CSX Locomotive Roster News, Updates & Information Thread

[BL2-1843]

Good updates recently, thanks! Just found this, not reported yet I think:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4163333

Should be on the next update. My son saw and reported it (to me) while in Deshler recently. There was no posted of it, until NOW, so thanks. I hope its just because its a dark photo, but it looks like it has no yellow at all on the sides. Instead of the old Stealth gray, it looks stealth blue. Waycross painted this because it has the wrap around yellow on the short nose, something Huntington does not do.

[MSchwiebert]

Looks like the photo was taken before all the masking paper/tape was removed. Look at the roof and how it almost looks like a "tent" over the antenna array, and on the sideframe how it looks wavy/bumpy.

Good updates recently, thanks! Just found this, not reported yet I think:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4163333

Should be on the next update. My son saw and reported it (to me) while in Deshler recently. There was no posted of it, until NOW, so thanks. I hope its just because its a dark photo, but it looks like it has no yellow at all on the sides. Instead of the old Stealth gray, it looks stealth blue. Waycross painted this because it has the wrap around yellow on the short nose, something Huntington does not do.

[trainspot]

Add another:
http://bkranefeld.rrpicturearchives.net ... id=4165281

[MQT1223]

Those older, wide nosed GE's look good in YN3B.

[Saturnalia]

Add another:
http://bkranefeld.rrpicturearchives.net ... id=4165281

Yep, we got that one earlier this month!

I haven't found anything yet that YN3B doesn't look good on

[MQT1223]

Looks like SD60I #8744 just got repainted into YN3B

[BL2-1843]

8744 still looking good. Thanks for posting that. 8744 was the 15th repaint discoverey for 2015 and has now already been 33 other new discoveries since 8744 made the list.

[Saturnalia]

Ep. 436: End of an Era: 6000 Horsepower Locomotives

Say goodbye to AC60CWs and SD90MACS, there are no more.

In 2014, CSX downrated their 6000-horsepower fleet to 4600* horsepower. They were the last operators of a 6000 horsepower fleet, with much of the once-promising fleet scrapped or likewise derated.

Overview and detail all of that, while enjoying scenes of CSX's once-6000 horsepower fleet in action!

*Note: Some sources say that CSX de-rated these units to 4400hp. It is all a matter of who you want to believe. I have four VERY good sources split on the issue.

Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to share this video, like and subscribe to Thornapple River Rail Series!

Like TRRS on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/thornappleriverproductions

Equipment: Sony VJ790 Camcorder

Copyright 2015 Thornapple River Rail Series

[MQT1223]

8744 still looking good. Thanks for posting that. 8744 was the 15th repaint discoverey for 2015 and has now already been 33 other new discoveries since 8744 made the list.

I'd prefer a repaint into Conrail blue personally... but unless NS takes one of the SD80MAC's and does something similar to that Southern SD40 it will be a long time before any former Conrail Locomotives get restored back into Conrail paint. Apparently NS has already promised the Conrail Historical Society an SD80MAC one day. What a promise!

Alex or Russ could know this, but I was curious about if any of the real early GEVO's got painted into YN2 upon delivery to CSX.

[SD80MAC]

They are 4440 HP. They classified them as CW46ACs to differentiate them from other 4400 HP units.

[Saturnalia]

Apparently NS has already promised the Conrail Historical Society an SD80MAC one day. What a promise!

I doubt it. Even then, they're going to be rebuilt heavily...they certainly won't be SD80MACs as in the CR days

Alex or Russ could know this, but I was curious about if any of the real early GEVO's got painted into YN2 upon delivery to CSX.

No...missed YN2 by several years.

[CSX_CO]

They are 4440 HP. They classified them as CW46ACs to differentiate them from other 4400 HP units.

I think they've been recently derated to 4400hp? Tonnage ratings on the biggest engines changed in the last week or two. They're rated for less suddenly. On some lines dramatically less. We hypothesized they've been dialing engines down to trim fuel usage. Wonder if this is part of it because I could have sworn they used to be rated at 4600hp not that long ago?

[Saturnalia]

We hypothesized they've been dialing engines down to trim fuel usage.

Curious as to why a power-short railroad would be trimming the tonnage abilities just to save money?

[CSX_CO]

We hypothesized they've been dialing engines down to trim fuel usage.

Curious as to why a power-short railroad would be trimming the tonnage abilities just to save money?

There's a reason for it there, eh. Need to get the operating ratio down there, eh.

[MQT1223]

We hypothesized they've been dialing engines down to trim fuel usage.

Curious as to why a power-short railroad would be trimming the tonnage abilities just to save money?

There's a reason for it there, eh. Need to get the operating ratio down there, eh.

Could that also be to trim the amount of time those former 6000hp units spend in the shop due to reliability issues?

[CSX_CO]

Could that also be to trim the amount of time those former 6000hp units spend in the shop due to reliability issues?

Pretty sure the reduction is for fuel conservation purposes. I thought they'd worked out the crankcase issue?

[MQT1223]

Could that also be to trim the amount of time those former 6000hp units spend in the shop due to reliability issues?

Pretty sure the reduction is for fuel conservation purposes. I thought they'd worked out the crankcase issue?

Ahhh. Weren't the SD50's similar when it came to the issues they had? Crankshaft or something would vibrate until it snapped or something? Reducing the horsepower and it seemed to solve the problem?

[SD80MAC]

Those were SD45s. The problem was never fully resolved. That is why there aren't any true SD45s running on Class 1s anymore (except maybe a handful of SD45-2s on BNSF) and scant few even on shortlines and regionals. If you see an "SD45" today, there's about a 99% chance it's just a 16 cylinder SD40 internally now.

[MQT1223]

Those were SD45s. The problem was never fully resolved. That is why there aren't any true SD45s running on Class 1s anymore (except maybe a handful of SD45-2s on BNSF) and scant few even on shortlines and regionals. If you see an "SD45" today, there's about a 99% chance it's just a 16 cylinder SD40 internally now.

Oh ya the SD45's. The Erie Lackawanna unit in St. Louis was donated to the MOT with a blown crankshaft from Conrail after like 15-20 years of service. The SD50's had electrical issues???

[Bulby]

Those were SD45s. The problem was never fully resolved. That is why there aren't any true SD45s running on Class 1s anymore (except maybe a handful of SD45-2s on BNSF) and scant few even on shortlines and regionals. If you see an "SD45" today, there's about a 99% chance it's just a 16 cylinder SD40 internally now.

Oh ya the SD45's. The Erie Lackawanna unit in St. Louis was donated to the MOT with a blown crankshaft from Conrail after like 15-20 years of service. The SD50's had electrical issues???

The SD50 (and GP50) asked too much of the 16-645, the locomotive shook itself apart, in addition to an electrical system that needed a lot of tweaks and fine-tuning that EMD did not bother to do.

The later 20-645E (SD45-2) did have the issues worked out, and the AT&SF managed to modify the engine mounts on the earlier 20-645E to reduce crankshaft issues. The bigger issue is that the SD40 and SD45 will give you the same amount of power at a dead stop, you don't need the extra horsepower (and fuel consumption) in the service that SD40s are used for now, and even back in the day, the only railroads that could really make use of the SD45's increased power were the ones that ran fast, heavy trains.