It looks like a variation of the ATSF "Blue Bonnet" - a "Flame Bonnet".
Did they send the pictures to Matt Rose and Warren Buffett?
While I doubt it will be the case, it would be nice to see this be the standard paint scheme for these AC conversions like they've done with their green swirl paint scheme on the GP33ECO fleet.
I don't see much resemblance to the CSX paintscheme beyond the shade of blue, but it looks good and I hope she keeps it despite NS appearing reluctant to let it be seen and reports that she's returned to the paintshop already for modifications of some sort. Norfolk & Western also used a color that was similar, albeit perhaps slightly darker.
It's just too bad that they didn't kick off the Dash 8.5 program with a special paintscheme. :)
Well, NS has completely eliminated every official image of the repainted unit online. An unofficial unit can still be seen here at the time of this posting:
https://www.facebook.com/nslocomotives/photos/a.111336769314.98388.111336324314/10153411507319315/?type=3
Well, despite NS buying the south end of the D&H, CP still owns all of the D&H trademarks. So, no D&H heritage unit, but...
It looks like somebody in the Mechanical Department came from CSX, there is a definite resemblance to the CSX "Bright Future" paint job.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=558395&nseq=0
Beautiful new scheme.
Is it just me, or does the use of the original EMD AC logo look strange on a GE?
By General Electric though, so as he says, it remains to be seen what NS will classify these rebuilds as. Also would seem to confirm that AC44C4M is an official GE model designation, if anyone was curious over whether that was selected by BNSF or GE themselves.
A major determining factor I suspect will be what party gets the contract. I suspect if the GE upgrade package wins, NS likely will just go with this desigination. If it doesn't, it's anybody's guess what these prototypes and the rest of the class will ultimately be classified as by NS.
I suspect losing prototypes from different parties (Have we heard anything concrete on the other two packages that will be demoed?) will share a common model designation with the production model in the end. NS has shown that it isn't shy about not identifying oddballs with their own unique identifier (The Eco repowered GP38-2 still is classified as a GP38-2 for instance).
The AC Dash 9-40C rebuilds have been designated AC44C6Ms per NSDash9.
Thanks guys.
Sounds like there could be some variation as the program moves through the fleet (NS's fleet of standard cab C40-8's span from 1989 examples inherited from Conrail to examples bought new at the end of production in late 1992 of the standard model), but the prototype Dash 8.5 created from a 1989 Conrail core at least was upgraded from AG to AH motors, per NSDash9.
Still curious just exactly what that entailed (Motor replacement, the addition of a new part, etc.). Beyond knowing that the GE 752 has a great reputation throughout the years in all its iterations and looking up parts lists which clearly show a lot of common components between these two particular models, I don't know much about its inner workings and what the differences are between versions.
M636CAgain, I think many Dash 8s had 752E motors, although I could be wrong and that the change to "AF" came with the Dash 9.
The last couple batches of Dash 8s Conrail purchased came with AH motors - per Conrail's specs. E motors would have been standard.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
What's involved in the upgrade from GE 752-AG motors to AH motors?
Specifically, are they able to actually upgrade the existing traction motors to Dash 9 standards (The AG and AH revisions share a lot of common parts, but past that, I don't know much about their particulars)? Or are they replaced entirely, perhaps with AH motors removed from the Dash 9's being rebuilt into AC prototypes?
Probably teething problems. This is quite common on a protoype unit. They will work it out eventually.
According to Trains, Union Pacific has 50 C40-8's going up for auction.
Now that we have a Dash 8.5 prototype, I wonder if we'll see Norfolk Southern follow their EMD practice of recent years and pick up some used GE's for the first time.
Can't imagine that they need them just now, but if they're planning to rely on rebuilds for the foreseeable future, they might be planning ahead. Norfolk Southern's collection of retired units has came in handy numerous times for them in recent years with the rise of their rebuild programs.
These obviously could be the core for what amounts to brand new 4,000 HP GE's for manifests, intermodals, etc.
GDRMCo Leo_Ames The conversion of C40-8 #8799 to AC traction has been finished, C40-9
Leo_Ames The conversion of C40-8 #8799 to AC traction has been finished,
The conversion of C40-8 #8799 to AC traction has been finished,
C40-9
Thanks for catching that.
I knew it, but clearly got it wrong anyways. :)
I would guess as much. Unfortunately, he does not distinguish between dead lined units and shopped units which both are classfied as stored.
Apparently the first SD90MAC to be rebuilt, 7299, was stripped down to its frame this week at Altoona in preparation for whatever the SD70ACU program will look like.
ML
The Dash 8.5 prototype has been stored, per NSDash9. Teething troubles I assume, with modifications planned before going back out on the road?
The conversion of C40-8 #8799 to AC traction has been finished, according to NSDash9. This one also came out of Dansville and has a GE sourced cab. Going to Erie for testing before painting and acceptance by Norfolk Southern.
