Unusual sight the other day, just before Christmas 2014, two SD-60M's still in green and running together! Very nice change from all the Orange and green/black.
Interesting indeed since they are getting parked(LUGO'd) here in Alliance NE. Our 222 track in the south yard is full of them. Anything non-dpu qualified or goverenor equipped is getting put in the weeds.
The governor equipped units are not as fuel efficient as the E.F.I. units. Kinda like the difference between a carb engine and fuel injection on a car. I wonder if there is some legal stuff too. They do run smoke checks on them and all units get smoke density checks on some periodicity to stay in EPA compliance. So I am wondering if that is why all the older GP's and SW's are being put aside?
I think anything pre 1970's is immune to the EPA regs, but everything else is going into LONG term storage. We have 500 new locomotive on order for Alliance. Also friend of mine in Alliance Diesel shop seems to think they will be sold back to EMC and rebuilt into more fuel/EPA compliant engines then bought back? That is just a rumor for now.
Everything I've heard is that the BNSF 60s are still being used in local and switching service. As to the EPA regs. It's not that simple. Any engine pre-Tier 1 is grandfathered in UNTIL major overhaul. At that point it needs to meet certain compliance. Not full tier 4, but be in compliance. That's why UP outshopped 1000 SD40-2s for overhaul. They're still 645 engines under the hood, but they have the CFR 1033 parts added to meet compliance. It's also why EMD's ECO business looks to be picking up. I wouldn't be surprised if the 60Ms get targeted. Certainly that's what UP is doing. Though UP is also keeping the 3 window SD60Ms and the SD60 Spartans as is. They're considering purging dash 8s as they have a reputation as "smokers" and can't be in California anyway. BNSF has simply been buying new units, but I think there's concern around Tier 4 since EMD doesn't have a compliant engine and the GE's aren't proven yet.
That wouldn't surprise me as we seem to be hurting for motive power when it comes to new short-run local positions and switching engines. We had a green '60 sitting on our SOO line for nearly a month though I have no clue what they ended up doing with it. As an aside, I have seen several reconditioned units out here, including two totally refurbished / repainted / overhauled by EMD 1969 GP39 units. They were being used to pull rail work trains. They ultimately went westward out of our subdivision.
This one was in Feb 14 at Terry, MT. Spotted these at Miles City in June. Must've worked the car shop there. And these just the other day after working the Redwater branch earlier. Didn't used to think too much of BN, but after it's gone........well, we all know how that works.
We are short switcher motors, so I know GP units are getting tucked away for a "rainy day" so to speak. We have a bunch that showed up here, stacks covered, all radios pulled out. Have not seen them in a day or two, but don't work the yard any more.
Here's for our buddy in Glendive. I grew up with the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific, but there's nothing wrong with green. The first shot is near Plains, MT, the next near Essex and the last at Wyola. I'll take pictures of trains regardless of what color they are.
Thanks for the awesome pic of the G'dive depot, which sadly burned down. So we end up with a new brick one that still stands and is a heat building too!!! Taking pics of trains is almost a compulsion.....may mean we have O.C.T.!!! I really don't like Uncle Pete, but still take pics of their trains....wonder what that means....hope it isn't a bad diagnosis!! Again, thanks for the pics!
I have seen the new one, but didn't take a picture. I don't get to that part of the state very often.
The wood depot went up in 1882 and burned out about 1921. The new depot was put in service in 1922. Looking at the picture, I would guess it was before WW1. The current depot is 100% used by BNSF. The former dispatch office on the third floor is used for a workout room for the traincrews.
I miss Big Green. When I first moved to Minot, I used to see solid sets of BN deuces... I regret not photographing more of them.
The one out of Terry there is, I'm pretty sure, the Hettinger local, who picks up most of my M-train setouts in the mini-yard at Hettinger Depot, ND
