They tried that with the SD89MAC... it was to be the Teir 2 prime mover... EMD catalogged the 265H as a marine prime mover up to a year or so ago, but it's been dropped altogether now... the Chinese JT56ACes may well be the last hurrah for the 265H. More like 25 at best... while the 710 shares some traits with earlier 645s and 567s, it's quite a bit different design. However the point is still the same... the 710, regardless of version, is a proven design. As for fuel economy and future improvements... EMD has something up their sleeve...
It's not a souped up FDL... it's a GE-Deutz designed HDL. GE-Deutz modified the Duetz 632 design heavily to create the HDL. While somewhat similar, the GEVO design is NOT a 12-cylinder HDL. Totally different crankcase design. GE radically improved the HDL design to create the GEVO. Of interest, 4 BHP Billiton AC6000CWs have been repowered with GEVO-16s...
Is that sittin gout back at LaGrange? I have some pictures of some enginers that I thought were Acez last October.
Just thought I'd add to this thread a bit... All four of CPs SD90MAC-Hs are in storage... one needs a turbo, one has a cracked oilpan, the others are stored srviceable...
That means that except for the 5 SD90s running on W&LE (and any others running anywhere else on lease), that the SD90 era is pretty much done.
I wish I'd ever got photos of CP's true 90s. I know now that I did see them, before I knew how to identify them: I recall SD90s with 45-degree roofs above the engine compartment.
With my latest UP Connection update, I finally have a few shots from the Denver lineup to show ya. All shots are from Jim McNaughton.
Aside from removing the 256H prime mover & replacing it with the engine used in a "Big Ace" (SD70MACe), or sending them overseas, I see little purpose in the future of these diesels outside of scrap metal. Unless, of course, there's some RR willing to deal with the shortcomings of the SD90MAC and use them as leasers.
I wonder what the possibilities are of putting a 710 in there. Reversing the convertable as it were. The radiator cores are already tier 2 right? The frame is good, the cab...is a cab. Don't know how they were fitted out. Given the orders for locomotives, I would think a re-engine would look cost effective.