I asked about that yesterday and I didn't get a response. Supposedly they will be use in California for locals. Rumor is all 60Bs will get that.
BNSF needs power for switching and locals. All of the ex-ATSF GP30s and GP35s are gone, and there aren't enough GP38s, GP38-2s, GP39-2s, GP50s, etc. to go around. May seem odd to put cabs on the GP60Bs, but when you think about it, it makes sense. They've even been putting AAR-style control stands in the GP60Ms, to make them more suitable for switching service.
The GP30s and 35s have been phased out over the past few years; I got lucky and shot one of the last GP30s running, BNSF 2447, and GP35 BNSF 2648, while they were being used on the LAJ. Last I'd heard, they had been retired by BNSF, and were in the Barstow deadline. Recently, LAJ has been using BNSF GP60s for power, alongside their LNG switchers. From what I've heard, BNSF has a rebuild program for some, if not all of the ex-ATSF GP35s, turning them into "GP39-3Rs", but I don't know how many have been completed. I haven't heard of any plans to keep the ex-ATSF GP30s around. As far as the ex-BN "GP39" rebuilds (GP39E, V, or M), AFAIK they are still in service.
Slightly off topic. I've been trying to find info on the rebuilds done by EMD, VMV and MK on these. They talk about them all having 16-645D3 or D3A prime movers. But as near as I can figure EMD never made such a thing. Is this really a 16-567D3/D3A with 645 assemblies? If it is, I understand that the ATSF 30s and 35s also had 645 assemblies installed on remanufacture. So the only thing they lack is Dash 2 electricals? And that leads to a more interesting question. If these are 567 blocks, then can they receive the 1033 retrofit kit? My understanding was that kit was only good on 645E and F. If they can't get that kit, then they won't be long for this earth unless they get ECO'd.
As far as I've read here and there, GP60M's safety cabs are the reason why these locs are supposedly known to have a rough ride. So I guess, if these GP60Bs receive cabs these will be EMD's standard cabs fresh from the factory, or why not, from the phased out 30s and 35s, doesn't it make sense? Dom
Well, they won't be fresh from the factory. They would probably be built in place. Or possibly salvaged from scrap. Often they keep short hood cabs around to be resold, because fabbing new cabs is expensive. But again, my understanding is that there are new safety standards that might make standard EMD spartans impractical.
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!! From what i've heard, it's going to be a Standard Spartan cab off another GP60.
fyi, there are 3-4 gp-30s' running around sodo (south seattle) as well as a couple of gp-39-ms'. They arrived sometime this weekend, if you want to get some shots of them you probably have till the middle of next week before they wander off. Seems there is about a 10 day rotation of so around here. Now they aren't really gp-30s, but they do have the original cabs, so externally they at least look like '30s.
All finished! http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=338687&nseq=77 Here she is, all done. And looking sharp. Wonder why its 170 with the wide cabs, and called a GP60M. I hope they do the rest of the GP60B's like that. Looks great. Is that the first GP60 in H3?
Are they classifying this as a straight GP60? Or will they possibly be noted as a GP60M, or a GP60u? Boxcab E50
It was? It was a fresh paint job? Why did they put the M on in the first place? Also, I thought the M was slighlty different than a straight 60 on the inside?
