Locomotive orders?

Any word on new Locomotive orders coming down the pike? How many, what manufacture, etc...

CN took delivery of ES44DC’s 2310-2312 out of Erie, PA and the trio were moved up to
Toronto the on September 24th. The GEVO order is for units 2310-2344. As well SD70M-
2’s 8915 and 8916 were released from EMCC-London September 24th. The current GM
order is for 8915-8949.The following 16 of 35 C40-8’s are complete and are now in service: 2103, 2105, 2106,2107, 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2120, 2122, 2123, 2125, 2127, 2128, and 2131

Its funny how they order more SD70M-2's when it seems they have more failures then the ES44's... Atleast by the number of dead ones I get going to St. Louis...

I had the CN 2313 as a trailer the other day. There are several differences with this latest order. LED number lights, LED interior lights, 6 steps instead of 5, huge stantions for the handrails, a few changes on the control stand and the newer version of the GE screens.

I was onboard 2314 yesterday.. the indicator lamp for the handbrake in the cab is new too.. nice touch, too bad you can't release it from the cab like some US units. That overhead LED cab light turns red in emergency.. very cool. And has the emergency light reset switch now like the latest 88/89xx's... front handrails closer to the centre like the CP EVO's.. easier to climb up. New speedo heads.. more interior lights like the CP's too. And only one red marker light now.. like all the Dash 9 retrofits.

Damn, I should have taken some pics!

All those LED lights.. reduces the number of light bulbs for me to change. But the most important light in the whole unit is still incandescent - the one in the toilet!!

I forgot to mention the emergency lights! I was looking my units over when the carmen were lacing the train and popped the air...I thought I was supposed to go to battle stations! I really don't like that they put the horn sequencer button where the bell button is on all the other GE's...that will take a bit to get used to at 3am half awake going down the road! I had the 2313 teamed up with an 8900 and it was amazing to see how much faster the GEVO loaded comparted to the M-2. Did you also notice the breaker for Positive Train Control??

Years ago I never thought that I would say this, but I like the newer GE's a lot better than the "EMD" offerings. Hopefully things will improve with Cat ownership. Sparky, I heard from a Fon Du Lac hogger a couple weeks ago that he heard a few of the M-2's were cracking their blocks due to all the vibrations, you hear anything like that?

CN Sparky wrote:I was onboard 2314 yesterday.. the indicator lamp for the handbrake in the cab is new too.. nice touch, too bad you can't release it from the cab like some US units. That overhead LED cab light turns red in emergency.. very cool. And has the emergency light reset switch now like the latest 88/89xx's... front handrails closer to the centre like the CP EVO's.. easier to climb up. New speedo heads.. more interior lights like the CP's too. And only one red marker light now.. like all the Dash 9 retrofits.

Damn, I should have taken some pics!

All those LED lights.. reduces the number of light bulbs for me to change. But the most important light in the whole unit is still incandescent - the one in the toilet!!

I've heard of all sorts of problems with the M2's... they're pretty much garbage IMHO. EMD should have stuck with the SD75i design... same power, less computer crap to break. And wow, does it break often!! Lately seems like all the cooling fans are seizing... I don't know how they're going to make another summer... and yet, we keep buying the same garbage over and over... I just don't get it.

The newest GE's are far superior.. only bad things I've heard about them are the problems that were had with the coolant leaks and some sleeving that needed to be re-done on the power packs... and the issues with the Wabtec brakes, but the newest batch is equipped with the NYAB CCB2 system. Just like the last batch of the BCOL ones...

I've heard about the same things. We get a lot of dead units going to St. Louis for warranty work, one M-2 I hauled south had part of a broken connecting rod on the floor of the cab. I can't stand those Wabtec FAST brakes, they're even worse when they get older(IC SD70's for an example).

Don't the IC units have the EPIC 2 brakes? With the lil keypad in the middle and the screen where the gauges should be?

Yes, the IC 1000's have EPIC II brakes, it's pretty much the same as the FAST system with the hoaky feeling automatic handle. It's funny, I had to run a pair of Geeps the other day and it just felt strange using a 26L again.

I got a chance to play with one of the new 70M-2's tonight.. don't recall the number.. but I was pleasantly surprised - they've finally integrated the EM2000 window with the rest of the FIRE computer. Not 100% sure I like how they're done it, but it's a good first step!!

That annoying window always popping up was a pain in the you-know-where... and always disappearing when you wanted to use it!! Finally, it's gone..

Had an SD70M-2 that was shut down because it was not needed for horsepower. When it got into Wisconsin, it got cold and triggered alarm bells in the lead engine.

We had to start the thing up and let it idle so it would quit complaining - first time I've heard of an engine complaining it's cold...

Next time just shut off the control/fuel pump switch on the control stand and the control breaker in the panel..

Heh - I'm just a dispatcher...

Had an even better one last night. A brand new GEVO, 2330, shut down for an oil pressure problem. They tried to do some troubleshooting but couldn't - needed an administrator password. The diesel doctor had to call GE Tech support to get the password.

Never had that problem with the SD40-2...

I can't stand that damned window popping up! Always happens when you're trying to arm the EOT! I wish they'd spend the extra $1 and have the bell come on when you blow the horn too...

CN Sparky wrote:I got a chance to play with one of the new 70M-2's tonight.. don't recall the number.. but I was pleasantly surprised - they've finally integrated the EM2000 window with the rest of the FIRE computer. Not 100% sure I like how they're done it, but it's a good first step!!

That annoying window always popping up was a pain in the you-know-where... and always disappearing when you wanted to use it!! Finally, it's gone..