IS there a #1??

octr202 wrote:

Engineer James wrote:I never knew that MP15AC's worked alone. I got a chance to see #1170 at one of the Local yards on the toldeo sub, switching cars for NS Junction at Wayne Yard, was pushing some Older-looking auto-racks.... are these former Conrail's??

The MP 15's (CSXT has MP15DC's, MP15AC's, and MP15T's) are all former Seaboard System/Family Lines (Seaboard Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville) units. I don't know about now, but in the 90's (pre-CR merger) the MP's were everywhere in Florida, especially around Jacksonville, on yard jobs, transfers, etc. I don't know how far they've spread since then.

I'm not very certain, but I don't think that Conrail had any MP15's. They had a number of SW1500's and the old Reading SW1001's, but these are almost all retired on CSXT by now.

Conrail had 10 MP15's numbered 9621-9630. They were ex Reading 2771-2780. The Reading leased them in 1974 and Conrail returned them to EMD at the end of the lease in the 1980's.

Ahhh... I knew I had seen at least one MP15 in Belonging to Conrail.

Actually, The place where I saw #1170 was a yard just 3 miles north of Detroit Metro Airport and about 10-15 to the south of the "PLYMOUTH DIAMOND" (owned by CSX/CP). NS also operates the south end of the yard and switches most of the Wayne Assembly (FORDS) and CSX takes care of the eastern auto loading area (Holds at least 3 tracks), while NS operates the western 4 car loading tracks.
Also the CSX also takes care of most of the MOW Traffic. (I was suprised to see a few months ago, a newer GP Attached to a Jordan Spreader (CR #11224). CSX *DOES NOT USE JORDANS ON THIS SECTION* According to CSX themselves.... I Saw it though. (Loco EVEN HAD NEW Pure Blue with corn yellow letters, and looked brand new!!!)

Also, Does CSX Operate any "High-Nose" GP's??

CSx used to operate about ten high nosed geeps. Mostly GP9s, but also two GP7s.
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... 867sbd.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photos/GP7/0884fl.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-b&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-b&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-c&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-b&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-b&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... cs-b&o.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photos/GP9/0677cs.jpg

Interesting... any in CSX New Paint??

Nah, those old ladies have been gone for years.

You could be driving part of one right now. Or, shaving with part of one!

Bugle boy! Play taps!

ACLfan

Interesting.... Well, thats all fine and dandy! I have found out alot about the CSX!!! However, I need to find out about that EX-CR Spreader (I think #11254) any help??

Engineer James:

It's sort of sad that GP7 and GP9 locomotives are no longer roaming the many miles of mainline track on the large class 1 railroads. They spent many years in that role, until retired or displaced by newer, more powerful locomotives.

Most of the 7's and 9's were scrapped, but some were picked up by much smaller class 2 railroads (the short lines). So, you can find some of them still working on quite a few short lines in the U.S.

Even before the CSX was born, one of its grandparents, the Seaboard Coast Line, took many of its GP7 and 9 units, and rebuilt them to GP16 units, which gave them some extra years of useful life that they probably would not have had otherwise. In fact, some of the GP16 units are still active on various short line railroads, but are long-gone from the CSX.

As always,

ACLfan

Hey, ENGINEER JAMES:

I just recalled that one former ACL - SCL EMD GP7 is still in existence, and is in active operations!

It is painted in ACL's black w/ yellow trim, and is working for Conrad Yelvington Distributors at their Gainesville, FL facility.

This is hard to believe, but the locomotive was donated to a railroad museum, who later sold the locomotive to CYD almost 10 years ago!

CYD decided to repaint the loco back into its old ACL colors, rather than the CYD color scheme.

CYD operates gravel, rock and aggregate distribution facilities throughout FL and other nearby southern states. CYD owns and operates Alco switchers and older EMD units (GP7 and GM30M units).

