This afternoon a bunch of us were trackside at Eola yard when we saw a monster "engine light" move of twelve "dead in tow" SD40-2 units in various BN and BNSF paint schemes old and new being towed behind a Dash9 GE unit moving eastbound towards Chicago. About an hour later came a train also eastbound with three newer units (two GE and an EMD) with another nine SD40-2 units "dead in tow". We could not help but wonder if this was:
1. A power balancing move?
2. A bunch of surplus SD40-2 units on their way to a rebuilder?
3. A group of SD40-2 units on their way to that big mainline in the sky (a.k.a. the scrapper's torch)?
Anybody have any information to share?
I saw the same thing. And, I was wondering the same thing.
eolafan wrote: This afternoon a bunch of us were trackside at Eola yard when we saw a monster "engine light" move of twelve "dead in tow" SD40-2 units in various BN and BNSF paint schemes old and new being towed behind a Dash9 GE unit moving eastbound towards Chicago. About an hour later came a train also eastbound with three newer units (two GE and an EMD) with another nine SD40-2 units "dead in tow". We could not help but wonder if this was:1. A power balancing move?2. A bunch of surplus SD40-2 units on their way to a rebuilder?3. A group of SD40-2 units on their way to that big mainline in the sky (a.k.a. the scrapper's torch)?Anybody have any information to share?
I don't think it is time to scrap SD40's that have been reasonably well cared-for. They could bring $100,000 or up in the shortline market, according to a cover article several months ago in TRAINS. Perhaps they were on the way to a consolidator. Perhaps some other megasystem has a need for them, but I don't know which one if any.
Any BNSF hoggers out there?
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
CShaveRR wrote:Fourth option: storage awaiting better times. We (UP) are doing that with some of ours. You might eventually see a long line of them at Clyde, or someplace similar.
The UP having a surplus of motive power? This really IS a recession!
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
csx hasn't been using any lease units on trains lately either.even some of the run through trains that would have up or bnsf power now have csx power.(ex q351 or q380)
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
A very reasonable assumption Carl, however Northtown yard in Minneapolis is normally where these units (also known as the "surge fleet") are stored in really long lines, and these came down off of the C&I line (from the general direction of Minneapolis) so our curiosity was certainly and understandably peaked.
Would a cash-strapped, startup rail transit authority have a need for the old SD40's? Buy three and use one for parts? I do know that old Chicago-area gallery coaches have wound up in Nashville and on MARC.
RRKen wrote:Scrap every last one of them. They served their time.
Bite your tongue, young man, bite your tongue!
Think about it they will not meet the new EPA regs at all if they are rebuilt or remanufactured. The only way they can meet them is one either make them into Gensets with 3-4 power packs in them or put a Cat Cummins or that New 710 series motor in them and then pray you get all the bugs worked out and hope the frames and fuel tanks are not rusting out along with the cabs and other systems in them. The Gevo and SD70M-2 and ACe give you a 2-3 replacement you get 3 SD-40-2 HP and Tractive effort out of 2 of the new ones. That plus with the reduction in units out on the mainline fuel counsumption is less by roughly 200 gallons an hour wirth fuel about 3-3.30 a gallon for the RR the savings are not something to laugh at anymore.
You know there ARE better methods for what to do with old worn out SD40-2s....
As in UP donating 3036 to IRM and IRM repainting it into its former zito CNW 6871 glory.
And let's not forget how much WSOR has been buying SD40-2s lately. Hey if they still run and can pull a lot of freight, then there's no need to scrap them. Plenty of regionals and shortlines would love to have a few.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
Here are the numbers that have been moved thus far. Some are currently in route.
7064,7065,7067,7069,7071,7163,7165,7832,7833,7834,7835,7837,7839,7841,7848
7852,7854,7855,7858,7861,7863,7865,7868,7889,7890,7891,7894,7895,7896,7897
7898,7900,7901,7904,7908,7909,7910,7912,7913,7916,7919,7920,7921,7923
Every one of these were/are headed to the BRC Clearing yard in Chicago.
Most responsible thing to do is put them up for auction. Highest bidder wins... and if that happens to be a scrapyard... so be it.
Lord Atmo wrote: You know there ARE better methods for what to do with old worn out SD40-2s....As in UP donating 3036 to IRM and IRM repainting it into its former zito CNW 6871 glory.And let's not forget how much WSOR has been buying SD40-2s lately. Hey if they still run and can pull a lot of freight, then there's no need to scrap them. Plenty of regionals and shortlines would love to have a few.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
mistty wrote:i am surprised that the railroads are not taking all there extra [ dead ] sd40s-40-2s-45s ect and making them into road slugs.
Some are being converted into yard slugs, BRC has five and NS is beginning a program to do the same.
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
al-in-chgo wrote: CShaveRR wrote:Fourth option: storage awaiting better times. We (UP) are doing that with some of ours. You might eventually see a long line of them at Clyde, or someplace similar. The UP having a surplus of motive power? This really IS a recession!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
RailfanRailroader wrote:Let's not forget unit reduction. With the influx of new power older models are being retired and sold. Leases that are not benefical to the bottom line will be let to expire. NS found this out after aquiring Conrail. SD-40's are getting pretty old and railroads determine the least reliable units to retire. Problem with some BN units is they were ordered with more ballast and that affects who can run them. I hate to see anything get scrapped but sometimes that needs to happen. Shortlines have to justify having a high horsepower unit. At the WSOR we found that we needed smaller units to handle switching and local work. Using a SD-40 for switching is really a waste of the units capability. Not to mention they are not the fastest thing to switch with. The MP-15 are a blast and they are easier on the rail and fuel. The 40's in my favorite road engines and the 15 are my favs at switching. And this is coming from a guy that hated using SW-1500's when I worked for NS. Now if we could just get some GP-60's...
Welcome and thanks for your "in the trenches" input, it is always appreciated.
Point your telephoto or binoculars east when you're at Elmhurst--you should be staring at a line of 40-2 types and Dash 8s, at least twenty of them. I think some of the first ex-CNW Dash 8s were held there for a while before being turned back to the lessor; others will eventually follow.
On the way home tonight, got to the crossing at the same time as a Z train with 4 units, all SD40-2s, meeting a manifest in the siding, 3 units, all SD40-2s.
RWM
CopCarSS wrote:Does the BNSF still have any 1st gen stuff still in daily service? There was a GP10 around here that I last saw 2 months or so ago. Is there some reason that the 1st gen power would be hanging on while SD40-2s are headed for storage/sale/scrap/whatever?
1. Fuel consumption
2. Tight curves in backtracks plus obsolete sharp turnouts
3. Less lateral (L/V) forces on weaker track structure.
mudchicken wrote: 1. Fuel consumption2. Tight curves in backtracks plus obsolete sharp turnouts3. Less lateral (L/V) forces on weaker track structure.
Thanks, MC. I was kind of wondering if it was something along those lines. Of course, that begs the question: What happens in 10-20 years when the 1st gen stuff is really old (if they're still kicking), and the smaller 2nd gen units are merely old? Will the track structure have to be upgraded to accomodate larger locomotives?
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