I learn this morning that, effective September 1, the various "Electro-Motive Diesel" companies may be renamed "Progress Rail Locomotive". Someone might want to check this with Barbara Cox at Progress (256-505-5054; bcox@progressrail.com) as I have so far seen no evidence of this on the official Progress site.
If true, I consider this a sad end to an important era of railroad history, but perhaps it's appropriate as we move into the world of Tier 4 final and beyond where the future appears to belong to different kinds of diesel engine, much more akin to Caterpillar design than GM.
RME I learn this morning that, effective September 1, the various "Electro-Motive Diesel" companies may be renamed "Progress Rail Locomotive". Someone might want to check this with Barbara Cox at Progress (256-505-5054; bcox@progressrail.com) as I have so far seen no evidence of this on the official Progress site. If true, I consider this a sad end to an important era of railroad history, but perhaps it's appropriate as we move into the world of Tier 4 final and beyond where the future appears to belong to different kinds of diesel engine, much more akin to Caterpillar design than GM.
Interesting as of a decade or so Progress had a bad name in the industry for faking car repair billing, went to the Arb committee as I recall. Now they're pushing it?
It was a big issue in a marriage but that's another story.
Buslist RME I learn this morning that, effective September 1, the various "Electro-Motive Diesel" companies may be renamed "Progress Rail Locomotive". Someone might want to check this with Barbara Cox at Progress (256-505-5054; bcox@progressrail.com) as I have so far seen no evidence of this on the official Progress site. If true, I consider this a sad end to an important era of railroad history, but perhaps it's appropriate as we move into the world of Tier 4 final and beyond where the future appears to belong to different kinds of diesel engine, much more akin to Caterpillar design than GM. Interesting as of a decade or so Progress had a bad name in the industry for faking car repair billing, went to the Arb committee as I recall. Now they're pushing it? It was a big issue in a marriage but that's another story.
Well, as Shakespeare's Juliet would say...
"What's in a name? That which we call a diesel by any other name would smell as bad!"
Nope, misinformation.
Progress Rail Services is being renamed PROGRESS RAIL.
Progress Rail will produce, engineer, support and manufacture EMD Locomotives.
So Electro Motive is no longer being used as a brand name.
Blasphemy.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
Who knows, with Caterpillar and Progress behind them, maybe someday they will turn the market share situation around and then EMD will stand for "Eat My Dust".
Time will tell...
kgbw49
More likely to end up on the ash heap of history.
See Bucyrus International.
The chance that they will ever again compete head to head with GE is <=0.
CPM500
BTW, the failure-prone PR43C 'demonstrator' is apparently up for sale. Mute testimony to the (lack of) expertise on the part of PR when it comes to designing locomotives.
CPM500The chance that they will ever again compete head to head with GE is <=0. CPM500
I wouldn't say zero. I think their newer engines (70aces) are pretty decent from an operating standpoint - they just need refined a bit. And the interiors need a lot of work. then again - some of that may be railraod specific.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
SAD DAY FOR DIESEL ENGINES . WITH MORE THAN A MILLION GREAT ENGINES OUT THERE. THANKS TO THE GOVT. THEY KILLED THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE GUYS THAT HAD TO WORK ON THEM. BOTH EMD & GE GEVOs
HERBYGD@AOL.COM
zugmann CPM500 The chance that they will ever again compete head to head with GE is <=0. CPM500 I wouldn't say zero. I think their newer engines (70aces) are pretty decent from an operating standpoint - they just need refined a bit. And the interiors need a lot of work. then again - some of that may be railraod specific.
CPM500 The chance that they will ever again compete head to head with GE is <=0. CPM500
There is nothing wrong with the SD70ACe design. However, some of the technology was obsolete compared to the competition.
Interiors ??
The issue will be if the FLY rate of the replacement is anywhere near as 'good.'
FLY=Failures /Locomotive Year
CPM500There is nothing wrong with the SD70ACe design. However, some of the technology was obsolete compared to the competition. Interiors ??
Which is why I mentioned "from an operating standpoint" in my post.
I'm not the one who fixes them. So if they work for me fro my train - I'm good. I've had plenty of aces and they ran fine. Dynamic can get a little slippery, but that's why we have air.
zugmann So you are a hogger. Sorry, I missed that. The way EMD locos are built, the basic drawing set covers 90 percent of the customer specified options. So, in many respects, the basic UP, NS or BNSF SD70ACe's are fairly well identical. The other 10 percent is subject to negotiation between EMD and the customer. CPM500 CPM500 There is nothing wrong with the SD70ACe design. However, some of the technology was obsolete compared to the competition. Interiors ?? Which is why I mentioned "from an operating standpoint" in my post. I'm not the one who fixes them. So if they work for me fro my train - I'm good.
So you are a hogger. Sorry, I missed that. The way EMD locos are built, the basic drawing set covers 90 percent of the customer specified options. So, in many respects, the basic UP, NS or BNSF SD70ACe's are fairly well identical. The other 10 percent is subject to negotiation between EMD and the customer.
CPM500 There is nothing wrong with the SD70ACe design. However, some of the technology was obsolete compared to the competition. Interiors ??
I'm not the one who fixes them. So if they work for me fro my train - I'm good.
How much do you think increasing the MIs to 184 days has affected the avaliability stats on these engines? I know a QMI is supposed to inspect the engiens every so often - but still - that is a long time between shoppings.
zugmann How much do you think increasing the MIs to 184 days has affected the avaliability stats on these engines? I know a QMI is supposed to inspect the engiens every so often - but still - that is a long time between shoppings.
I don't know offhand. When an order is first delivered, most shoppings (from what I observed) were for mods. There were also occasional 'infant mortality failures' of components-but those were few and far between.
Don't believe that the increase from 89 to 184 maintenance intervals had much effect on reliability-but availability was surely increased somewhat.
Then there's the "pull the battery knife switch" for fuel conservation.
That can't be good. Luckily the terminal I now work with mostly has older GP38s.
Everybody seems to be getting confused about this but apparently what's happening is that Cat/Progress is dropping the "Electromotive" name but retaining "EMD" as a product line name..correct?
So the EMD brand is not completely going away?
It's not true that CAT eliminates the names of all manufacturers it buys:they kept the band name of Perkins engines as well as that of Solar Gas turbines..
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Geez...forgot that Solar Turbines and Perkins are yet two more companies that Crapapillar ruined !
BTW, Crapapillar is one of those wonderful outfits that set-up their parts business offshore and performed one of those 'inversions.'
carnej1 Everybody seems to be getting confused about this but apparently what's happening is that Cat/Progress is dropping the "Electromotive" name but retaining "EMD" as a product line name..correct? So the EMD brand is not completely going away?
EMD brand is 100% being used.
From the outside looking in, between PRS and Electro Motive there was some confusion in whos running what. To streamline the companies both identities are being renamed into Progress Rail, which will produce "EMD" locomotives and parts.
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