As always,

ACLfan

Canadian Pacific is probably the only Class-1 still operating any first generation GPs..heavily rebuilt im sure, and used mostly as yard power, not road power..but still!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=125798

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=125033

maybe some do still venture out on the mainline!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=118408


Scot

I was actually involved as a volunteer with that group in the 1990s when I lived in Jax. The unit you're talking about is ACL 100 (later SCL 785), the first GP-7 they bought.

Sadly, after I left, with the museum falling on even harder times (it never did find a permanent home where it could open to the public), some of the equipment was sold to cover some debts. Sadly, the folks involved at the time decided the 100 would fetch the most cash, and off it went to CYD. Glad to hear its still intact and serviceable.

It was repainted from rusty SCL black to ACL black by the museum in the 90s. I still have some T-shirts with black paint on them to prove it. Among other things, during that time it did travel to Blount Island for display to the public for the Port Authority's "PortFest" along with some other equipment from the museum and CSX, and also worked on the Florida West Coast for a few months, where they leased it as a spare in return for some mechanical work that we couldn't perform ourselves.

I was always very disappointed that it was sold off to CYD...I'm sure that any number of museums (Gold Coast, Spencer, the NRHS group in Savannah, and so on) could have given the ACL's first Geep a good home.

ACLfan wrote:Hey, ENGINEER JAMES:

I just recalled that one former ACL - SCL EMD GP7 is still in existence, and is in active operations!

It is painted in ACL's black w/ yellow trim, and is working for Conrad Yelvington Distributors at their Gainesville, FL facility.

This is hard to believe, but the locomotive was donated to a railroad museum, who later sold the locomotive to CYD almost 10 years ago!

CYD decided to repaint the loco back into its old ACL colors, rather than the CYD color scheme.

CYD operates gravel, rock and aggregate distribution facilities throughout FL and other nearby southern states. CYD owns and operates Alco switchers and older EMD units (GP7 and GM30M units).

As always,

ACLfan

I need know to knwo abotu the Old Jordain Spreader (CR #12234). How many does CSX Operate??? CSX Customer Service when I called about the spreader they said and I quote:

"We do not own any Jordan Spreaders, nor do we use them on the Toldeo Subdision", Said the (i believe it was) the Senior Equipment Person on duty.

actr202:

Yeah, CYD lettered the old GP7 as ACL # 100.

Engineer James:

It could be that, since CSX outsources a lot of MofW work, a privately-operated company owned the Jordan Spreader, and was using it to do some of their contract work on CSX.

So, the head guy you talked to at CSX could have been correct, as CSX probably no longer owns any Jordan Spreaders. They were sold to the contract work companies.

I haven't seen any CSX Jordan Spreaders for years. Nor have I seen where they had been used along a CSX R/W. I also checked a CSX equipment roster that I have, and no Jordan Spreaders were listed among the pieces of MofW equipment that CSX owned in 2004.

I talked to a friend who is a crew boss of a team that is assigned to track servicing/repairs. He said the type of work that Jordan Spreaders were used for is currently being done by a multi-purpose grader - leveler device that is attached as a boom rod to a type of tamper equipment that is used to stabilize the gravel and roadbed of the railroad tracks. He said that the piece of equipment is one of around eight different multi-purpose pieces of equipment that his team operates in their MofW duties.

My bet is that the Jordan Spreader was owned by some company that does M of W contract work for CSX, and you saw it while it was being used by the private company.

As always,

ACLfan

CSXT 914051, a model 4-100 Jordan Spreader built in 1978, is positioned in Grafton, West Virginia for snow-removal service, primarily on the Mountain Subdivision. It was first rotated into Grafton during the winter of 1996-97 and has been there every winter since then.

ACLfan wrote:actr202:

Yeah, CYD lettered the old GP7 as ACL # 100.

Nah, that was us at the museum in the 90s. I want to say like 1994 or 1995. I did a substantial part of the hood roofs myself, not to mention a lot of other parts of it!

I guess CYD hasn't changed it since they got it.

I am looking possibily still lettered for Conrail... It had "CR" On the side above the road number.