CANADIAN LOCOMOTIVE SHOPS
END OF THE LINE: Larry Broadbent caught the final two KCS SD70ACe’s being tested September 11th. These were the last two finished of 10 units still on property. The other eight are completed and stored inside. Operations here are scheduled to cease the end of September. Could be the last time we'll have this opportunity in London. ..... GMD R.I.P
Walter Pfefferle snapped this line up of KCS SD70ACe’s which are the last units scheduled to depart the London plant during the first week of October.
Recap: The thirteen Union Pacific SD70ACe’s (from order 20116557 for 8764-8776) and completed at London and delivered: UP 8764-8776, with the UP 8774 the last one completed. The other UP deliveries were from Bombardier in Mexico: UP 8752-8763, 8773-8783. (8752-8763, 8777-8783. Ten units were sent to KCS - KCS 4130-4139 (London built); 5 for CSX - EMDX 1201-1205 (London built); and five for the EMD lease fleet - EMDX 1206-1210 (Muncie built). Last month, CN moved four EMDX demonstrator SD70ACe locomotives from London to Chicago. In late September they were in transit from Chicago to the Alabama & Tennessee River (ATR) for in-service testing, after interchange to NS for delivery to the ATR at Alabama City, AL. Progress Rail's corporate offices and main shops are located on the ATR at Albertville. Progress is the parent company of EMD. Both Progress and EMD plan to utilize the ATR to conduct testing of new and rebuilt locomotives in the future. This would supplement the testing of the locomotives at the AAR test track in Pueblo, Colo., saving time and expense for both companies. OmniTrax leased the 120-mile line between Birmingham and Guntersville from CSX in 2004. The four locomotives, EMDX No. 1202-1205, were constructed by EMD in London prior to the plant's closure and were recently released for service. At MINExpo 2012, visitors to the Caterpillar exhibit, got to seethe largest single exhibit in the history of this show, as well as the first heavy-haul locomotive displayed at MINExpo. The 52,000-square-foot (4831-square-meter) Caterpillar exhibit features 18 complete mining and support machines and myriad components, models and technology displays representing the broadest mining product line available and the most extensive customer support system in the world. Unique among all machines within the Caterpillar exhibit and throughout the hundreds of MINExpo displays, the Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe locomotive, decked out in Caterpillar yellow will give the mining world an opportunity to explore the railroad technology that transports minerals to market. At 420,000 pounds (190,000 kg), the massive locomotive earns its place alongside some of the largest mobile equipment in the world. EMD introduced the 4,400—traction-horsepower (3243 kilowatt), diesel-electric SD70ACe model in 2005 for heavy-haul freight applications worldwide. This powerful and efficient locomotive integrates EMD’s highly reliable 16-cylinder 710 engine, EM2000 microprocessor control system and AC traction. The advanced technologies of the SD70ACe locomotive provide key product solutions for mining operations, such as the following: Safety. Safety features include the crashworthy designed QuietCab, compatible with all cab signaling and safety systems. Reliability and Availability. The SD70ACe sets the standard with simplified maintenance and a longer maintenance interval. It also provides advanced diagnostics and remote monitoring capabilities. Sustainability. The SD70ACe is a fuel-efficient machine—providing more than 600 ton-miles per gallon (230 tons-kilometers per liter). Furthermore, EMD locomotives are durable, lasting 40 years or more, and can be rebuilt reusing 80 percent of the core components to extend the locomotive life. SD70ACe locomotives operate in mining operations across the globe, including the United States, Canada, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. This service-proven workhorse offers leading performance in harsh conditions and the world’s most demanding applications—a perfect fit within Caterpillar and within the mining industry. The locomotive was delivered to MINExpo 2012 under wraps in late August for the unveiling in Las Vegas, NV. (Aaron C. Schlege Photo with thanks)
The new EMD Demo paint scheme revealed: Click here for link
EMDX 1201 @ Mining show
In stark contrast to the EMD London Plant, the GE plant in Erie, PA is jam packed with diesels. Walter Pfeffele snapped this line up on his recent visit to Erie, PA on 9-10-12.
CAD Railway Services (Lachine, QC) are continuing their contract to overhaul 19 SOO SD60’s and one SD60M to Tier 0+ compliance, equip them with AESS (Locomotive Automatic Engine Start/Stop) to conserve fuel, and repaint and renumber to CP 6200-series. The entire rebuilt SD60 fleet will receive (PTC) Positive Train Control modifications at the CP St-Luc Diesel Shop.
