SD70M-2 Problems

[nssr9169]

      I'm curious if either NS or FEC have had any problems with their new SD70M-2 units? From what I understand they are quickly becoming some of the most hated units (employee wise) on the CN roster! Apparently they are very unreliable and for a time CN even pulled them all from service while the manufacturer scrabbled to come up with ways to repair them. Stories I've heard include crankshaft and other engine problems as well as many electrical problems. One story I heard on a CN chat group told of a train cruising along at 60 mph when the lead truck on the lead unit went into reverse in run 8! It's starting to sound like the old days when CN bought HR616 units from Bombardier. They had a host of problems too, most of which were never resolved and resulted in Bombardier leaving the freight locomotive business!

Interesting how that there is no reported problems with crank shafts in the SD70ACe because the SD70M-2 and the ACe share the same exact prime mover (16-710G3-T2), Maybe I naïve but I didn't think that the electrical systems would effect the prime mover. But its too bad to hear that EMD is having problems, but then again CN is the only R.R. I've heard that is having problems with the M-2 but then again I don't work in the industry so I may not have the best sources.

[wabash1]

      I'm curious if either NS or FEC have had any problems with their new SD70M-2 units? From what I understand they are quickly becoming some of the most hated units (employee wise) on the CN roster! Apparently they are very unreliable and for a time CN even pulled them all from service while the manufacturer scrabbled to come up with ways to repair them. Stories I've heard include crankshaft and other engine problems as well as many electrical problems. One story I heard on a CN chat group told of a train cruising along at 60 mph when the lead truck on the lead unit went into reverse in run 8! It's starting to sound like the old days when CN bought HR616 units from Bombardier. They had a host of problems too, most of which were never resolved and resulted in Bombardier leaving the freight locomotive business!

no problem with the NS sd70 units now the dash 9 crap is a diffrent story. 

[Anonymous]

The locomotives sound real nice so it would be sad to see that they are the most hated.  Very enquisite looking. 

[philnrunt]

   True, so true.

   With all of the computer designed engineering today, you would think that every possible pitfall would be addressed and every loco would be perfect. But then there is that nasty thing called the real world.

   Still, with all of the real world testing, you would think....oh well.

[Boomer Red]

  It seems their stumbling a bit now that their no longer owned by GM. Being part of the GM empire meant that they could call on a variety of sources for R&D. Now that their on their own things could be a bit tougher for them! Then again hasn't every company made a dud once and a while!

[philnrunt]

    You would have thought that EMD would have learned how to correct crankshaft problems with the SD50.

   How could a company that built the most reliable locomotives ever (SD40-2) forget how to do that?

[YoHo1975]

I've heard that CN is having problems and my experience on this board is that for every engine type in use, there's a Hogger that hates it. I feel like I just read that there was some kind of problem early in production that has since been corrected.

Also it seems that I mainly hear problems about the M-2, not the ACe. 

[Boomer Red]

      I'm curious if either NS or FEC have had any problems with their new SD70M-2 units? From what I understand they are quickly becoming some of the most hated units (employee wise) on the CN roster! Apparently they are very unreliable and for a time CN even pulled them all from service while the manufacturer scrabbled to come up with ways to repair them. Stories I've heard include crankshaft and other engine problems as well as many electrical problems. One story I heard on a CN chat group told of a train cruising along at 60 mph when the lead truck on the lead unit went into reverse in run 8! It's starting to sound like the old days when CN bought HR616 units from Bombardier. They had a host of problems too, most of which were never resolved and resulted in Bombardier leaving the freight locomotive business!