Demonstrators

I am surprised that this has not appeared on here before now but while I
was away in August, two EMD SD70M-2DC locomotives demonstrated on
the Florida East Coast during the month of August, 2005. Unfortunately,
I never got even a glimpse of these interesting units.
The word down here now is that two GE units are soon to make an
appearance on the FEC for a demonstration as to what they can do.
Who said that the Florida East Coast is dull, not me?
Noel Weaver

Any word, on those GE's yet? I also missed the EMD's, as I was in Connecticut, on another railroad. Don't have a real interest, in those toaster motors, but it's kind of curious, to wonder why the all EMD road would even consider looking at them. (I know some will say money, but the FEC is "flush", as they say) Maybe someone will post a heads-up, when they arrive......

I haven't heard anything more about GE's lately. I think with the SD-70
order, the FEC will not bother with the GE's.
GE's would be like a sailboat in the open sea, a couple of GE's on a
railroad that is all EMD.
For a while, we had one round trip a day with Norfolk Southern power but
that has been a thing of the past for some time now. Maybe they got the
data that they needed from those trips as GE's were often the power used.
Noel Weaver

Those NS trains were quite a sight, for over a year. I didn't understand the need, for six-axled power, or why they wanted those GE's, in the first place. The purchase of the SD-40's was also a suprise, for the all 4 axle roster, and the dynamics another suprise. I wonder if the "threat" of buying GE wasn't a ploy, to get a faster delivery date, or better price, from the boys at EMD..... BTW, those NS run-throughs caused many a fan, to speculate, that somehow the NS had purchased the FEC, or was "just about to". While it's easy to make that connection, I would imagine the money the FEC makes, handling NS traffic to Miami, is worth more, in the long run, than the quick cash, from a sale.......(God, I hope so, anyway) Regards

Yeah, the NS has had a special "overhead rights" agreement with FEC for a few years. I think (I'm not sure about it) that NS's special rights over FEC resulted from some special conditions issued by the ICC, based on concessions made by the SCL back in 1967, as a condition of the Southern Ry's appeal to their proposed merger.

And, FEC gets to play NS against CSX for preferential interchange rates. Both railroads really benefit from FEC interchange at Jacksonville.

Both railroads would be willing to shell out top $$ for the ol FEC! And, to really get into a bidding war over the right to own!

FEC's rock business has been steadily increasing for a few years, so I guess that the FEC's head-shed decided that they needed stronger power to pull the heavy trains, rather than wear out their GP40 family of units.

ACLfan

ACLfan wrote:Yeah, the NS has had a special "overhead rights" agreement with FEC for a few years. I think (I'm not sure about it) that NS's special rights over FEC resulted from some special conditions issued by the ICC, based on concessions made by the SCL back in 1967, as a condition of the Southern Ry's appeal to their proposed merger.

And, FEC gets to play NS against CSX for preferential interchange rates. Both railroads really benefit from FEC interchange at Jacksonville.

Both railroads would be willing to shell out top $$ for the ol FEC! And, to really get into a bidding war over the right to own!

FEC's rock business has been steadily increasing for a few years, so I guess that the FEC's head-shed decided that they needed stronger power to pull the heavy trains, rather than wear out their GP40 family of units.

ACLfan

I wonder too if the SD40's were just available cheaper? Are GPs becoming more valuable as the total number of available 4-axle units dwindles due to new production being all six axle? Certainly no reason for FEC to not use the SDs?

As for FEC staying independent -- agreed that if needed the two class 1's would pay top dollar for it, but, in the long run, they're probably glad to avoid the bidding war for as long as possible as long as FEC accomodates them both. I bet the thought of losing the FEC and having to out bid the other for it are equally unappealing in Roanoke/Norfolk and Jax.

I couldn't be certain, but I would bet against a ruling in favor of a CSX owned FEC. They couldn't pull it off, in the northeast, with the CR takeover. NS would not tolerate, nor would the STB, the dominance of CSX into penninsular Florida, to the exclusion of the NS. And somehow, those "horses" wouldn't look good either, prancing their way down to Miami........

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:I couldn't be certain, but I would bet against a ruling in favor of a CSX owned FEC. They couldn't pull it off, in the northeast, with the CR takeover. NS would not tolerate, nor would the STB, the dominance of CSX into penninsular Florida, to the exclusion of the NS. And somehow, those "horses" wouldn't look good either, prancing their way down to Miami........

That's exactly what I was thinking too. Neither can afford to lose the FEC to the competition, nor could they easily get it away from the other (at an affordable price, either in dollars or concessions, to make it worth it).

From a railfan's perspective (not that I'm in FEC country anymore) it means we get to keep an interesting regional around a little longer.

My take is the accountting department at Florida East Coast Industries,after a few years with the SD40-2's starting heavy tonnage with less motive power units. Decided to call Larry's Truck and Electric and lease some more six axle power,(SD45-T2's) and see if the fuel savings and less horse power hours were just a fluke.Their Mechanics know EMD's and probably have most of the special equiptment to maintain the SD70's so their a natural fit.If the guys with the green eye shade visors can get a better bottom line with GE-whatever C's they will be on the roster.

There are present three or four rock trains a day north and the SD's made
good power for them. In addition, SD-40-2's and GP-40-2's use a good
number of same parts and parts are still in production as well. Both were
good, reliable and well made units and the FEC engines should have a lot
of good miles left in them.
Not too sure about NS but I think a CSX takeover of the FEC would be an
absolute disaster in all respects. I would guess that the FEC mainline is
in far better shape than any part of the CSX with the exception of the
former Conrail trackage in the Hudson Valley of New York which has a lot
of rather high speed passenger service running over it.
Noel Weaver