NS orders 65 more C40-9W's

[CShaveRR]

I honestly don't know how the UP SD70ACe units will be used. I suspect that they'll be on assignments similar to what the SD9043s are getting now, but those are pretty rare on this end of the line. Every once in a while I see a 9043 as the D.P. unit on a coal train.

[dwil89]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 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?

...No, they are still being produced..I would imagine until at least the end of this year, until the Tier 2 Laws take effect....NS is testing 15 GE ES40DC'S...numbered in the 7500 Series...They have a 12 Cylinder Prime Mover producing 4400 HP...The Dash Nines run the same Hp from 16 Cylinders,,,,The ES40DC's have a unique sound to them..I witnesses a paor pulling a Roadrailer upgrade through Cresson, Pa back in July..they chug much faster than the 16 Cylinders. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[Anonymous]

LV had 18 SW8's with dynamic brakes.

Read this for much more information- http://www.lvrrmodeler.net/Pups

[Anonymous]

When NS can buy 3 C40-9W's for the price of two AC4400's (or in NS's case, AC4000's), which one would they buy? Same goes with the standard cab units, NS bought over 100 C40-9's when it was cheaper to purchase standard cab units, when it was cheaper to buy widecabs (yes, I know they are really wide noses) they started buying them.

As for LV's SW8's, they were used in coal service, the Reading & Northern uses four for the same purpose.

[Junctionfan]

CSX's Sand Patch route is one example of a steep grade that likely helped CSX desire AC power. I don't know what kind of grades NS has but it seems to me that since they run through a good few mountainous states, there would be a good few grades to go on.

I have heard discussion before about AC units being better for hauling because they can draw more power so I naturally assumed that CSX since they go through the same states that NS does, needed it for their coal and ore trains too.

[oltmannd]

LV had a bunch of DB equipped SW8s. They were built for a particular assignment, but I don't know the details.

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Oh? Hatred?

How many coal trains do you think NS runs every day? And what is it about their railroad that makes A.C. locomotives more appropriate than D.C.?

Looking at a NS train I.D roster, I would say hundreds. 600-800 series plus maybe a few locals (not too sure it is solely coal).

AC power seems to handle grades better than DC power. So when they go through Virginia, Pennsylvania and any states that have mountainous regions, I would think that AC power would be better drag train haulers than DC.

[kevarc]

What trains will the UP use the SD70ACe's on? - coal

Why on earth would anyone want dynamic braking on a switch engine? - These were mostly bought by loggin RR's. Switchers could handle what loggers wanted and at a lower cost. IIRC, the Challis (sp) and a few other western loggers bought them.

[Anonymous]

CHaveRR.........What trains will the UP use the SD70ACe's on?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

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

Unless they plan on moving heavy tonage in the yard.

[kevarc]

Ns doesn't have a hatred of AC units. They just do not see the benefits of spending the extra money for them. NS doesn't have the same type of hauls that justify the costs of AC. AC really shines on long heavy hauls - coal. While UP and BNSF have long hauls for their unit trains, notice that you very seldom see AC on manifest or intermodal trains except in a few locales, NS does not.

While some may call NS cheap, they are actually very conservative fiscally. They always have been and probably always will be. But they still get the job done. And when you look at their bottom line, they are one of the top RR's.

[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.

[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.

[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 $.

[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]

You mean Norfolk Southern's GOOFE BALL POWER!

[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)

[gabe]

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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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?

[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

[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.

[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.

[trainfan1221]

More of them. Yipee.

[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

[choochin3]

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

[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]