

[trainfan1221]

More of them. Yipee.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougal

I found out that NS has added 65 (the units will now go to 9976) to its C40-9W order, the units are starting to be released from Erie. *sigh* Now they will have almost 1,100. I'd expect 35 SD70M's, SD70M-2's, or ES40DC's also.

You gota be kidding,They must be realy be power short.

[UPTRAIN]

Yeah, Roenoke didn't want wide cabs...then 4,400 HP, they finally broke down and got safety cabs, it's only a matter of time until we see full blooded dash 9's.

[CSXrules4eva]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SSW9389

Dang, you would think that NS would get tired of a diet of catfish. Variety is the spice of life!

Right On brother!!!!!! NS's prime motive power is either a Dash-940C, or a Dash -8 40C or some other Dash something. I think they should invest in some new power like theSD80MACs or something. Even a SD60i would put some spice into NS's fleet. lol

[wcfan4ever]

I thought they stopped producing C40-9W's or 9-40CW's. I thought that was something of the past. Can't every railroad have unified locomotives instead of calling them something different for each railroad?

[rrnut282]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Remember it was EMD's motto to build 'em alike and force commonality on the railroads right after the steam era. To set itself apart from EMD, GE offers a little more flexibility.

[oltmannd]

The 4000 HP rating might be more "tradition" now than anything else.

I think what started it was all the trouble SP had with their 4400 HP ACs. NS wasn't having any trouble with the same engine at 4000 HP, and, being mostly single track with a fairly low % of intermodal, the extra HP would, most times, just waste fuel.

That changed with the Conrail aquisition and the recent jump in intermodal traffic, but I don't think anyone has really reconsidered the value of the extra HP. NS still pretty much dispatches trains on tractive effort, not HP/ton.

[rrnut282]

You got me, I should have put my comments in more general terms like, "there is a perception that EMD fostered more commonality among railroads who were used to ordering their steam locomotives in infinite detail."

Yes, if I were a salesman working for EMD or GE, I would be offering to make modifications at the mere mention from a customer, or whatever @@@kissing it would take to get them to sign a purchase order. Now if I were the chief engineer, I would not want to invest many, many man hours on a design modification that may not ever be built more than one time, because I had done it right the first time. And if I were the bean counter, I wouldn't let the salesman sell it for list price either, unless my cash flow position was in jeopardy and losing a little money was preferable to losing a lot of money during the same period.

My comments were not meant to disparage either builder, as I like them both. In the context of the thread, NS goes its own way in motive power, and I was merely commenting that GE seems to be able to provide what they want.

[gabe]

Why on earth would anyone want dynamic braking on a switch engine?

[Junctionfan]

Not to sure why the EMD SD70ACE isn't attractive to NS. Anybody know why CSX is the only Eastern U.S railroad to have them on order? (Note I said eastern-I know UP has some on order)

[Anonymous]

You mean Norfolk Southern's GOOFE BALL POWER!

[dwil89]

The SD80MACS are no longer in production...The only Railroad that bought them was Conrail...It was replaced in the catalog with the SD90MAC...which is on borrowed time with the new Tier 2 Emissions regulations. New EMD's are SD70M-2 for DC and SD70ACe for AC with a improved version of the 710 16Cylinder primemover. NS inherited 17 SD80MACS from Conrail and CSX got the other 13. NS does not seem to like AC power, so you will find NS SD80MACS primarily around the Johnstown-Altoona area of Pennsylvania. They use them for local freights in the area, they are also used on the South Fork Secondary Coal Branch and haul that coal mostly to Powerplants around New Florence, west of Johnstown.. Occasionally, they will roam further on the NS system...A good place to spot them is in the South Fork yards between mine runs, or up in Cresson for servicing...I own a Yahoo Group that deals with the Johnstown area...check it out. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Dave Williams

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

Not to sure why the EMD SD70ACE isn't attractive to NS. Anybody know why CSX is the only Eastern U.S railroad to have them on order? (Note I said eastern-I know UP has some on order)

UP doesn't have any on order, you must be thinking of the GEVO's they are purchasing (I did here something about UP buying SD70M-2's, but I can't say its true). As for NS not buying AC units, NS would never buy an ACE when they could get a GEVO for less $.

[Junctionfan]

I knew they had a bunch of GEVOs coming but never understood their hatred for AC powered locomotives when they run so many coal trains. I would have though AC4400CWs at least would peek their interest as it did for CSX.

[CShaveRR]

Dougal--

UP's 315-unit motive power order for early 2005 includes 200 GEVOs and 115 SD70ACe units, which will be numbered directly above the SD9043MACs.