CP picks up 40 more retired UP locomotives

[beaulieu]

CP has purchased 40 more retired UP SD9043MAC locomotives. Likely for 40 more SD70ACU rebuilds. CP has also restarted their program to rebuild their AC4400CWs into AC4400CWM locomotives. All the remaining batch of class CP2 into 81xx series and the class CP3 locomotives into the 82xx series. 

[Ulrich]

Sounds like a decent plan.. If the frames are good they're getting  near new locomotives for two thirds the cost. 

[D.Carleton]

Surprised they are not picking up the recently released SD70ACUs from NS. Then again this deal has probably been in the works for a while.

[Harrison]

Good, the ACU's are much better looking IMO than the AC44's, or any GE's.

[kgbw49]

D.Carleton

Surprised they are not picking up the recently released SD70ACUs from NS. Then again this deal has probably been in the works for a while.

 

 

If I recall correctly, in the post about NS ACU conversions, someone "in the know" mentioned some of them received full engine overhauls and others did not.

Also, perhaps NS will hold them for eventual reactivation - looking at how long CP had their SD9043MACs in storage before rebuilding them, in less than dry conditions, it would seem that could still be a future outcome for the NS SD70ACU locomotives.

On the other hand, CP seems to have a relatively good working relationship with UP, with several run-through trains on the west end and very little overlap of their lines to compete for business other than between Superior, Minneapolis and Chicago.

If CP is wanting to do a complete rebuild inclusive of the extra Canadian cab requirements, it may be that they just want to start with a "clean slate" by purchasing them from UP.

With another 40, if my math is correct that will bring the CP SD70ACU fleet up to 100.

Another thought is that if CP is looking to add 40 more to their fleet, one might infer from that action that the 60 already in the CP fleet are performing to the satisfaction of CP.

Either way, using a nautical metaphor, it is good to see these "dreadnoughts" coming out of mothballs, going through the drydock, and getting back in to the battle.

[D.Carleton]

kgbw49

Also, perhaps NS will hold them for eventual reactivation - 

NS has already sold 46 ACUs to Progress Rail.

[samfp1943]

So CP Buys some 40  SD90423MAC's from UPRR ? Porportedly, to rebuild AS SD70ACU's... IIRC is hiss tht the second batch of the same engine type, these compamnies have delt on; possibly, several years back? 

I think, I recall that NS has also bought engines wih the 9043 power plants to use in the same manner? { build into SD70ACU's ? )

I think, I understand the WHY's.  My question is: "...are the government -rated "TIERED" series; newer power, so problematic, and comparitively expensive, rebuilding older units, is more cost effective ? " 

 Sure does not seem to say a lot for the folks building'New' power.  

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[kgbw49]

samfp1943, if I am remembering correctly, CP had an "odd number" in their mothballed SD9043MAC fleet, something like 57 or 58. They had contracted with Progress Rail to do an initial batch of 30 one year and another second batch of the remainder CP fleet the next year. Then CP picked up enough from the UP mothball fleet to bring the total of the second batch up to 30. I may be missing a detail or two but I am pretty sure that CP had proceeded in that manner.

[SD60MAC9500]

 

Harrison

Good, the ACU's are much better looking IMO than the AC44's, or any GE's.

 

Looks don't matter.. How does it operate? If it's junk how it looks won't matter.. Just my two cents.. You can keep it, or throw it out the window.

 

[Leo_Ames]

Rumor mill was that they were considering 100 SD70ACU's for 2021 (Or perhaps spread across 2021/2022?). So perhaps those recent NS cast offs will also be factoring into their plans.

I wonder if there's any hope for their handful of SD80MACs being part of this program. Very similar locomotives I've been told outside the engine, so they supposedly weren't going to require much in the way of changes to the ACU program when NS themselves were planning to rebuild them.

I'm sure they'd be repowered if CPR were to include them and not just cannibalize them for parts, but at least they'd still be out there rolling if it were to occur (Progress certainly has no shortage of contemporaries to the SD80MAC's and SD9043MAC's to cannibalize for 16 cylinder 710's).

[beaulieu]

Progress Rail is also overhauling 6 former NS SD70M-2 locomotives for New Brunswick Southern Rwy. Likely these will be NBSR's contribution to a power pool for the runthrough container trains in conjunction with CP from Saint John, NB to Chicago. It's possible that the additional CP SD70ACU locomotives will also be used on these trains.