Diesel Preservation What's Next?

[Schteinkuh]

UP 4014 is the oldest locomotive on a Class I roster, actually. September 1941

[ConrailMan5]

The Providence and Worchester just got rid of their last B unit GE's, but the only railroad that comes to mind using Dash 7 diesels in regular service is the Pickens Railway with a trio of ex. CSX U18's (Baby Boats) in a modified CSX MOW Orange paint scheme. I think most Dash 7 units were parted out and scrapped due to reliability issues with a few fortunate enough to make it to museums. The Southern Appalachia Railway Museum owns a trio of ex. CSX U25's in their original MOW orange, but two are operational with the third being used for parts. IRM has a Milwaukee Road U25 under restoration and a group out west just got a hold of a Milwaukee Road U Boat as well. I know there are more out there, but not many U boats (Or Dash 7 diesels of any kind) have escaped the cutting torch as far as I know. The two Dash 8 diesels were delivered to museums in mechanically poor condition. The NS unit (which was built for NS, not a predecessor road) has an engine issue, and will probably not run at the museum its at due to the lack of track to run it on. The UP 1848 is a former Cotton Belt unit that was delivered to IRM prior to diesel days operable, but it could only run for short periods of time due to some electrical issues. Bulby could fill in the details if he chimes in on the matter.

Minnesota commercial, fingers lake, HESR, Georgia central (for now), A-OK, LS&I, MMA... Just to name a few off the top of my head. You don't give them enough credit. Are they significantly less than EMD, yes. All gone to scrap... No.
As I understand ALCO still has a market, but it goes like this. If you have them you buy them because you know how to maintain them. Otherwise not many new start ups would be interested. I mean, even baldwins still operate out east.
The way I see it is 99% of high horsepower units will eventually be scrapped. With the one percent left being donated as a tax write off. That's a bit of exaggeration, but you get the point.

[Bulby]

Minnesota commercial, fingers lake, HESR, Georgia central (for now), A-OK, LS&I, MMA... Just to name a few off the top of my head. You don't give them enough credit. Are they significantly less than EMD, yes. All gone to scrap... No.
As I understand ALCO still has a market, but it goes like this. If you have them you buy them because you know how to maintain them. Otherwise not many new start ups would be interested. I mean, even baldwins still operate out east.
The way I see it is 99% of high horsepower units will eventually be scrapped. With the one percent left being donated as a tax write off. That's a bit of exaggeration, but you get the point.

Alcos, GEs, and Baldwins are an acquired taste. If you like them and know how to work on them, and have the parts for them, they make sense to acquire. They are familiar to your shop forces, and you don't have to do much if any re-training. They also tend to sell for a lot less than an EMD of similar vintage and horsepower.

I find it interesting, on a historical note, that the GE U-boats and -7 lines in commercial service are dying off much faster than Alcos or even Baldwins. The Dash 8 line may be a turning point for that, however.

The UP 1848 is a former Cotton Belt unit that was delivered to IRM prior to diesel days operable, but it could only run for short periods of time due to some electrical issues. Bulby could fill in the details if he chimes in on the matter.

IRM has 3 GE products, MILW 5056, BN 5383, and UP 1848. U25B MILW 5056 is part way through a halted restoration, needing sheet metal work and testing of the mechanical systems. U30C BN 5383 has been cosmetically restored and is operational. UP 1848, as mentioned above, arrived operable (freshly overhauled in fact). The problem that PMQT1223 speaks of was a bad phase in the cooling fans (IIRC, I didn't work on it), and it has been repaired. No plans as of yet to repaint it, or cover up the nice burn mark from the turbo fire.

[GTW6401]

Minnesota commercial, fingers lake, HESR, Georgia central (for now), A-OK, LS&I, MMA... Just to name a few off the top of my head.

Scratch HESR and MMA off that list.

Speaking of preservation, is there any updates on whats going to happen with LSRC 469? It was still sitting in Saginaw when I was up there last week.

[MQT1223]

UP 4014 is the oldest locomotive on a Class I roster, actually. September 1941

Keyword in this thread is diesel, and its not even operational yet.

[Matt Short Line H]

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

I was waiting to see who would say it first. Would you technically call them "Passenger Carriers"?

