PAR GP40-2Ws (MEC 500 Series)

Oh dear. That's not good. Time for a trip back to the shop...

I also noticed in the video that 518's bell sounds like a regular second-gen EMD bell, rather than the brass bell that these units were originally delivered with. They look the same when they're painted, but they sound distinctly different.

A nice catch. 3 in Guilford gray

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20140 ... 131693.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

519 is already having some paint issues...

Photo by Brandon Kulik: http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=214737" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

515 has been repainted. Photo by Derek Carpine:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=216826" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Since its been repainted does this mean its been through the rebuild process???

I assume so, since its classification lights are now gone.

A report last week had the fire damaged #507 parked at ED
and #503, which showed OOS recently, heading west DIT on
POED. Any word on what the plans are for these two units?
I do not think the ED shop does major overhaul work. Just
maybe, some outside shop is going to make one good unit
from the two OOS locos. (purely speculation on my part)

507, 503 and 616 are going to Paducah for rebuild. Wait and watch...

CN9634 wrote:507, 503 and 616 are going to Paducah for rebuild. Wait and watch...

What about all of the derelict GP40s in Waterville? Any future plans to get these operational again?

Those longtime dead stashed and stripped 300's could be perfect slug candidates. I am sure the 500 and 513 will remain as parts bins for the remaining 18 500's that run, or will run again.. The GP9's, well I'll save it for that particular thread, though while the others were heading to Paducah, they should have tacked on the 52 !

CN9634 wrote:507, 503 and 616 are going to Paducah for rebuild. Wait and watch...

Interesting to see PAR outsourcing rebuilds. How often have they done that?

Unless I'm mistaken, never (although there have never been any "rebuilds" to speak of before, other than the handful of 500's).

I do believe this is the first time in the history of the company that they've done that.

MEC407 wrote:I do believe this is the first time in the history of the company that they've done that.

Not the first, but it's been a VERY long time. When Guilford bought the D&H in January 1984, the D&H 7600 GP39-2's were beat to s#!t even though they were some of the newest locomotives on the roster. So, Guilford decided to have them rebuilt in-kind by Morrison-Knudsen and they came back later in 1984 as B&M 350-369. That, to the best of my knowledge, is only other time Guilford / Pan Am sent locomotives out for contract maintenance. Also, if you count painting, Guilford contracted the painting of MEC 500-519 prior to their delivery in 2000-2001 since Waterville paint shop was closed at the time. However, no maintenance work was done on them - painting only.