GEs GEVO are a pile of junk

[Anonymous]

Well GE just keeps there awesome fleet just rolling right off of the assembly line. Coming back from Lincoln to K.C. an empty grain train with a new ES44DC BNSF 7640 blew up. The unit got a crank case overpressure, pretty nice for a new unit. Take these GE's and scrap them all. GM is the way to go.
All the GE is good for is giving the engineer a headache. All the rattleing, shaking, of the console, now that just in the cab, let alone the fact GE cannot produce a unit that can grip the rail like the GM units do.

Just look at the coal trains BNSF runs threw the mid-west. Like most trains that I run that are between 115 cars to 150 cars of coal. Some of the trains like the MHS loads and a few others that don't have quite as many cars will have GE for power. Get a train that has 135 to 150 cars will have GM 70Macs for power. The railroad knows what engines are good for pulling but they are so cheap they just keep buying the GE crap. Like the MHS loads will have 2 and 1 dp on a 125 car train. Get a KCL or a PAM coal train that has 135 cars and it will be two GMs 1 and 1 dp. Or the Thomas Hill coal train that they have tested with 150 cars and the use of only SD70macs. GE should just stay with making light bulbs or refrigerators.

[BaltACD]

My carrier has had bad experiences with both GE and EMD products....so now where to turn.

[Anonymous]

maybe you could elaborate some on the crankcase overpressure...?

[vsmith]

Eh...All them Dismals suck... lets go back to steam!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

maybe you could elaborate some on the crankcase overpressure...?

When the crank case gets too high of pressure and the engine is suppose to shut is self down most of the time, or what has happened many times is the engine will basically blow up. It will blow the piston out the wall of the engine then there is a big mess.

[Anonymous]

Ouch what a mess!!! I'm sure the RR isn't too happy with GE at the moment over this.

[PBenham]

[8]Both major North American builders must pay attention to the quality of their products, which is sorely[:(] lacking[V]! One of the major Asian or European Locomotive builders could field a demonstrator [;)] in North America that could do for Locomotives what Asian (Japanese, primarily) auto manufacturers did to the North American big 3 ( Being a car nut[:o)],too, I will include AMC, so it was the big 4)[:p] starting in the mid-70s!

[BaltACD]

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

maybe you could elaborate some on the crankcase overpressure...?

In a simple NASCAR originated term....

It done blowed up!

[dwil89]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsfengineer

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

maybe you could elaborate some on the crankcase overpressure...?

When the crank case gets too high of pressure and the engine is suppose to shut is self down most of the time, or what has happened many times is the engine will basically blow up. It will blow the piston out the wall of the engine then there is a big mess.

When this happens, what pressure gets too high? Oil pressure? Combustion air pressure? I have heard this same term used over the scanner when a crew calls in about a unit with high crankcase pressure..

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: In a simple NASCAR originated term....

It done blowed up!

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D] Luckily BNSF has 30 SD70ACes on order. (Did they get any of them yet?) I think EMD is going to become the #1 locomotive manufacturer after RRs see how nice the SD70ACEs are. I haven't heard very much good stuff about the GEVO. SD70ACe or SD70M-2 is the only other option. May EMD be #1 again and then be #1 forever!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BaltACD

My carrier has had bad experiences with both GE and EMD products....so now where to turn.

ALCO!!!![:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
or FM

[Anonymous]

alrighty, so the bottom end grenades...basically. that'd be neat to see, from a bit of a distance.

keep yer foot out of it! [:-^]

[eolafan]

Good thing G.E. doesn't make airplanes....Whoa, they DO make airplane engines....oh, boy!

[Mookie]

Just an observation from no one - even from a distance they are incredibly noisy on the outside. You can pick them out of a crowd. The old Dash 9's were/are noisy, but they have a little age on them. These are new and sound just as bad if not worse.

Don't think they got a good deal overall.

Mook

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsfengineer

... Take these GE's and scrap them all. GM is the way to go.

AHEM... GM doesn't make locomotives any more! Well, unless you want a Chevy or eleven to pull your trains! Electro-Motive Diesel is once again a separate company.

(Gotta have a little fun! )

Maybe MPI needs to get back into the horsepower race?

[ValleyX]

QUOTE: Originally posted by PBenham

[8], I will include AMC, so it was the big 4)[:p] starting in the mid-70s!

Huh? No, I remember those days, it was more like GM, FORD, CHRYSLER, and amc. They were almost an also-ran then and Chrysler was on their heels, almost, although I did like Dodge Chargers and Plymouth Roadrunners. Beep-beep.

[Anonymous]

I've read stories about when that happened on the early Streamliners, the on board mechanic would block off the offending cylinder and the train would continue on. Assuming it's not an urban myth, was this done by disconnecting the rod from the crank and shutting off the injector, or was more involved? I don't suppose that's possible with a GEVO [;)][;)]

[Anonymous]

Sorry - but you can't call them GM anymore :)

GM got rid of EMD

[tpatrick]

QUOTE: Originally posted by up829

I've read stories about when that happened on the early Streamliners, the on board mechanic would block off the offending cylinder and the train would continue on. Assuming it's not an urban myth, was this done by disconnecting the rod from the crank and shutting off the injector, or was more involved? I don't suppose that's possible with a GEVO [;)][;)]

Sounds more like urban legend to me. I am no engineer, but it seems common sense that disconnecting a piston would unbalance the crankshaft. The resulting vibrations would quickly lead to even more catastrophic failure. I would bet that the initial failure of one cylinder would require the complete teardown of the engine and inspection of all the parts for damage. Trying to run an engine one cyl short would probably send it to the scrap heap and send the crew to the unemployment line.

