Amtrak has new Engines

There are some new Amtrak engines on the railroad. Well not really on the railroad but working as a work train engine and in the yards as a switcher. I heard they purchase about 8 of them. They are the GP15 new lastest motor out i was told. I dont have a picture of them but i can surely get some because i work in Sunnyside where they are. The numbers that i saw is the 570. 571 and 572. You might see some more if you travel down toward Willimington shops.

These?

Sharp looking locomotives...

they will look pretty good in CSX blue once they buy them for pennies on the dollar at the liquidation fire sale...

These are brand new? If they're using them for MOW work along the NEC I still can't figure out why a few E-60's weren't retained for that duty where they know there will always be a wire overhead.

jfrey40535 wrote:These are brand new? If they're using them for MOW work along the NEC I still can't figure out why a few E-60's weren't retained for that duty where they know there will always be a wire overhead.

or used GP38's and GP40's... class 1's have been dumping them for years and they have shops capable of rebuilding them for a fraction of the cost

Makes no sense, they're bleeding money yet buying new equipment for non-revenue service. If it got some use on revenue runs, I'd probablly say okay, but there was alot of MOW work done on the NEC between PHL-WIL this past year and it was all done with diesel engines, in some cases with P42's. Using a E-60 to move ballast cars around should have been a no brainer.

NJT is getting ready to dump their GP-40's, if only they waited 3 more months.

Still nice looking engines though.....

Amtrak really needed those engines for mow work. The engines in the yard were always being shopped for something. When i working with them they sound different. Someone told me they had a Caterpillar engine. Really sharp and also it wouldnt look good in CSX colors

Buying brandie new power for MOW? Maybe Bush nis right - Amtrak doesn't need a government handout this year. Apparently, they've got enough money to go off and buy a luxury most RRs can't afford.

Wonder what these things cost Vs a few used (but not used up!) GP-38s or such? They're gonna sit and idle most of the time, or pull very short trains. Pretty much anything out there could do that.

How do you guys know Amtrak wasted it's money on purchasing the engines? How do you know it wasn't cheaper for Amtrak to buy them as opposed to purchasing used engines from the Class 1s? How many of those that are getting retired are even salvagable at all?

Amazing how people are jumping over Amtrak for purchasing the switchers while most will never see them in service at all meanwhile the one person here who has stated that he uses them is praising them...I'll take the word of the person who has first hand knowlege of the engines and say it's a good purchase regardless of what the naysayers harp about.

Good move Amtrak.

I whole heartedly agree with everyone who supports the move Amtrak made in buying new switching and MoW power.

They are still in desperate need of new switchers. The new Oakland yard uses their acient New York Central switcher when it isn't broken down. They have had to resort to using (stealing) commute power from Caltrain or using their own passenger engines to move equipment around the yard!

Hopefully one is earmarked for out west.

Good job Amtrak!

Too true. Currently there are two Caltrain F40's operating around the Oakland yard. I know in the past week there have been many old passenger cars (ones with domes... that era) coming in and out for some reason. Also the Starlight consist was parked at the old yard along with a set of what looked to be Horizon cars. The Caltrain locomotives were really needed because there was a whole lot of moving. Can't get the trains in and out without the switching engines.

Other Note: I believe one of the Amtrak California switching engines was actually operating a revenue Capitol train as well two weeks ago. We sure could use one back in the Oakland yard.

Nothing like a new engine. I think it was simply that some of the old
engines that were being used on both yard jobs and work trains in the
NEC and elsewhere are just plain worn out.
There are a number of reasons that Amtrak went with the new stuff, for
one thing, I seem to remember reading somewhere that they needed
stuff that would clear the clearances that plague Amtrak especially in the
NEC. They also have the new engine warranty.
I trust David Gunn to do the right thing when it comes to motive power
decisions.
Let a yard or work train engine break down at the wrong time and at the
wrong time and you will see delays galore.
Noel Weaver

My understanding (and I believe this comes from reading this either on this forum or on the Amtrak website) is that yardwork requires engines to have platforms (or whatever the technical term is) at both ends for the brakeman to ride on durnig switching and other operations. (Perhaps Mr. Weaver can chime in here) which means repurposing road engines isn't viable. (I believe both the P42s and E60s would fail this requirement.)

Now one can argue if new vs. used is the best buy. (Though I wonder if the latest requirements on emissions are relevant here at all?)

Correct, A locomotive used in switching must have switching steps as per CFR49-231.

(3) Locomotives without corner stairway openings may not be used to
perform any switching service after September 30, 1979 except passenger
car switching service at passenger stations.
(b) Definitions. (1) Locomotive used in switching service means a
locomotive regularly assigned to perform yard switching service.
(2) Switching service means the classification of cars according to
commodity or destination; assembling of cars for train movements;
changing the position of cars for purposes of loading, unloading, or
weighing, placing of locomotives and cars for repair or storage; or
moving of rail equipment in connection with work service that does not
constitute a road movement. However, this term does not include movement
of a train or part of a train within yard limits by the road locomotive
and the placement of locomotives or cars in a train or their removal
from a train by the road locomotive while en route to the train's
destination.
(3) Safety tread surface means that portion of anti-skid surface of
a switching step that actually is contacted by a shoe or boot.
(4) Uncoupling mechanism means the arrangement for operating the
coupler lock lift, including the uncoupling lever and all other
appurtenances that facilitate operation of the coupler.
(c) Switching step- Each locomotive used in switching
service must have four (4) switching steps. (See Plate A)
(2) Dimensions. Each such switching step must have--
(i) On locomotives built after March 31, 1977, a minimum width of
twenty-four (24) inches and a minimum depth


The F40's did partialy comply by having steps at rear end, when some of them were sold to a freight railroad they needed front steps and the nose was cut back to near windshield.

Noel Weaver wrote:I think it was simply that some of the old
engines that were being used on both yard jobs and work trains in the
NEC and elsewhere are just plain worn out.

two words...

GP-16

you know what I mean