My understanding is that D&H bought three EMD SD45 demonstrators at a discounted price because the railroad tested them and liked what they saw. My question is why would they have traded them in for three U33Cs? The U Boats were notorious for being problematic..I know the big EMDs had their own issues.. but even the 45s were generally more reliable than the U boats.. or no?
Parts supply and simplicity- at the time, the D&H really didn't have any other EMDs, so it was easier to trade it for GEs similar to those in the fleet rather than keep three oddball units around.
In that time period it was hard to envision EMD's as the oddballs on a roster.
CSSHEGEWISCH In that time period it was hard to envision EMD's as the oddballs on a roster.
The D&H was plenty odd-ball, and completely broke at that time.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
You need to remember this about the D&H at this time they rebuilt 4 PA1's for their passenger service to save money. They preferred Alco over EMD and when Alco left the US market they switched over to GE.
...and a couple Baldwin Sharks that wouldn't MU with anything but each other.
From what I have heard from my husbands railfan and model railroad fans their Nickname for the time was the Discarded and Handme Down railroad when it came to motive power.
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