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Another black eye for EMD.

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Posted by Victrola1 on Friday, December 10, 2010 10:40 AM

zugmann

There's a reasons they are known as "Thundercabs".

I've ridden on plenty of those rattletraps.  Just the issues with the cab doors popping open on their own should be enough to ban them from being leaders. 

 

 

This sounds like the tail gate on a 1960 rattlin' Rambler American station wagon I had as a kid.

New tie rods and ball joints this is not. Being ignorant myself of the problem in question, does anybody have any idea what it would take to fix. Does anybody have any idea what costs would be involved.

 

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Posted by coborn35 on Friday, December 10, 2010 10:34 AM

edblysard

So, Coborn, how many?

And besides the modelers club, / Historical group, what railroad do you work for?

Is it a Class 1, Class 2 or a Class 3?

And lastly, where did you get your information?

Was it a safety bulletin, general order, terminal order, what?

Because I have never known any Class 1 to give a hoot in a holler about the cormfort or ride quality for road crews...as long as the toiliet flushes, the heater sorta works and the lights all come on they could care less how it rides. 

 

 coborn35:

 

 

 edblysard:

And you got this information from what reliable source?

How many SD70ACEs have you ridden in?

 

 

How many have you ridden in Ed?

 

 

Oh yea, am I in a modelers club? I wasn't aware. No. I am in a historical society? No. I dont know why you are being such a jerk about this. I never said it was set in stone, I merely said this is what I had heard about the PRE-isolated cab SD70ACe and M-2's. 

Well here you go investigator Ed, this is where I got it from: http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19921&p=166450#p166450

Mechanical Department  "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."

The Missabe Road: Safety First

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 10, 2010 10:23 AM

I don’t know anything about this issue, but from what I read, it sounds like the isolated cab was intended to cut down on noise.  One source says:

“The analysis was used to identify standing wave resonances in the cab acoustic cavity and make modifications to the structure so that structural mode shapes do not correspond to the acoustical cavity mode shapes.”

 

Maybe they over thought the problem and came up with a cab design that was hard to build without rattles.

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Posted by K. P. Harrier on Friday, December 10, 2010 9:25 AM

Here in California, UP SD70ACe's lead all the time.

The over 1400 UP SD70M units are the super rattletraps!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, December 10, 2010 9:10 AM

Maybe a faulty design or a bad batch of something.  Does anyone know which units (by number or builder number) this affects?  That may give clues.

Dan

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 10, 2010 8:35 AM

So what is causing this problem, and why is it occurring with just these cabs?

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, December 10, 2010 8:04 AM

There's a reasons they are known as "Thundercabs".

I've ridden on plenty of those rattletraps.  Just the issues with the cab doors popping open on their own should be enough to ban them from being leaders. 

 

 

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

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Posted by uphogger on Friday, December 10, 2010 8:04 AM

Be nice.  Take it easy on the foamers. Smile

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Posted by edblysard on Friday, December 10, 2010 6:13 AM

Three, they came in on a ferterlizer train for Mosaic....they load up and kick pretty good, but stop like a garbage truck...I like the 70M better, it kicks great and stops great.

We took the train out to Mosaic and spotted the plant with them, my engineer did not like how they shoved against a minimum brake set, he said he could not tell when the slack was all bunched in, and they didnt seem to set their independent brakes up as a trio, but each one by itself instead.

We took them back to north yard and stayed on them to finish our switching...they ride ok, but  overall just dont seem to be the quality I expect from EMD.

 

So, Coborn, how many?

And besides the modelers club, / Historical group, what railroad do you work for?

Is it a Class 1, Class 2 or a Class 3?

And lastly, where did you get your information?

Was it a safety bulletin, general order, terminal order, what?

Because I have never known any Class 1 to give a hoot in a holler about the cormfort or ride quality for road crews...as long as the toiliet flushes, the heater sorta works and the lights all come on they could care less how it rides. 

coborn35

 edblysard:

And you got this information from what reliable source?

How many SD70ACEs have you ridden in?

 

How many have you ridden in Ed?

23 17 46 11

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, December 10, 2010 6:05 AM

With the SD70ACe's being Train Control equipped engines CSX is using them as leaders on the I-95 corridor trains that must traverse the RF&P between DC & Richmond where Train Control leaders are required.

Dutchrailnut

Actually several railroads have banned the SD70's to lead due to bad welds in cabs.

 Crews and railroads do not trust integrety of the cabs.

 there is even one other model involved.

One other railroad is CSX.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Mr. Railman on Friday, December 10, 2010 5:59 AM

Is one of those railroads UP??? If they're one of the railroads that banned SD70s  on the point, then why did they paint them in heritage Colors?

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, December 10, 2010 5:55 AM

Is this an absolute prohibition, such that if SD70ACe's are the only units available,  the train doesn't 'start' / is cancelled or held until other power is available ?  Or just a strong preference - "Use other units to lead whenever available ?"

Procedurally, how is this being implemented ?  Timetable, General Rules, Bulletin, Memo from the Motive Power Bureau to the engine servicing facilities, etc. ?

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by coborn35 on Thursday, December 9, 2010 11:46 PM

edblysard

And you got this information from what reliable source?

How many SD70ACEs have you ridden in?

How many have you ridden in Ed?

Mechanical Department  "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."

The Missabe Road: Safety First

 

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Posted by Dutchrailnut on Thursday, December 9, 2010 10:28 PM

Actually several railroads have banned the SD70's to lead due to bad welds in cabs.

 Crews and railroads do not trust integrety of the cabs.

 there is even one other model involved.

One other railroad is CSX.

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Posted by edblysard on Thursday, December 9, 2010 10:20 PM

And you got this information from what reliable source?

How many SD70ACEs have you ridden in?

23 17 46 11

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Another black eye for EMD.
Posted by coborn35 on Thursday, December 9, 2010 10:09 PM

On 12-2-10 BNSF issued General Notice 938 which reads in part:
The following "North American Cab" locomotives are not suitable for lead or
(crew) deadhead service:

BNSF 9330-9399
NS 2649-2778
CSXT 4831-4850
UP 8309-8620
KCS 3997-3999
KCS 4030-4315
KCS 8600-8629
MRL 4300-4315
FEC 100-103
CN 8000-8024

Mechanical Department  "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."

The Missabe Road: Safety First

 

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