New locos for CSX?

I know that NS has been purchasing new locos (ES44AC's and SD70ACe's), but what about CSX? Do they have any orders in for new locos?

Harold

 

Well, I haven't seen anything about new locos... maybe with the 300 ES44DC's and 250 ES44AC's, plus the program to rebuild up to 300 SD40-2's, I guess they don't need any new locos! I sure don't see any leasers on CSX like I do on NS.

Harold

 

Probably the 50 ES44AC from the last order that were differ to a later delivery day.

 

Yes, that's true... I think the last order stopped at 950... so that'd take them up to a total of 300.

 

A friend of mine works at the collinwood yard in Cleveland as a dispatcher and he says that CSX will purchase more ACe's but as of now they got all the locos they need. He said that the ACe's are by far better then the new GE's.

 

That's interesting, since they only ordered 20 ACe's, then 250 EE44AC's... I don't know if was price, availability, etc. or what the factors were that caused that kind of ordering.

oh well, I guess we'll see

 

I think he said that the GE's where out before EMD could refine they're locos and he also said that the GE's ride like crap and the EMD's where always more smooth in the ride department. CSX needed motive power right away and they just went with the GE's before EMD finished the ACe's. And now they don't need any more locos for a while. I think its the same with the Rail Roads its a race who makes the better more efficient loco in less time and this time GE got the jump on EMD. I'm an EMD guy I like GE also. But if I have to pick I will always pick EMD first.

 

Actually CSX prefers GE, they still remeber the SD50 fiasco. They will however give EMD a token order once in a while like the 20 preproduction Aces. and 200 or so 70Macs but compare that to the 600 plus AC44 and 250 ES44AC same with NS.

 

True,,, remember in the early days of dieselisation that the railroads would always place token orders with many builders just to keep everyone competitive....

 

Don't forget the fact that NS was VERY SLOW to realize the benefits of AC propulsion, going with cost over performance! I think IF they would've never received the 80MACs in the Conrail split they might have never tried AC units! CSX employs their AC units in heavy haul coal train service and I think NS will do the same once they receive theirs, thus freeing up most of the units that are in that service nowadays to do other chores around the system!

Trevor D.