NS to acquire CEFX AC44 “Bluebirds”

[David Collins]

It will be interesting to *maybe* see a nose headlight GE in NS colors, since the majority of NS’ locomotives are high headlights.

These units used to be the AC44’s that were leased by CP years, some of the units are reportedly also in CM&Q paint.

On a side note, it is amusing to see NS realizing that it was maybe not the brightest of ideas to purge 7 whole locomotive types (Lets see… Dash 8, SD60M, SD60i, SD70M, SD70M-2, SD70ACU and SD80MAC) off the roster.

[SD80MAC]

Don’t count on it. They might run around patched in the trailing position (not PTC) for a bit, but they’re likely just cheap fodder for the AC44C6M program. They’ll rebuild them, slap a Gevo cab on them like all of the others, and call it good.

[David Collins]

They might run around patched in the trailing position (not PTC) for a bit, but they’re likely just cheap fodder for the AC44C6M program.

They do have PTC, CP returned them not too long ago, and before they returned them they were leading trains in the US.

Follow up question, other than cost savings, why is NS going the route of buying old rent-a-wrecks and rebuilding them? It’s not very practical given that you can get more life out of a new locomotive. I’ve been told that the early built C6M’s (which were rebuilt about 7 years ago) are having lots of problems (engine failures, electrical problems, etc). I can sort of confirm this personally, because one of the things I saw in Altoona was a deadline with around 10-15 early build C6M’s in it.

I ask that because GE locomotives are not necessarily known for endurance after about 20 years, and NS realistically could probably get at most 10 years out of these things. Which the early build C6M’s are getting close to.

[SD80MAC]

They might run around patched in the trailing position (not PTC) for a bit, but they’re likely just cheap fodder for the AC44C6M program.

Follow up question, other than cost savings, why is NS going the route of buying old rent-a-wrecks and rebuilding them? It’s not very practical given that you can get more life out of a new locomotive. I’ve been told that the early built C6M’s (which were rebuilt about 7 years ago) are having lots of problems (engine failures, electrical problems, etc). I can sort of confirm this personally, because one of the things I saw in Altoona was a deadline with around 10-15 early build C6M’s in it.

Because Tier 4 locomotives are garbage. That is why you see virtually every railroad rebuilding older power by the hundreds and thousands and only buying small groups of Tier 4s in comparison. Rebuilding older power is also significantly cheaper than purchasing new. With interest rates as high as the are now, no railroad is going to be jumping at taking out a several hundred million dollar loan to finance or lease new engines, either.