EMD SD70ACe series official thread (covers all variations)

[ATSF90East]

According to the EMD website, the SD70M-2 and SD70ACe fuel capacity is 4,900 gallons. The fuel tank is also about 25 feet long

According to the general arrangement drawing the fuel tank is 291 inches, or 24'-3" long.

[trainiac]

According to the general arrangement drawing the fuel tank is 291 inches, or 24'-3" long.

Close enough! I was estimating from photos.

[Conrail1990]

I live in a part where finding an SD70ACe is nearly impossible. How easy or hard is it for you to find an SD70ACe?

[amtrakhogger]

Living in DE you will have better luck seeing a NS SD70M-2 than a
CSX SD70ACe. I think CSX prefers to run them on coal drags and
other trains in mountain territory. i.e.(Over Sand Patch, Boston Line er
Berkshire Sub.)
NS likes to run their SD70M-2's into Bayview so you can see them
going thru Perryville via the Port Road. (I know this does not answer
your question but FYI.)

[Conrail1990]

I have seen SD70M-2's at the local chrysler plant.

[Bryanjones]

I live in a part where finding an SD70ACe is nearly impossible. How easy or hard is it for you to find an SD70ACe?

keep in mind that CSX is the only eastern railroad to operate SD70ACe's and for that matter they have only 20 of them so they are not a common model on the railroad. They are used in systemwide service so its possible for them to show up anywhere. Here in Louisville,KY I've been lucky enough to shoot all but 2 or 3 of the units sofar and they continue to show up on a pretty regular basis, maybe 1 per week. There have been times when a different ACe would show up 2 days in a row. Its just luck you have to be in the right place at the right time, same goes for the train. A number of UP SD70ACe's have showed up in runthrough service and continue to show up on a regular basis. Atleast 2 different KCS SD70ACe's have showed up and a couple of the EMD SD70ACe demo units showed up when they were operating on CSX.
And while not an SD70ACe, the virtually identical SD70M-2 is found here on a near daily basis on the Norfolk Southern, as well as the EMD demo units while on NS. Even one of the former demo units sold to leaser CEFX showed up.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[AC Fan]

Does anyone know what the total orders for 2007 are for the SD70ACe & SD70M-2?

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

Living in DE you will have better luck seeing a NS SD70M-2 than a
CSX SD70ACe. I think CSX prefers to run them on coal drags and
other trains in mountain territory. i.e.(Over Sand Patch, Boston Line er
Berkshire Sub.)
NS likes to run their SD70M-2's into Bayview so you can see them
going thru Perryville via the Port Road. (I know this does not answer
your question but FYI.)

whenever im in Framingham on the B&A, i tend to always see at least one SD70ACe

[johnnynick]

Yes you can see them pretty much daily here on the boston line. If you ask me thats too much, from an employees standpoint imho they are some of the worst road units out there. They are very loud and everything in them seems to rattle even thugh they are a couple years old.

[lock4244]

CN is getting 50 SD70M-s's, but this order was placed in 2006... they're being built in 1Q 2007 AFAIK. Numbers are to be 8800-8849, IIRC.

Edit: These will have the isolated cab, BTW.

[BlackDog]

The wiggle cab?

[SKMD01]

I posted this in the CSX forum in relation to a topic there but figured it really belongs here.

I cannot figure out why on the SD70ACe's they put virtually all the breakers in the electrical room. I understand it makes it easier on maintence personell, but now as an engineer, i need to actually go outside the locomotive into a room where the walls are literally COVERED in exposed electrical contacts and cable ends. I know alot of it is only 32VDC and 72VDC, but it's still not something i want to come in contact with.

Think about this, imagine having to go investigate or reset a tripped breaker while the train is moving and it's pouring rain out. Do you really want be in those tight quarters when you are soaking wet and being rocked around knowing that should you lose your balance and try and catch your fall you are almost guaranteed to come into contact with some sort of electrical equipment?. I know alot of the safety procedures say to isolate the Loco when working in electrical cabinets but again, if your moving and lets say climbing a grade and your at or near your tonnage rating, your telling me i have to drop the load on the loco and risk stalling to see IF a breaker has tripped?.

Can anyone (hopefully someone at EMD) explain why putting all the breakers IN the cab where they have been since the dawn of the Diesel era is now an issue?. I could simply turn around and LOOK to see if a breaker was tripped and often could reset it without even getting up. No chance of slipping and falling off of a moving loco, getting wet, getting lit up like an Xmas tree, etc.

I love EMD's but some of these new "innovations" leave me scratching my head.

[Sam Damon]

I am told by an EMD-centric source the order book is full for 2007. London will produce as many locomotives as it has capacity. EMD could accommodate additional locomotive orders, but final construction would have to take place somewhere else (like JLS, Wabtec, etc.).

The same source also asserts that EMD locomotive reliability now exceeds that of GE as a direct result of both electrical improvements, and not trying to pump more horsepower out of a 12-cylinder diesel engine.

I have no way to independently verify this, so I'll throw it out for the community to research.

[Sam Damon]

In the northern panhandle of WV, CSX routinely uses AC power on the coal drags headed for the AEP power plants located on the Ohio River.

Not on every train, mind you, but on enough to keep one looking. I've seen both SD70ACes and the GE ES44ACs (hope that's the right type!) on the Ohio Valley subdivision with long, long coal drags.

[ATSF90East]

I am told by an EMD-centric source the order book is full for 2007. London will produce as many locomotives as it has capacity. EMD could accommodate additional locomotive orders, but final construction would have to take place somewhere else (like JLS, Wabtec, etc.).

The same source also asserts that EMD locomotive reliability now exceeds that of GE as a direct result of both electrical improvements, and not trying to pump more horsepower out of a 12-cylinder diesel engine.

I have no way to independently verify this, so I'll throw it out for the community to research.

I've heard the same thing from a source on the inside. As of the middle of January the order books were full through March of 2008. I'm sure that more orders will be booked as the year progresses, and we'll see more assembly farmed out to VMV, Boise Locomotive, etc.