BNSF retiring BN SD70MACs?

[silicon212]

The oldest mainline SD70MACs are approaching 18 years.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

silicon212

The oldest mainline SD70MACs are approaching 18 years.

Which means that for accounting and tax purposes, they are fully depreciated.

[Evergreen24]

"An average locomotive's lifespan is about 25 to 30 years...."

This could be true, yet this actually went to steam locomotives who lasted that long (!).

As Silicon212 mentioned, the oldest SD70MAC (BNSF 9401) is approaching 17 - 18 years. They have surely racked up more miles than the average SD40-2, but there hasn't been any retirements...yet.  However, BNSF may sell or retire them since they were the earliest examples of operating with Alternating Current and computers. Why? The technology wasn't completely refined as it is today with SD70ACe's or ES44AC's. The inverters then proved to be expensive as they had to generate a variable frequency.

 

A recorrection of the SD70MAC's built:

November 1993 - September 1994
Burlington Northern 9400 - 9474 (Units were not built in sequence)

August 1994 - March 1995
Burlington Northern 9475 - 9499, 9504 - 9541

November 1994 - January 1995
Burlington Northern 9542 - 9571

March 1995 - January 1996
Burlington Northern 9572 - 9710

June - July 1996
Burlington Northern 9713 - 9716 (DPU Test Units)

January 1996
Burlington Northern Santa Fe 9711 - 9712

http://community-2.webtv.net/ajkristopans/60and70SERIES/

[YoHo1975]

Why would you think the MACs have more miles on them than the average SD40-2. I can't think of a single reason that statement would be true.

[Evergreen24]

Oops sorry!!!   I meant another model.

[narig01]

  Just a comment. A week and a half ago I was thru Lincoln, Ne on SR-2 / US 77 and was surprised to see that the dead line there is gone.(No locos stored). 

         In 15 years of going thru this is the first time I had not seen any stored locomotives.  I meant to post something about this. But this seemed a good place to ask. The query is where did these locomotives go?

Thx IGN

[BaltACD]

narig01

  Just a comment. A week and a half ago I was thru Lincoln, Ne on SR-2 / US 77 and was surprised to see that the dead line there is gone.(No locos stored). 

         In 15 years of going thru this is the first time I had not seen any stored locomotives.  I meant to post something about this. But this seemed a good place to ask. The query is where did these locomotives go?

Thx IGN

One of two places....back in service or to the bone yard (which could be either a scrap yard or to a leasing firm)

[BILLY HUNTER]

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/09/09-bnsf-overhaul?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TRN_News_Sub_150914_Final&utm_content=

[caldreamer]

Ok, since they first wwre deliverd in 1993 these engines have to had to meet the tier 2 standrads straight from the factory.  So a rebuild would be far less than the 2.2 million dollars for a new engine and they would still meet the r emissions standrad.

[Leo_Ames]

I've been wondering when we'd see something here with the SD70MAC fleet. Glad to see that hopefully at least a significant portion of the fleet has a long life ahead of it.

Can't imagine it encompassing the entire fleet of survivors though. Anyone familiar with the different groups and whether they're leased or owned (I imagine the leased units will be the least likely to enter this program)?

[Entropy]

No BN/BNSF SD70MAC was Tier 2.

[GDRMCo]

They only have to meet Tier 1 upon rebuild iirc, maybe only Tier 0+.