Here's a Facebook picture taken by Stephen Grekulak, linked to by the NSDash9 site.
No, it was still alive and well and on the road until late April/early May when it disappeared. CAF must be done with Viewliner IIs for the time being, or have excess space in the plant?
The Dash 9-40Cs are older than the CWs so it would make sense to rebuild them first, but I haven't heard anything official. Crews like the wide cabs better as well.
Was the 8900 wrecked?
I don't know if I read it or just assumed, but I thought they would be rebuilding the standard cab Dash 9's first?
According to NSDash9, she's going to be done at CAF USA in Elmira NY rather than AMP in Dansville where the two C40-9's are being rebuilt by GE. Perhaps this is a prototype for one of the other two rebuild proposals that NS is prototyping and GE is in competition with?
Edit: Apparently so. :)
True about that article, but I hadn't heard that anything beyond talk got off the ground. Apparently 8900, a Dash 9-40CW is also undergoing a similar rebuild but will presumably retain its cab. 8900 and the former Dash 9-40C 8879 mentioned above are the prototypes but they have yet to get a model designation. They are essentially AC4400CWs but I suspect with a newer generation or two of electrical equipment.
The big question is who will rebuild them if the program goes forward. NS has a lot of other projects going on and planned for the future, so they may not have capacity.
A1A never made sense for NS, with its grades and slow speed operation. When you are paying half the cost of a new unit to rebuild something, why not get extra performance?
This was actually known, such as a mention at the end of the news article from the first post in this thread. Things have just been quiet since then though until this.
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/norfolk_southern/article/Norfolk-Southern-Railway-to-roll-out-modified-GE-locomotive-model-as-part-of-multiyear-rebuild-program--40373
As that says and which I believe has also been stated in an issue of Trains, another rebuild package or two from other companies is also part of this project. NS will then evaluate these in actual service before selecting a winner to serve as a template for rebuilding their standard cab Dash 9's (I imagine those other prototypes are nearing completion as well and will soon be joining these GE rebuilds).
For the folks that insisted that NS was seriously considering rebuilding these into C4 style A1A units with similar performance to their as-built six motor DC configuration (Despite NS stating they were looking for more adhesion), these trucks appear to put that to rest.
I don't see the lifting apparatus for the center axle on these trucks.
NorthWest Chris Toth/NSDash9 is reporting that two Dash 9-40Cs have been converted to AC traction by a contractor under the employment of GE, with a new cab that appears to be built to standard GE design. Strange that I hadn't heard about this before, as the units in question were sent to GE in January.
Chris Toth/NSDash9 is reporting that two Dash 9-40Cs have been converted to AC traction by a contractor under the employment of GE, with a new cab that appears to be built to standard GE design. Strange that I hadn't heard about this before, as the units in question were sent to GE in January.
I can remember when CSX introduced their then new AC4400s on the coal trains to Crystal River (Florida) before they were renumbered out of the 9100 series. That was over 20 years ago. NS has proven it's never too late to get your own AC4400.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
The one obvious difference between the two is the smaller 'eyebrow' on the RLS (Roanoke Locomotive Shop?) cab, so we will see what the next SD60Es come with. My understanding (coming from others) is that the RLS is optimized for the GE platform, and the Crescent for the EMD platform. I could be wrong.
I'd like to learn more about that, too.
NorthWest Apparently the GE rebuild cabs are not Crescent Cabs but RLS cabs, according to Chris Toth, but they are similar. One Dash 8.5-40CW has a Crescent Cab, though, so there are two oddballs to look out for. Also, he reports that three more B32-8s have been retired.
Apparently the GE rebuild cabs are not Crescent Cabs but RLS cabs, according to Chris Toth, but they are similar. One Dash 8.5-40CW has a Crescent Cab, though, so there are two oddballs to look out for.
Also, he reports that three more B32-8s have been retired.
I believe that they're officially classified as stored, with "pending retirement" noted by him.
I also believe that the RLS cab is just an evolution of the Crescent cab to address some issues that had cropped up that NS thought they could improve on. So essentially, version 2 of the same cab.
I imagine that SD60's probably are getting it these days as well (Although AltoonaWorks doesn't provide any hint that the specification has had any change).
http://www.altoonaworks.info/rebuilds/ns_sd60e.html
Leo_AmesSorry, it does look as if some did get rebuilt and uprated to 3,000 HP.
That page is a little 'canny' about exactly what, other than the horsepower increase, was done to the "3000HP" units at San Berdoo. Somewhere there has to be an ATSF historical or Extra 2200 South article that describes this activity and why it was undertaken; it would appear, reading between the lines, that getting the additional horsepower out of the 12-FDLs in these locomotives was having a significant effect on maintenance expense. Was that one of the reasons for abolishing the SF30B program?
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