Great, thanks for the wrap up of their status.
One does have to wonder, though, how an entire electric locomotive weighing 100 tons goes "missing in action". Was it mugged by some other locomotives in West Baltimore, and thrown into Gwynns Falls?
"blown transformer". Hhhmmm. One assumes power utilities have transmission transformers blow all the time on their vast networks, and they manage to replace, restoring service, within 24 hours. I can understand it being a slightly more specialized part...but not that much more specialized. Is it really that hard to get Bombardier to scrunge one up? Can't you just take the specs to whomever makes such things, and have them wind one for you? Does it change the voltage in some magical way that no other transformer can change voltage?
In all seriousness though, or as serious as I can be...I sense that maybe the HHP-8s are being driven a little more gingerly than in years past? Is it possible they want to keep another from 'blowing its top' by not accelerating as quickly? I mean, power does equal I squared R. Slower is going to put less stress on it. I wish I'd had a way to screencap my GPS back in 2011, was it, when the old MARC that went direct from DC to BWI managed to hit 134 mph by the time it got to the Anacostia bridge. Standing room only train. Not making this up. It was impressive.