Do you mean "hard" or "expensive"? Do you mean one that is good shape or rough shape? Has it been rebuilt? Does it have 26 brake (common) or 24 brake (less common - more expensive to maintain)?
For one in good shape, the routine maintenance isn't any harder than any other 4 axle EMD, but the particulars can have a big impact.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
An F9A is a four axle locomotive. An FL9 has an odd-ball four axle truck in the front and a six axle (A-1-A) in the rear. Is it one of those?
In order to determine if the price was fair, you'd have to do a thorough inpection of the whole locomotive. A piston/ring/liner exam of each cylinder - EMD has booklet on how to do it an grade the results. An inspection of each traction motor. You can get a good look at the commutator of each motor. The condition of the trucks and wheels also needs to be accessed. You wouldn't want to see the brake shoes slopping over the edges of the wheels, for example. You'd also want to find out the overhaul dates of the major compontents, the air brake date and when the locomotive was last rewired. You might also want to do a load box text to make sure the unit can do rated HP and that exhaust is clear under full load. An air compressor orifice test would give an idea of it's condition.
All of these would give you an idea of where you are in the life cycle of the major parts and what the ongoing costs of operation would be.
railroadjj wrote:Are the FPA's hard to maintain. I really want to buy one. Not like I have the money or anything, but it is currently in service.
What is the asking price ? Currently in service only means that it runs. How long it will run depends on how much cash your willing to dump into it , you will get exactly what you pay for if you short budget maintenence or repairs. Then you have the problem of disposing of a locomotive hulk. Unless you have extensive knowlage of locomotives , DON"T DO IT !!!!
Do you mean an FP-9A, like the CP and CN used on passenger trains??
If you have money and a facility like Bennet Levin, then, it would be a reasonable thing to do....and he started with some locomotives in pretty decent condition. A 1974 E8 rebuild would likely be pretty ratty by now.....
http://www.prrths.com/Phila_PRR5809_Restoration_Menu.htm
I rode on board an FP9 recently, and I have seen what goes into restoring an E8.
They are both beautifully maintained, but parts are hard to come by. If you actually get one, I hope you have the ability to build your own. The E8 is huge; it's two sets of everything, plus sometimes an additional generator in the back.
These locomotives haven't been built from the erection table up for a long time. Your competition is out there in the form of short lines, excursion lines, and museums all hunting for the same parts. Then you have to deal with actually mounting those parts, and keep in mind that we are talking about a large machine with heavy duty parts, not the Camaro under the tree. To keep this megatonnage machine going, you have to have a place to maintain it, and it's best if that place has a crane or two capable of lifting your engine off the tracks. Add in test equipment and tools and you are talking some serious bucks.
Then you have to find a place to run the engine. If you are going to buy the locomotive, it makes sense to buy a passenger car (or a caboose) that it can pull. The cab of a FP or an E is not a real comfortable place. These things aren't cheap, and getting permission to run them on a railroad is not cheap, either.
You might want to rethink the whole thing.
Erik
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