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  • Reading and Northern GP-30s?

  • The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN) (a.k.a. Reading and Northern Railroad) is a regional railroad operating in eastern Pennsylvania. Website: http://www.rbmnrr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN) (a.k.a. Reading and Northern Railroad) is a regional railroad operating in eastern Pennsylvania. Website: http://www.rbmnrr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1237651  by MrGP10
 
Hi All, I read on one of the websites that the R&N is aquring 4 GP-30s. Might there be any reason as to why they need 4 axle power? Is any power being transfered out to another railroad? Many Thanks to whom ever answers. Happy Holidays.
 #1238252  by lvrr325
 
Well, they wore out the U-boats they had, and perhaps the price is right on these. 4-axles will tread easier than 6. But who knows why R&N buys some of the junk they buy, I never could understand those non-dynamic ex-GT SD38s or whatever they are for lines where even the cash-poor LV and bankrupt CNJ got engines with dynamic braking, where the LV even had it on switchers. Nor could I understand scrapping the EL SD45-2.
 #1238346  by pdtrains
 
LTE certainly has enough SF GP-30's. Most (if not all) were rebuilt to GP-39-2 standards, and were in good running condition when retired.
My 1st guess. if true, is that they will be retiring the pups. High resale value on end cab switchers right now, and low TE compared to a GP-39-2.
Maybe he'll trade 4 worn pups for 4 rebuilt GP-30u's. Shortlines are marginally profitable at best, so "little" things, like upgrading your power for free, always helps. Of course this is just a guess.....I suppose we'll see.

at a recent UP auction, SW1500's went for twice as much as SD-40s.
 #1239390  by glennk419
 
Sort of invokes the memories of the CF-7s when the R&N was just getting started. It will be sad to see the pups leave their home rails though.
 #1239464  by lvrr325
 
Yes, I asked someone who's in the industry and he indicated the units R&N bought are actually GP39-2Ms or some equivalent designation, completely rebuilt in GP30 carbodies; they have a bunch of desirable features added and apparently sold for quite a lot of money per unit.
 #1242886  by PVRX1
 
Their website has 4 EMD GP39X locomotives 2530-2533 with no other info listed. That's probably the four GP30 rebuilds?
 #1243404  by lvrr325
 
Yes. There were four varieties of rebuilt GP30 on BNSF - Santa Fe in-house rebuilds, plus BN had GP30 and GP35 cores done by three builders and each had a different last letter in their model designation. AT&SF units became GP30u and GP35u; BN had units rebuilt by EMD, VMV (Paducah) and Morrisen-Knudsen, so you had GP39E, GP39V, and GP39M. Eventually all were reclassed GP39R. The most amusing include EMD rebuilds of a batch of former Southern units - they retained the GP30 long hood, but got an entire new GP35-style cab and short hood with low nose.

Internally all seemed to get more or less the same modifications - electrical cabinet upgrades and 645 power assemblies in the 567 block, remaining at a 2250 HP rating.

Units in Santa Fe paint were always Santa Fe units, but any showing up in BN/BNSF colors could come from a wide variety of predecessor roads including some former CSX (SAL, L&N primarily), UP and IC/GM&O units.
 #1269183  by MrGP10
 
So far 2 out of the 4 GP-30s are running the other 2 have to enter service, question will the R&N purchase more GP-30s?
 #1269211  by lvrr325
 
Who knows, if they anticipate a need for more power, probably, if not, then no. R&N's power needs and the choices they've made have always been ... I guess the nice way to put it is unpredictable - both what was bought, what was then sold, and what ended up being scrapped too.