by es80ac
How long can diesel locomotive theoretically last given if all the spare parts are available and the owner is willing to do continued major overhauls? I know the locomotive life span is between 15-25 years, but that is kind of vague considering mileage and the type of work is not taken into consideration. What does class I use as metric as to determine when a locomotive should be retired/scrapped? I hope to not get into a GE vs EMD debate as to which one last longer, but in general what would eventually force a engine to retire if overhaul can be done? Is it cracked frame, engine block or etc...? thanks