NS buys the rest of the SD80MAC's from CSX

My guess when you start seeing them running "all over the system" on a regular basis they will essentially be a SD70 with their 20 cylinder prime mover long gone.  

Did CSX remove the twenty cylinder 710 engines from their SD80s? I don't recall hearing about it.

As far as I know, they all (NS and CSX) still have their 20-710 engines.  NS intends to rebuild them at some point, but whether they'll keep the 20-710's I don't know.

EMDs don't get older...they just get better !  U-Rah !

This is strange.  At the CR split, it was thought all AC traction motored units would go to CSX,  But the 80MACs were split between the two.

I think this may be the direction they're planning to go:

 

http://www.progressrail.com/cd.../4546813/7/PR43C.pdf

 

Progress rail is doing 4300HP retro-fitting of older diesels using two Caterpillar diesel engines -- one 3600HP unit and a 700HP unit. The photo in the above PDF appears to be based on either an SD50 or SD60, but the SD80/SD90/SD9043 platform would also work. The conversion gives them Tier2 and Tier3 compliance.

I guess the numerous Dash 8"s Norfolk Southern has staged at the Conway Yard near Pittsburgh are not worth the repair costs.

 

Highpower SD80 units seem to be the more worthwhile way to go.

I loved the Conrail Quality scheme on these engines when they first started running here at 242.2 on the waterlevel route !!

 

Doug

Does NS have a Dash 8.5 upgrade.

NS is working on an upgrade of a Dash 8 unit, complete with Crescent cab. I would guess that if it's successful, we'll see a program to rebuild the Dash 8's in the future.

  How do the 3600 and 700 hp engines couple when needed?

They don't actually "couple" since they are two separate engine generator sets.

While I have no railroad experience, as an electrical engineer I can tell you its possible to synchronize the two generator outputs and run them in parallel.

They don't have to be "synchronized" since they produce DC anyway.

Pictures of the NS Dash 8.5..........................

 

Regards,

Swafford

NS Dash 8.5

Interesting. 8501's Crescent cab is slightly different- notice the nose door to the engineer's side instead of centered like 8500's, and the overhang above the windshields looks smaller...

From what I've read elsewhere the cab on the 8500 is one of the cabs used on the SD60E rebuilds, while the cab on the 8501 is a new design for the GE's.

 

Stuart

 

 

 

The Conrail/CSX SD80MACs thrived on the Popes Creek Branch line in Maryland for a number of years, making our little/big orphaned branch line a fun place to fan.  While denying the future, there some of us who were hoping one day these monsters would return, but alas, it isn't too be.  I have been surprised for some time that NS didn't try to grab these units after CSX sidelined them.

 

Also denying the future, but I still hope that one day one of these unique Conrail units might find it's way to a museum intact in order to represent Conrail's exploration into the very high horsepower arena.

 

Bob

 

If they keep the same lenght this new design would make a heck of a neat model.

If only NS has this engine I doult any company would make it though, it would make a nice project when I retire.(someday when they let me)

I have some nice videos and stills of the NS SD80s coming in and out of South Fork secondary plus on the mainline. Pretty awesome engines.

Good point. How many phases does the alternator have to be rectified?

My thought on this is that the 700HP unit is the basic "move the locomotive around, light loads, and keep the lights on" engine and the 3600HP unit is the "Git 'R Done" move the train unit. Similar to the "Genset" road switchers.

Yes, less emissions and fuel use but more complicated. Always a trade-off.

Interesting................................ Someone forgot to tell the CSX paint shop about the NS buying the SD80MAC's!

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/499700

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

Yes, I saw that on the SD80MAC Facebook page this morning. My guess is that CSX is going to try and make them "look good" before they send them off to NS at the end of the lease. 

Also denying the future, but I still hope that one day one of these unique Conrail units might find it's way to a museum intact in order to represent Conrail's exploration into the very high horsepower arena.

NOt to mention that the customer was right on this model! The conrail choice of the V20 use in this monster outshined the EMD H engine and the sd90. any sd90's still running in tact?

 

Nope. Last I heard Union Pacific (8500-8561) had scrapped their remaining SD90MAC-H in 2009 and Canadian Pacific (9300-9303) scrapped theirs in 2011, there are some still in Australia. The only ones left in America are the SD9043MAC's.