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

I agree with that, however I have seen at least Amtrak considered a "class 1" railroad by some people. I guess the "class one of passenger rail" would make sense

I agree with YpsiAmtrakBoy. They should be considered as Class I's . And Amtrak & Metra do haul freight, Amtrak Auto Train & Ballast & Metra Ballast.

[MQT1223]

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

I was waiting to see who would say it first. Would you technically call them "Passenger Carriers"?

Neither Amtrak or Metra are Class 1s.

I agree with that, however I have seen at least Amtrak considered a "class 1" railroad by some people. I guess the "class one of passenger rail" would make sense

I agree with YpsiAmtrakBoy. They should be considered as Class I's . And Amtrak & Metra do haul freight, Amtrak Auto Train & Ballast & Metra Ballast.

I thought the auto train is technically regarded as a passenger train. Aren't ballast trains considered work trains? Amtrak and Metra don't deliver the ballast to customers do they?

[Ypsi]

Yes it's a passenger train, and work train... I'm not sure why people think the autotrain or ballast trains count as "freight service".. Amtrak and metra are passenger carriers. To clarify I said I agree with them not being "class 1's" but I have seen them considered as such. As long as it has at least one passenger car, no matter how much freight it carries its a passenger train under Amtrak. There was a train in the late 90's that would regularly run with one coach and 3-9 express box cars or road railers, it was basically an Amtrak freight train but it was a passenger train because you could buy a ticket and ride it. I'll dig up the info on that train later but it ran in the Midwest.

Bottom line Amtrak and metra do not "haul freight" autotrain is a passenger train because you can buy tickets, and ballast trains and other work trains are work trains as they do not generate revenue

[MQT1223]

Yes it's a passenger train, and work train... I'm not sure why people think the autotrain or ballast trains count as "freight service".. Amtrak and metra are passenger carriers. To clarify I said I agree with them not being "class 1's" but I have seen them considered as such. As long as it has at least one passenger car, no matter how much freight it carries its a passenger train under Amtrak. There was a train in the late 90's that would regularly run with one coach and 3-9 express box cars or road railers, it was basically an Amtrak freight train but it was a passenger train because you could buy a ticket and ride it. I'll dig up the info on that train later but it ran in the Midwest.

Bottom line Amtrak and metra do not "haul freight" autotrain is a passenger train because you can buy tickets, and ballast trains and other work trains are work trains as they do not generate revenue

Ok I was just double checking.

[Ypsi]

The train that was basically a freight train but still a passenger train was the "Lake County Limited" from what I have read it normally ran one coach, and anywhere from 2 to 8 or so express cars in 2000 and 2001.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDvoPGCIweE

Amtrak's Lake Country Limited was begun on April 15, 2000 to operate over the ex-Milwaukee Road "J" Line to Janesville, WI. It was started to tap into the freight service from the General Motors plant, as well as dried goods. However, they were required by law to carry a passenger car in the consist. Stops were made at Zenda and on the southeast side of Janesville, Wisconsin.

The typical consist was a horizon coach and a baggage car, although an automated food service car was sometimes added. Roadrailers were sporadically found on the rear. Usual power was a GE B32-8, although the occasional Genesis or even F40PH would substitute. Operations were southbound in the early morning and northbound at night. On the weekdays, the train was required to take the siding at Grayslake to wait for a northbound Metra train to pass. On weekends, it breezed through. The train made its final run on September 23, 2001.

I bolded and underlined the important part of that description of the train.

[Ypsi]

The train that was basically a freight train but still a passenger train was the "Lake County Limited" from what I have read it normally ran one coach, and anywhere from 2 to 8 or so express cars in 2000 and 2001.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDvoPGCIweE

Amtrak's Lake Country Limited was begun on April 15, 2000 to operate over the ex-Milwaukee Road "J" Line to Janesville, WI. It was started to tap into the freight service from the General Motors plant, as well as dried goods. However, they were required by law to carry a passenger car in the consist. Stops were made at Zenda and on the southeast side of Janesville, Wisconsin.

The typical consist was a horizon coach and a baggage car, although an automated food service car was sometimes added. Roadrailers were sporadically found on the rear. Usual power was a GE B32-8, although the occasional Genesis or even F40PH would substitute. Operations were southbound in the early morning and northbound at night. On the weekdays, the train was required to take the siding at Grayslake to wait for a northbound Metra train to pass. On weekends, it breezed through. The train made its final run on September 23, 2001.

I bolded and underlined the important part of that description of the train.