cw40-8 purge

[atsf sp]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7kL3diw ... e=youtu.be
Why would BNSF rid themselves of the Cw40-8s? Sure they are not as up to date as say the es series but they are still good engines. CSX has that type as a major fleet engine. Is there any validity to the rumor that they will be scrapped?

[scottychaos]

Why? because they are getting old..and old engines eventually leave the roster.
many have been retired already, and time is simply running out for the Dash-8's, their final days are now upon us..

scrapped? probably..also a common fate for old locos..
probably 99% of all locomotives that have ever existed are now scrapped..

its just business as usual...nothing out of the oridinary here..

Scot

[Leo_Ames]

I don't think many, if any, will be scrapped. The Dash 8-40C and Dash 8-40CW that Union Pacific and BNSF have let go in recent months were leased units at the end of their lease.

They're modern locomotives that are reliable and efficient. Every class 1 mechanical department in North America is familiar with and equipped to maintain these models. I don't think they will be going to the scrapyard anytime soon like the U-Boats, Dash 7's, and the earliest Dash 8's before them that were inferior to their EMD counterparts and were sent to the scrapyard when the day came when they weren't needed by their original owner or their leases were up.

I suspect they will see a second life in the second hand market as lease units, picked up by a Class 1 like Canadian National looking for a bargain on modern locomotives (Which has happened with some of the recent UP standard cab and BNSF safety cab cast offs), sold for service in Mexico or elsewhere overseas, or be sold to one of your larger regionals that wants to upgrade it's fleet to enjoy some of the benefits of modern power but can't afford the newest thing from GE or EMD.

And of course they will have to be upgraded to meet the latest EPA standards (Tier 0+ I think it's called) when they're overhauled or have major components changed in the future. But the equipment to adapt these locomotives to meet those standards exists and is available so I don't see that being a major problem. I suspect they're leaving the BNSF roster because the lease is up, they're older, and not needed due to new locomotive purchases and the economic downturn we're in. I don't think it's a reflection on their condition and capability as locomotives and I think they will find new homes just like SD40-2 retirements in the early 90s did on some lines when leases weren't picked up. They have some miles left to run yet.

I bet they all find second homes.

[CN Sparky]

I suspect they will see a second life in the second hand market as lease units, picked up by a Class 1 like Canadian National looking for a bargain on modern locomotives .

Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

Not those particular ones... but CN has picked up a bunch of ex-Santa Fe Dash 8's... to be re-numbered into the 2135+ range..

[CN Sparky]

Two of them:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=332374
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=332214

I particularly like the second one.. maybe they should have made it CNSF...?

[JackRussell]

I particularly like the second one.. maybe they should have made it CNSF...?

They sure cheaped out on the paint job on that one.

[jackson]

I dont know any of us out here in bnsf train service who will miss any of these red nosed motors leaving bnsf!

[Leo_Ames]

A poster over at the Trains forums says BNSF has let go of 10 of their B40-8W's (560, 564, 565, 566, 568, 570, 571, 572, 578, and 581) and they're at Bro-Tex Metals in Galveston, TX for resale.

I wonder if CSX will purchase some of them. Didn't they buy the Conrail B40-8's after Norfolk Southern retired them a couple of years ago? Or would the safety cab be detrimentral to the service CSX uses the B40-8's in?

[CorenDirebrew]

A poster over at the Trains forums says BNSF has let go of 10 of their B40-8W's (560, 564, 565, 566, 568, 570, 571, 572, 578, and 581) and they're at Bro-Tex Metals in Galveston, TX for resale.

I wonder if CSX will purchase some of them. Didn't they buy the Conrail B40-8's after Norfolk Southern retired them a couple of years ago? Or would the safety cab be detrimentral to the service CSX uses the B40-8's in?

If they did give it to CSX. They would be downgraded to BW30-8's

[v8interceptor]

A poster over at the Trains forums says BNSF has let go of 10 of their B40-8W's (560, 564, 565, 566, 568, 570, 571, 572, 578, and 581) and they're at Bro-Tex Metals in Galveston, TX for resale.

I wonder if CSX will purchase some of them. Didn't they buy the Conrail B40-8's after Norfolk Southern retired them a couple of years ago? Or would the safety cab be detrimentral to the service CSX uses the B40-8's in?

If they did give it to CSX. They would be downgraded to BW30-8's

Up in my area (Southern New England) regional railroad The Providence & Worcester has purchased several ex-ATSF/BNSF B40-8Ws. They initially ran them in the "Pumpkin" scheme with just the lettering changed but iI believe that have all been repainted since...

[bobw59]

There are four B40-8w's over on the Nashville & Eastern, nos. 568, 573, 574 and 579.