[samfp1943]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

Good thing G.E. doesn't make airplanes....Whoa, they DO make airplane engines....oh, boy!

Well it might be the time for General Electric to start BACK, putting their jet engines in locomotives again!![:D] All the railroads would lhave to do is not stop them under stuff that was sensitive to high temperatures and, oh, yes, run them where noise is not a problem[:D]. Rename the engineer position to pilot, and on that basis renegotiate all the work agreements [banghead][4:-)][censored], just look at the money saved![:-,]
Sam

[edbenton]

All new engines have a few bugs in them remember GE is getting 4400 hp out of 12 cylinders and that they are pushing those engines right to the edge and t will take some time to get them out. Remember EMD's first engine the winton 201 was not a reliable engine why do you think they brought out the 567 give ge time they will fix the issues. When the first high horse smaller block engines came out for the OTR driving industry and we had our problems also given time they are now the perferred type of engine for fleets.

[ddechamp71]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

Good thing G.E. doesn't make airplanes....Whoa, they DO make airplane engines....oh, boy!

No, but they build airplane engines! Fortunately airplanes I fly as a life earning are Pratt & Whitney equipped![:D]

Dominique

[ddechamp71]

QUOTE: [i]
The old Dash 9's were/are noisy, but they have a little age on them.

And from a railfan's standpoint, what an awesome noise they do!

Dominique

[PBenham]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ValleyX

QUOTE: Originally posted by PBenham

[8], I will include AMC, so it was the big 4)[:p] starting in the mid-70s!

Huh? No, I remember those days, it was more like GM, FORD, CHRYSLER, and amc. They were almost an also-ran then and Chrysler was on their heels, almost, although I did like Dodge Chargers and Plymouth Roadrunners. Beep-beep.

My 69[(-D] AMX [}:)]coulda whupped yer whatever it were[:o)][:0]. Where is that rust bucket now?[:p] I dusted off a Charger once, [8D]chasing AFT 1. (alias Reading 2101),Ah, those were the good old days, except the Central New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh & Hudson River, Lehigh Valley,Penn Central and Reading were all bankrupt.[B)] The employees had to ca***heir checks at the credit union, since no bank would touch them! BUT the credit unions got their $$ from all of them in the end![D)][#offtopic][D)] I am sorry,bless the pigmies in New Guinea, I DEclare!

[Anonymous]

SD70MAC'S RULE! Plus not to mention,I truly love those new SD70ACe's. I can not wait to see these babys in BNSF's 'New Image" scheme [:p]. Allan.

[Philcal]

What GE has really done well in the past 10-15 years is advertise. Many still feel, though they don't seem to say it too loudly, that EMD still builds the better locomotive. When older locomotives are sold by the railroads, there always seems to be a substantial market for EMD units. The GE units usually go the scrap dealer. Does this mean all GE units are junk? Not really, but quality control issues seem to constantly crop up. Electro Motive Diesel, on the other hand, is filling it's order books, and quietly putting new locomotives on the road.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Philcal

What GE has really done well in the past 10-15 years is advertise. Many still feel, though they don't seem to say it too loudly, that EMD still builds the better locomotive. When older locomotives are sold by the railroads, there always seems to be a substantial market for EMD units. The GE units usually go the scrap dealer. Does this mean all GE units are junk? Not really, but quality control issues seem to constantly crop up. Electro Motive Diesel, on the other hand, is filling it's order books, and quietly putting new locomotives on the road.

And that is why you still see more EMD SD40-2's still running around than you see GE C30-7's anymore. EMD's where built to last longer. Allan.

[Anonymous]

So what pressure gets too high on a GEVO and causes a piston to fly out of the crankcase?

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFrailfan

QUOTE: Originally posted by Philcal

What GE has really done well in the past 10-15 years is advertise. Many still feel, though they don't seem to say it too loudly, that EMD still builds the better locomotive. When older locomotives are sold by the railroads, there always seems to be a substantial market for EMD units. The GE units usually go the scrap dealer. Does this mean all GE units are junk? Not really, but quality control issues seem to constantly crop up. Electro Motive Diesel, on the other hand, is filling it's order books, and quietly putting new locomotives on the road.

And that is why you still see more EMD SD40-2's still running around than you see GE C30-7's anymore. EMD's where built to last longer. Allan.

The C-30-7s have been exported to South America, THAT's why you don't see them running here.
The big mining concerns in Brazil are paying BIG money for C-30s.

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dingoix

So what pressure gets too high on a GEVO and causes a piston to fly out of the crankcase?

Don't buy into the rumors that GE locomotives do this on a regular basis , I have patched 100s of EMD crankcases after a rod came through the block. Working on 645 , 20 cylinder engines I have seen lots af broken crankshafts too .
I have spent enough time around the SD80-mac and the Sd -90 mac to know that they have some serious electrical issues.
This particular GEVO had connecting rod failure, this is so far the first one I have heard of , doesn't sound to me like Ge has a quality problem yet . In fact if you ask people in the know, EMD is suffering the bulk of the QC problems.
Keep in mind as the EPA regulations get tighter and tighter the locomotive builers are having to adapt to the changes very quickly , perhaps too quickly.
Randy