SD70M-2s

masscoastalfan wrote:I heard that FEC will be recieving 4 more SD70M-2's. And unfortunatly they will be painted in the Rail-America scheme of red anf grey.

However, the units will still have FEC lettering!

The color of the paint is nowhere near as important as the fact that they are committed to the best possible operation of
the Florida East Coast.
The railroad went for so many years without ordering any new power, now we will have 8 engines that are basically still new.
The older engines are still doing a very credible job hauling whatever they put behind them on a tight schedule and at fairly
high speeds and very reliable.
I believe the management of the FEC is committed to the future of this railroad.
Noel Weaver

Looks like the reports were right.

www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=251436

The second four new SD-70's have made a few trips on freight trains but as trailing units. They are still not fully equipped to
operate as lead units.
On another note, NYS&W 4052 went south on the Florida East Coast just before the holiday shut down. The same engine, NYS&W 4052 went
north Friday, December 26th on the first northbound train after the shutdown ended, train 222.
The engine was running and looked good. It can't lead on the FEC because it is not equipped with FEC cab signals and train
control. It was the third unit behind two GP-40's on a big train.
Noel Weaver

The newest SD-70's are now able to lead and Sunday both 105 and 106 went south out of Jacksonville to Hialeah as lead units
on trains 101 and 107. Most llikely these same two units will go north Monday as lead units too.
Noel Weaver

Cool, thanks for the updates Noel. Can't wait to get back to Ft. Pierce, and get trackside, to see the action for myself....

I've heard that with traffic being down, the 4 new SD70M-2's might be going back to EMD. While I can see why this would happen, it would seem that FEC would be better off retiring some of the older and unrebuilt GP40s and keep their 70s. If nothing else, I'm sure those FEC GP38/40s are in better condition than some locos on other RA lines and could be used to replace those dieing units! Hopefully they won't go, and I personally have no word on this...just wondered if anyone "in the know" had heard of this possibility.

No truth to it.

Coming straight from an RA employee "in the know"

Can anyone confirm that the 104 was substantially damaged in a wreck earlier in May. I believe one of the SD40's 701 was involved too. Will either be repaired?

The 701 was scrapped on scene and the 104 should be back running before too long. No longer with RA on the sides, but with Florida East Coast on the sides.

Word has it that FEC is going to be leasing the three CITX SD70M-2's and that they are already enroute to Florida (I believe they were on lease to BNSF). Can anyone confirm this or provide more details?

Here is video I shot from Stuart, FL when I was down there. Showing the SD70M-2's in action. Along with other engines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9vSXf0K1w&fmt=22

Wild rumor, but it's from a source who is usually reliable:

The source states that FEC is in talks with GE to purchase up to 26 GE Evolution Series locomotives... and the wilder part of the rumor is that these locomotives may be powered by natural gas.

Has anyone else heard this, or anything similar?