NS has now taken delivery of 95 SD90MAC's, with 5 more yet to be delivered.

Interesting how no one really wanted the SD 80s & 90s but NS obviously thinks they are useable.  What does NS know(and the Juniata shops)  that the others don't ??  Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I remember reading somewhere something about NS was going to change the engine block of the SD90MACs to what the SD70ACe's have. Hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

The engine in the SD9043MACS is already a 4300 HP 16-710, so there will be no real change there, but the units ARE getting new SD70ACe cabs (Boooo!) and new electronics that SHOULD make them much more reliable.  Basically, NS will get 100 "new" SD70ACes (which NS seems to like just fine) for a far less than the price of  new units AND with a less costly emission package than the new units would have.  Hard to understand why NS was the only one to figure this out.

Not really, the N&W had a history of evolution in locomotive design when they kept modifying the "Y" class until they produced the incredible Y6 "Improved". And keep in mind that this was in a time when every other RR had given up on the compound articulated.

Management?

I am sure the money wonks have crunched the numbers.  The shop guys are happy-work for the next few years and don't have to mess with the new stuff.  Has NS pretty much cleaned up the used SD80 & 90 market ??

The "cups" welded on the front handrails appear to be holders for the MU cable ends?

I had guessed that the MU cable had to be plugged into the front sockets when the engine was a lead engine or run alone. I also had guessed that the cables of a mating unit, would be plugged into these sockets so that they were full all the time.

 I guess I guessed wrong? (again)

Did I explain that clearly?

Good Day,

 

The new NS SD90MAC's will be called: SD70ACU................"Alternating Current Upgraded"

 

Regards,

Swafford

Well, NS now owns the entire production run of the SD80MAC, save the one that was wrecked and parted out by CSX. UP still has roughly 200 SD9043MACS left on their roster, but do not seem inclined to sell any more at this point.  Their are also still roughly 30 ex-CITX SD9043 leasers out there, including about a dozen on the Indiana Rail Road, and I think some found their way into the Iowa Pacific (Ed Ellis) empire.

You can follow these rebuilds over on the Altoona Works FB page.  These units are scheduled to go through a complete overhaul.  The PM's will be rebuilt, the traction motors replaced, all electronic equipment, and the cabs replaced, possibly by a NS design (Curry Rail Services) build like the 60Es or 8.5's, (headlights above the windshield w/ number boards, ditch's possibly up on the deck).  The fact that NS owns "THE SHOPS" played a big part in their recent motive power acquisitions.  Altoona is the only place in the US where such a broad capability exists to perform this type of work, hence why you see all other non NS class I equipment there as well for extensive work.  All of the 80Macs -2 were actually assembled there.

So my question is when they are completed are they going to look like this....

Because if that is the case I need to pick one of these up or start pushing for one of these to be made.

My understanding is that the cabs would basically be production style ACe cabs, and not the Curry design cabs, but I could be mistaken.  I believe the ACe cabs are made by Super Steel in Milwaukee

I was at South Fork(Pa.) taking videos when NS first got the SD80s and they were having air brake problems with them. An engineer told me that a lot of the systems were different than on the 70s and made extra spare parts a necessity. I have been wondering how close the 80s & 90s are to the 70s in overall size plus items like traction motors, brakes, trucks etc. I also remember when NS announced right after the Conrail split that they planned to close the Juniata shops because they had Spencer. The governor of Pa. threatened a lawsuit because keeping those shops open was part of the agreement. They probably employ twice as many workers there now. I am sure a lot of the old timers from the god old Conrail days are gone. I like NS but miss the blue locos. Have hours and hours of video of the CR trains though.

Sort of.  EMD "Style" cab that is built by Curry.  We will find out what they look like shortly.

I like how the SD70Ace front end look's,  should look nice if that's what is  going to happen
modern day BigBoy the sd80/90 Mac's
Not crazy about the sd60E front

That's a good question. MTH must have a time machine!

Nice link Frank, nice website on NS.

I was curious if anyone knows who the Curry Rail Services people are ??  Maybe former CR or NS  ??  THey are in the old car shops and doing a lot of work for NS it seems.

Didn't know MTH made that. Looks their SD90MAC-H2 tooling with the paint of an NS SD80MAC on it.

 

These wouldn't be so hard to kitbash if Lionel and MTH sold parts like Atlas does. Just pop the cab off a Legacy SD80MAC, make the rear sand bin full height and fix the numberboard area, and drop an ACe/M-2 cab on. Or, for MTH, take an SD90MAC and (I believe this is necessary) cut the cab off and fit an ACe/M-2 cab. Oh, if we could just get the parts...

 

Trevor

Siemens is getting replaced with Mitsubishi, new EMD TMs.  Cab is NOT an ACe cab, similar look but there will be differences, the isolation on the 90s is different than the 70s.  Program started, 7299 is already under the crane or the knife.  Strip down is about halfway complete.

What about the Admiral cabin and the Crescent cabin?

 

Why are those not being used again?

 

Andrew 

The Admiral cab is out because they want these units to wave a wide nose cab setup.  I would say the Crescent cab is out because it's not set up for the cab isolation setup that the SD90's have.  I say thank God.  The Crescent cab is SO UGLY, I'm surprised SD60E's don't start turning down dirt roads.....

The NS SD60E is not a really attractive piece of equipment.

I disagree.

And that is why they make different models, like the SD80MAC, don't like the SD60E

 

 

 

 

 

http://sd80mac.railfanusa.com/.../t-kimmel/tony_7.jpg

 

http://www.nsdash9.com/rosters/6900.html

It is nice that NS continued with the 'sine wave' & Radial AC SD80MAC below the cab number - Props to the Conrail Heritage.

 

I've read that crews aren't too pleased with the SD60Es (this was around the time when they first appeared.

Here are a few of the real thing - photos near Rochester, PA:

 

 

 

 

 

   THIS ONE STILL BELONGS TO UNION PACIFIC