Genesis discussion (AMD-103, P40DC, P42DC)

[DutchRailnut]

EMD has offfered squad , no proposals and last few to high for general Amtrak use including the new F125 .

[Backshophoss]

The F125 laid an egg on it's Metrolink(SCAX) debut there have been no reports if Metrolink(SCAX) has the F125 is in front line use.
BNSF has delivered 2 more batches to Metrolink(SCAX) since.

DRN squat not squad.

[DutchRailnut]

thanks Ill put that in my Dutch to gibberish dictionary

[SRich]

Wil Amtrak rebuilding a few P42 DC ore not?

If they are failing, it maybe necessary to have some rebuild till the ALC42 can take it over?

[Backshophoss]

GE no longer supports the P40/42's,that GEVO kit went away after the Wabtec takeover.
The Charger's(SC-44LD) is the fleet replacement.

[SRich]

If its not longer supported from GE. How is its possible then dat Amtrak shops are rebuilding the CDOT P40?

[MEC407]

GE no longer supports the P40/42's

I don't understand this. They still provide replacement parts and technical support for Dash 8 freight locomotives. Why would they not do the same with the Genesis series?

VIA Rail has 21 of them and Metro-North has 31. Both of those agencies have ordered Chargers; however, VIA's chargers won't be delivered until 2024, and Metro-North's Chargers will only be replacing that agency's F40s and GP40s, not their Genesises. I think it's safe to say that someone, probably GE/Wabtec, still supports those locomotives with replacement parts and probably some level of technical support.

[Backshophoss]

There have been wholesale retirements of the -8's -9's by the class 1 RR's in the past few months.
Only the lease units seem to hold on long enough to wind up on shortlines and PAR/PAS
There are no known aftermarket vendors of the Cards used in GE locos
The FDL prime mover is on the way out.

[mtuandrew]

Yep, it isn’t the common mechanical parts that’s the issue, it’s the electronics and specialized mechanical parts (the trucks for instance.) Amtrak still has stocks of the parts, but some will run out sooner than others.

All-in-one card-based electronics can be printed and reproduced in America, the components are relatively simple (even the obsolete ones can be modernized or found from new old stock) but Amtrak had best get copies of all the needed programming while it can.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Don’t always rely on Wikipedia for facts. First, the MNR Geeps and F40s aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Next, it’s still unknown what engine will replace the P32AC-DMs that operate on both MNR and Amtrak.

[DutchRailnut]

MN has not ordered any chargers and the west of Hudson rumor is just that, a rumor.

[kitn1mcc]

As Tadman was saying about freight engines. Amtrak has those gp35 with Hep around still.

[MEC407]

Amtrak has those gp35 with Hep around still.

GP38s you mean? Those units are limited to 65 MPH. I rode behind one on the Downeaster a few times.

[David Benton]

Yep, it isn’t the common mechanical parts that’s the issue, it’s the electronics and specialized mechanical parts (the trucks for instance.) Amtrak still has stocks of the parts, but some will run out sooner than others.

All-in-one card-based electronics can be printed and reproduced in America, the components are relatively simple (even the obsolete ones can be modernized or found from new old stock) but Amtrak had best get copies of all the needed programming while it can.

Hmm, maybe, maybe not. These probably date from the beginning of the eprom (programmable chip) era. They may have chips that you can pick up at any radio shack, or they may be be eproms , in which case you would need to know how they are programmed. Nowdays , the Chinese grind the numbers off the top of the chips , so no one can copy them , bit ironic because they probably copied the design in the first place.
OTOH , someone clever enough ( I've never gone there) could probably figure out the functions of the whole board, and start from scratch with something like Ardunio etc.

[photobug56]

By LIRR standards, a GP 38 is a real speedster. In real life, not so much, but able to survive LIRR ownership.