In Service:
CP SD60 6223 (ex-SOO 6023) released September 20th, 2012 CP SD60 6257 (ex-SOO 6057) released August 31st, 2012 CP SD60 6234 (ex-SOO 6034) released August 15th, 2012 CP SD60 6252 (ex-SOO 6052) released July 25th, 2012 CP SD60 6255 (ex-SOO 6055) released June 21st, 2012 CP SD60 6229 (ex-SOO 6029) released June 5th, 2012 CP SD60 6243 (ex-SOO 6043) released April 20th, 2012 CP SD60 6254 (ex-SOO 6054) released March 29th, 2012 CP SD60 6245 (ex-SOO 6045) released March 6th, 2012 CP SD60 6242 (ex-SOO 6042) released March 1st, 2012 CP SD60M 6260 (ex-SOO 6060) released January 13th, 2012 CP SD60 6228 (ex-SOO 6028) released December 16th, 2011 CP SD60 6225 (ex-SOO 6025) released December 1st, 2011 CP SD60 6241 (ex-SOO 6041) released November 2011 CP SD60 6240 (ex-SOO 6040) released October 2011 CP SD60 6250 (ex-SOO 6050) released October 2011
At Cadrail:
SOO SD60 6046 arrived at Cadrail September 7th SOO SD60 6030 arrived in Montreal July 24th. SOO SD60 6021 arrived in Montreal June 25th. SOO SD60 6036 arrived at Cadrail July 9th
The following locomotives were noted at CADRAIL in September:
CP SD9043MAC 9157 (engine change-out) CP AC4400CW 8551 (repairs) CEFX GP38-3 38xx (new arrival for repairs but number not visible) ex-FAIX GP9RM in CN colours but still unlettered. AMT F59PHI 1325 (repairs) CITX GP38-2 2804.
The four VIA Rail F40PH-2’s at CAD Railway Services for rebuild, and listed in their expected order of release are: VIA 6451, 6427, 6440, and 6453. VIA F40PH-2d 6408 was released in early September, and VIA 6415 was released in Late September. The F40 rebuild program is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Now repaired, CEFX GP38-3 3804 arrived at St. Luc Yard September 6th for furtherance on MMA to another railroad for lease. Long stored and derelict in the CADRAIL deadline, ex-MEC U18B’s 404 and 407 were cut up for scrap on site in July. On September 25th Patrick DeLarue snapped MI-TRAIN (Ex-GO) F59PH RBRX 18533 at the Parsley Interchange at XCP St-Luc Yard after moving from AMP (CN) Point St Charles to Tascherau Yard). The Mi-Train Michigan State Intercity rail project was cancelled last year.
Although the progress at Industrial Rail Services in Moncton NB is still unclear (court proceedings are ongoing), CRO contributor Wendell Lemon was able to update us about the VIA equipment still at IRSI. At present, it appears all VIA equipment that was at IRSI (a number of LRC coaches and clubs, in various stages of rebuild, as well as several RDCs) are still there. It is yet unclear when VIA will move the equipment, or who has received the contract to continue the LRC and RDC rebuild programs. As IRSI declared bankruptcy at the end of March 2012, the following VIA LRC cars and RDC units that IRSI had been working on remain incomplete and stored in Moncton:
There are many other Budd cars that were not intended for the rebuild program which have been stored at IRSI for many years.
As of September 2012, DESX had the following units on their property: (DESX) SD40-2W 5308, 5310, 5311, 5312, 5313, and SD40-2 5391.
Roberval - Saguenay GP38-3 (RS #62) arrived at NRE-Capreol (the former CN Car Shop) at the end of July for repair work and repaint. James Lalande spent September 1st in Capreol and Milnet, ON. The weather was terrific and he noted R&S #62 sitting on a flat car, ex-CP SD40-2 NREX 5771 (purchased from CP in 2006). and CN ES44DC 2295 was parked in the yard, There are eleven NREX units stored at Capreol; (NREX) GP9 208, RS3 307, GMD1m 1141, 1149, GP9 1602, 1684, GMD1 1911, SD40-2 5567, 5619, 5620, 5644, and 5771.
As LDSX SW1200RS 1359 was involved in a collision and may have a bent frame , she was moved to Sarnia from Hamilton, ON for evaluation and then damage repairs. Currently LDSX SW900 6900 in Sarnia is the former GMDD London shop switcher no. 0069, purchased back in 2006.
©CRO October 2012 |
